DIY Telescope Pier
Materials:
1 piece steel “I” beam (at least 130 x 200 x 1000mm)
3 pieces of 10mm steel plate (cut into 280mm diameter circles)
4 pieces of 12mm threaded rod @ 100mm long
4 pieces of 12mm threaded rod @ 300mm long
24 x 12mm Hex nuts and heavy duty washers
These materials are often very cheap and can often be found if you shop around at metal fabricators in industrial areas. Salvage yards are also good places to look.
Step 1. Measure, mark and cut steel plate into three squares or circles depending on your preference. I chose a diameter of 280mm circles for convenience and to allow room around the “I” beam for curved slots. Clean and smooth edges with an angle grinder or file.
Step 2. Drill four matching holes at 12.5mm in plates 1 and 2.
Step 3. Stitch drill (Drilling holes close together to form a long hole) then file, or oxy cut four elongated and curved 13mm wide slots in plate 3.
Step 4. Assemble plates 1 and 2 with 12mm x 100mm threaded rod, nuts and washers. (See images)
Step 5. Check-fit 12mm x 300 mm threaded rod, nuts and washers.
Step 6. Cut “I” beam to desired height, allowing for added height of plates 1 and 2.
Step 7. Weld plates 2 and 3 to either end of the “I” beam.
Step 9. Prime and paint. If outside I suggest using white kill-rust paint to minimize collision hazard in the dark and protect from moisture. If in an observatory then black is good.
Installing:
For dry concrete, drill holes in concrete, insert and set threaded rod using specialized building product chemical setting agent. For new concrete, pre-position all four12mm x 300mm threaded rods in plate 3. Level and support the whole pier on the wet concrete using a plank and push the rods down into the wet concrete. Leave a gap underneath plate 3 to allow for future pier adjustments. Rods can be cut now or later, using an angle grinder or hacksaw if they are too long. For a stronger hold in wet concrete, you can weld a short cross-bar on the bottom of each rod first.
To adjust the vertical aspect of the pier, use a spirit level and adjust the nuts at plate 3. To adjust the horizontal aspect of plate 1, (this is now your base plate to mount your telescope mount) adjust the nuts at plate 2. To adjust rotational aspect of entire pier, slightly loosen top nuts of plate 3 and rotate pier to desired direction and re-tighten nuts.