Scope Pier Mount

You all know the advantages of using a pier mount rather than a tripod:
no more storing, lugging, unfolding, leveling, and aligning each time
you want to view the sky. Here is a brief description of how I built a
pier in my yard for about $45.

Materials:

     6 in x 8 in x 8 ft "Railroad Tie"         $19.95
     ½ in x 12 in threaded shaft                 1.50 ?
     ½ in x 13 thread nuts for shaft             1.00 ?
     Rental post hole digger                    15.00
     Optional scrap wood (see below)
     A few tools

The Meade tripod wedge mounts on a flat 6.5 in circle with one ½ in bolt
hole in the center.  A 6x6 tie would not work as well since the wedge
would overhang all four sides. Any wedge that can be screwed down to
wood could be adapted.

I wanted the scope 4 feet above ground (equal to the tripod with legs
extended) since I do a lot of photography. If you prefer a lower mount
a six foot tie may do.

I prepared the tie by sanding the upper half that would be visible.  The
tie I bought was very rough, others may not need sanding. I drilled a
deep 7/16 hole in one end of the tie. I threaded the shaft in using the
old two nuts jammed together trick, leaving enough extended for the
wedge and one nut.

I made a "hole tester" out of some scrap wood by nailing an 8x6 rectangle
on a six foot piece of old molding. I dug the hole quickly (no rocks!)
using my tester for size and depth. Unfortunately I didn't think about
holding a level against the tester; when I inserted the tie it leaned.
The only help I had was a neighbor was needed to pull the tie OUT of the
hole. I trimmed the hole with the digger and reinserted the tie. At the
neighbors suggestion I mounted the tripod's wedge and used its bubble for
leveling, this was a slightly different angle from using a carpenters
level on the tie. I filled in the surrounding hole, tamping down the dirt
with the aforementioned strip of molding.

Eventually I bought a second wedge to avoid having to transfer from pier
to tripod. I put a WTB advertisement on Astromart and had two responses,
I took the lower price of $65. OK, this exceeds the $45.... The second
wedge stays on the pier year around, after 18 months it shows NO signs
of wear or corrosion. I added hooks and a shelf to hold my accessories.

After the first winter I realized that my choice of location by the
street was less than ideal. I had picked the spot based on amount of
sky visible but found the street lights to be a problem.  Unlike piers
that are mounted in 800 pounds of cement I was able to move the pier to
the back yard in a few hours for only the cost of a post digger rental. 

I'm very happy with the results. The pier resulted in quicker setup and
made photography easier by having a place to hang all three hand control-
lers. Since it is made of wood, I can easily add new items such as a
recent power outlet. It's much more solid then the big Meade tripod.

Leo Taylor