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Clutch Material for RA Axis - German Equatorial

Started by TheDesertSage, 09/09/2006 08:23PM
Posted 09/09/2006 08:23PM Opening Post
Hi -

I recently acquired an old Schaefer mount in need of some TLC. This mount has the mass of the drive gear on the FRONT end of the polar axis, making for a very stable scope platform. A disk of teflon is used between the RA drive gear and the polar housing face. This allows the gear to slip freely as it's driven along. I'm looking for a "clutch disk" to go between the gear and the disk of the Declination housing. Some friction is needed at this interface for keeping the scope moving with the RA gear. I've heard of cork and other resilient materials being used for drive gear clutches, but I think that would need frequent replacement. Any other ideas out there? Thanks! - Chuck