My Lunt Modification

Perhaps I irritate a tad too easily, but I grew extremely tired of having to use a tiny allen wrench every time I needed to orientate the focuser on my Lunt 60mm H-a scope that has the FeatherTouch focuser. Then after I got finished with my viewing session and wanted to store the scope in the case I would have to loosen those same screws back up to get the scope to fit back in properly.

So I did some measuring and headed towards my favorite hardware supplier, McMaster-Carr. I found the perfect stainless steel knurl headed thumbscrews. One could get by with replacing only 3 of the 6 screws, but I went ahead and replaced them all just to keep the looks.

If anyone else is interested in doing this easy and reversible mod, I can supply the catalog number and specs. The silly things are $3.00 each, but McMaster also has a black plastic headed variety that would work that was quite a bit cheaper. All of the other knurled knobs on the scope are knurled stainless steel which is why I went this route. I also put these knobs on my Lunt 60mm CaK scope. This has made my setup much easier and faster with no dropping that tiny allen wrench or those small hex set screws! I guess it's the little things in life!!

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Great idea, Steve. I too hate fiddling with tools (Allen wrenches & screwdrivers) when assembling or adjusting telescope equipment. The best solution I've found is to make my own thumb screws using readily available stainless steel socket head cap screws and pressing on "Shear-Loc" plastic knobs. See:http://www.shear-loc.com/

When I discovered these Shear-Loc knobs several years ago, I purchased a kit of 150 knobs of various sizes and styles, which comes in a compartmentalized plastic box. The only tool needed to create a custom made thumb screw is a standard bench vise to press the plastic knob onto the socket head cap screw and it takes only a few seconds. I have used up so many of the knobs in my kit, creating thumb screws for myself and friends, that I'm about ready to buy another box.

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Steve, I'm sharing a Feathertouch focuser between my Lunt and another telescope. For the Lunt, I needed to whisk a few thousandths off the larger diameter portion of a Feathertouch 2-inch adapter. After that, it mounts neatly in the Lunt's tailpiece. But I'd greatly prefer those thumbscrews rather than having to keep up with the proper Allen wrench and live in dread of losing a set screw. So, yeah... please do tell: what are the threads and what's the McMaster-Carr number? Thanks!

dc

Steve Sands said:

So I did some measuring and headed towards my favorite hardware supplier, McMaster-Carr. I found the perfect stainless steel knurl headed thumbscrews. One could get by with replacing only 3 of the 6 screws, but I went ahead and replaced them all just to keep the looks.

If anyone else is interested in doing this easy and reversible mod, I can supply the catalog number and specs....