The Telescope Mount is easy to build there are just a few basic parts to it. In this part we build the cabinet.

There are two parts to this mount. The wheeled cabinet and the cradle. Let's start by building the cabinet.

Let's first talk a little bit about the dimensions you should make your telescope to. I have an eight inch mirror in my telescope and the telescope tube is a certain length. Your telescope is probably different in size, particularly tube length. You want to build the cabinet so the height of it holds the telescope eyepiece at a comfortable height for you. Consider this. And consdier if you are going to be having other people looking through the telescope, particularly children.

I experimented with the size of my cabinet by first building a mockup out of foamboard. This way I could get a really good sense for the size it would be and the height of the eyepiece.

All told, with the telescope completely built and pointing directly up at the zenith my eyepiece sits at 56 inches above the ground which is a comfortable viewing height for me.

A good comfortable height of the cabinet turns out to be 24 inches. So let's build the cabinet to that height. The cabinet itself. The telescope will actually sit higher because of the wheels and the yoke. But the eyepiece, at zenith, ends up to be 56 inches above the ground.

I purchased some wood at the home depot. These are high quality pine boards that are labeled as 1" x 12". Although with carpentry and wood they are a little bit smaller than that. But they are labeled as 1x12's. And I marked off, cut, four lengths of 24 inches. The high quality pine wood is better, straighter, with less defects and of course more expensive.

Screw three of them together, forming the main shape of the cabinet.

Now measure and cut four shelves. Screw them in like this. Parts 1 and 4 on this next image are mandatory. They form the top and the bottom of the cabinet. You need those. But for the internal shelves you can put as many as you want and you can place them in any location you like. It all depends on how tall you want the shelves inside the cabinet to be.

Next add a couple of hinges to the front of the cabinet on one side.

And add the door.

Finish the cabinet by adding a knob and a latch.

Next we make the wheel base. It is cut from the 3/4" sheet of plywood. We want to use 3/4" plywood so it is nice and strong.

To measure and cut this wheel base piece you put your cabinet on the plywood and add the wheels at each corner. Then just draw around the whole thing. Simple enough. Then cut it out. Don't place the wheel so they are directly under the cabinet. That might make the cabinet a little bit unstable. The telescope, when completed, could tip over. Having the wheels stick out like this makes the whole build more stable.

Drill holes and mount the wheels to the base using bolts and nuts.

Use some quality wheels and be sure they have locks on them. You will want to lock those wheels when using the telescope and when storing the telescope somewhere in your house.

Then screw it right to the bottom of your cabinet.

Ok, the cabinet is done. Let's make the cradle for the telescope tube to sit in.

Will's Book on Telescopes:

See It with a Small Telescope: 101 Cosmic Wonders Including Planets, Moons, Comets, Galaxies, Nebulae, Star Clusters and More - Available in paperback and kindle on Amazon right here