Make this Sliding Weight Setup for Peanuts!
Note: This may only work this way on 8" scopes as the tracks are only about 13.5" long, if your OTA is more than 13.5" in length from mount screw to mount screw see the end of this article for a possible work around.
After strapping all kinds of accesories to the back of my scope I realized I needed some kind of weight setup to even it out. The Meade set looked nice but I had better ideas of a way to spend $100. So off I go to Home Depot again....after looking around forever I couldn't find any type of channel that was shaped like a semi closed "C" to allow a simple method of sliding. All of a sudden my wife walks up with just what I was looking for. It is a galvanized bracket assembly that is used for mounting ceiling fans or recessed lighting between 2 beams. There are a bunch of these out there that are too flimsy for this use but Home Depot had the good ones, they are made by Steel City and have this stamped in the side. They can be found in the electrical department. While you are there also get three 1/4" SQUARE nuts (must be square, not hex), one 1/4" wingnut, and a piece of 1/4" threaded rod. Total cost about $4. You will also need some kind of weights that have a hole in them. I used 4 "pole shoes" from an old GM starter motor. If you can't find anything good to use just stop by an alternator/starter shop and ask them to sell you a few old or new ones (even new they shouldn't cost more than about $1 each). Now for assembly. First the track is in 2 overlapping pieces, I used the smaller inside piece as it has no stamped writing on the side and discarded the outside piece. Measure your optical tube from mount screw to mount screw and cut the bracket end off to the correct length (the measurement + about an extra 1/4" or so) with a hacksaw. If you have a grinder with a wire wheel the metal will look nice if you carefully brush down each side. Otherwise you may want to paint it, but the mask the bottom and only paint the sides or the weights will scratch the paint . Drill a small hole at each end of the track for the mount screws. You will also need to either spread the track slightly, or remove some material from the track or screw heads to get the screwhead inside the track. Mount the track to the scope using the 2 existing mount screws as shown above. I used two of the 1/4" square nuts between the track and the OTA as "stand offs" to separate the track from the OTA slightly so my corrector heater could slip under it, this is up to you. Insert the third 1/4" square nut into the track. The threaded rod should be cut to length and then screwed into this nut (with a dab of glue on the threads so when you loosen the wingnut the threaded rod stays put on this end AND so the rod won't bottom out in the track when tightened). The length of the threaded rod depends on the weights you use, BUT there is one consideration. Make sure to leave enough room so that if the weights are fully forward they will still clear the fork base. You should choose weights so that there is more than one of them so you can remove some of necessary. Although this is a 2D balance set as opposed to some 3D setups I find it is all I need, being balanced in RA isn't all that important as long as you are not really out of balance. I imagine you could cut a second section of track and make a swiveling piece to mount the weights on (a wingnut to swivel a second small track left or right with sliding weights on it) if 3D is important to you. I was at the hardware store the other day and saw some plastic end caps that I could probably make fit the ends of the track for a finishing touch (didn't think of that till just now!). Give it a try, it looks decent, works decent, and if you're on a limited budget like me there are much nicer things to spend $$ on than stupid weight sets!
NOTE FOR *NON * 8" OWNERS: If your OTA is longer than 13.5" you could still use this method. The track mentioned comes with 2 interlocking pieces an inner and an outer. Together they can extend to 25" or so but you will have to join them with probably 2 screws and square nuts for rigidity. Join the track at the end near the eyepiece as it seems the weight is always needed in front and the weights will not be able to slide past the "splice".
Tip Submitted by Emilio J. Robau: (You can use square aluminum tubing and make it into a track by cutting/routing a lengthwise slot with a tablesaw or router. Don't cut all the way, leave the ends closed. I used divers weights, painted the track Meade Blue and the weights black for a nice Meade factory look.)