The telescope tube is held in place by a box constructed from the four parts labeled box. The box can be built around the telescope tube after its balance point has been found. (Be sure to find the balance point with both the finder and an eyepiece in place. Dobsonians don't work well if the tube is out of balance by very much.) Make sure the eyepiece on the telescope is positioned as desired before fixing it inside of the box structure. Usually for a six inch telescope, having the eyepiece at a 45 degree angle works well. Larger telescope though generally have the eyepiece mounted parallel to one of the side bearings.
The wood can be joined together by using a combination of white glue and wood screws. Keep the work square while the glue dries. An option is to make the box, and then cut it in half down the middle of the two smaller sides. Hinges and latches can then be attached to the halves so that the box can be opened to allow the telescope tube to be placed inside. This method also permits the tube to be adjusted should the balance point change.
The two side bearings are attached to the middle of the larger two box sides. These bearings should have formica strips glued around their outside. (Fiberglass strapping tape works pretty well to get started). An alternative to having to cut round pieces of plywood for the side bearings is to use closet flanges. These can be acquired at any local hardware store. For a small telescope like a six inch reflector, three inch closet flanges would be fine. Larger telescope would have to go with the four inch variety though.
The rocker is made up of the two side boards, the front board, and the bottom board. The side bearings on the telescope box described above should fit into the notches at the top of each side board. If closet flanges are used on the telescope box, then the notches at the top of each of the side boards should be made to accomodate the size of flange used. The two side boards are attached to the front board along their vertical sides. These three parts are then screwed to the top of the bottom board to make a solid assembly. Next, a bottom bearing needs to be attached to the bottom of the bottom board. This is made from a formica sheet glued in place. Formica that is slightly rough is the best type to use, as the very smooth kind actually generates more friction than desired.
The final piece of the mount is the ground board. The three small two inch square pieces of wood are used as feet for the ground board, and are attached at equidistant points to its bottom. In place of these wood feet, adjustable furniture feet can be used if it is desired to level the mount. (This is useful if using a computer system is to be used to help point the telescope.) On the top of the ground board three small pieces of teflon are placed around the edges, about 120 degrees apart, for the formica of the rocker to ride on. Again, an alternative for a small mount like this is to use nylon furniture glides. (I bought a set of these at Wal-Mart for $.79. Definately easy to find, and affordable.)
To connect the rocker and the ground board together, drill a hole through the center of the bottom bearing and the bottom board of the rocker, and also the ground board. A carriage bolt is then inserted upwards through the three pieces to hold them all together. (Measure to see how long of a bolt you need. For this mount, a two inch to three and a half inch bolt should do, depending on the construction techniques used.) A wing nut keeps the carriage bolt in place and is used to adjust the bearing tension.
The side bearings of the telescope box sit in the curved cutout parts of the rocker side boards. These curved cuts have several pieces of teflon set into them on which the side bearings ride. Usually two pieces of teflon are used in each bearing notch. Again, nylon furniture guides can be used in place of teflon for this size telescope.
Once the final pieces are constructed, they can be painted any desired color. White is good for the rocker and ground board for a number of reasons. It does not heat up readily, and can easily be seen at night. (There is nothing quite as frustrating as just finding an object, and having someone bump into your telescope because they could not see exactly where the mount was in the dark.) Here's a little hint for those constructing their own telescope tube assembly: To help cut down on scattered light, glue to the inside of the tube either felt or velveteen. Also, get the best finder and focuser you can. Both will help greatly in being able to find, and stay on, an object.