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Magazine > Practical tips > Astronomy hacks > If it is stuck: a strap wrench may help
Practical tips

If it is stuck: a strap wrench may help

You don’t really want to attack your telescope with a pipe wrench just because something has got stuck. Here, a strap wrench is the better option.

Strap wrench in use on a LX2000 adapter plate. The teeth in the handle are pressed against the belt, and then the wrench can be turned in the direction of the arrow. O. Klös Strap wrench in use on a LX2000 adapter plate. The teeth in the handle are pressed against the belt, and then the wrench can be turned in the direction of the arrow. O. Klös

It was a cold winter night many years ago when I decided to connect my Lumicon Giant off-axis guider to my telescope to take some pictures. The adapter plate on the back of the LX200 had to be unscrewed in order to increase the opening size to mount the off-axis guider. I wanted to twist the plate off, but to my surprise it did not give in a millimetre. Unfortunately, there were no recesses on the plate itself that would have allowed me to get a good grip on it with my hand and exert some force on it.

The plate was stuck, there was no doubt about it. Frustrated, I gave up. I had to cancel my photography session. The solution to the problem was a strap wrench. With this tool, a rubber sling is placed around the part to be unscrewed, the sling is pulled tight, and you have really good purchase on the problem component - even those with smooth surfaces. When the next photo opportunity came around, unscrewing the plate on the LX200 with one. This useful tool is now part of my telescope kit. Just search the Internet using the term strap wrench, or you can pick one up at your local hardware store for just a few euros.

Author: Oliver Klös / License: Oculum Verlag GmbH