Salvaged a 1960s telescope mount, then a bird stole my focus knob | Found It in the Free Box

Parker Harris · 2026-09-04T07:50:09.202594+00:00

Last Tuesday I spotted this huge aluminum telescope mount leaning against a dumpster near the bike path in Portland. It was missing the tube but the gears looked solid, so I hauled it home on my cargo rack. After cleaning off the rust with vinegar and a wire brush, I found a sticker saying it was built in 1964 by some local maker. I spent two evenings rigging up a camera bracket and got it balanced perfectly, but then a crow swooped down and yanked the little brass focus knob right off the counter while I had the back door open. The knob rolled into a storm drain and I just stood there laughing for a minute. I ended up using a wing nut and some epoxy as a replacement, which actually works better than the original for fine adjustment. Has anyone else had wildlife mess with their curbside finds, or do I just have weirdly aggressive birds near my yard?

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Salvaged a 1960s telescope mount, then a bird stole my focus knob | Found It in the Free Box - The Community Guide