Dobsonian mounts are made to feel great and work with friction between (here) plastic and teflon pads, both in the altitude and azimuth axis. The goal is to hav

Dobsonian mounts are made to feel great and work with friction between (here) plastic and teflon pads, both in the altitude and azimuth axis. The goal is to have your telescope properly balanced so there is no need to apply force to hold it in position, nor need more force to start a movement than to keep moving, which would lead to jerky motion. Properly balanced, everything must feel smooth and easy.