Hi group, Has anyone devised a system to move an ota back & forth on a dove tail plate using some kind of SCREW device? If so,, I would love to hear about it,...
Hi, For anyone interested here’s a short update on the progress of my 24” mirror. I finished polishing the mirror about two months ago. Polishing machine ...
From all the information I was able to glean: In a few days, my web site http://mysite.verizon.net/rflrs will be coming down. If anyone wants to get a copy of...
Really sad news. One of the guys who's been working diligently in our workshop on an 8"f/5 mirror had an irretrievable disaster yesterday as he was taking his...
I need a computer controlled kiln with a large enough chamber to fire mirrors up to 24 inches in diameter. It needs to be programable and must be wired for...
Hi, I am making an f8 10" mirror and it is now well enough polished to start testing. Using the Foucault test at the centre of curvature I find that the...
Hi, When I stand near a 5mm thickness closet mirror , I see regular boundaries in images. When I stand 15 feet away , I can perceive distorted outline in...
I just uncovered this website at another ATM group. A professional machinist who is himself an ATM, is making customized parts available to your specs. What I...
I have just assembled and tested a couple of 6 inch Maksutovs that look very good optic wise. When building them, I used a test that is probably in some book...
I have built a mirror making machine, a Mirror-O-Matic. A webpage about the machine is here: http://members.ziggo.nl/jhm.vangastel/Astronomy/mom/mom.htm . Jan ...
Ladies and Gentlemen, I just uploaded (to the Chipped Mirror folder) three pictures of the 10 inch mirror I posted about earlier in the week. To repeat my...
Hello everyone, I am new to this group. I have been thinking of building my own RC for quite some time now and I have finally have the time to start this...
When doing perforations in the past, I found that using a diamond drill worked at least 10 times faster than using the classic homemade drilll and grit method....
My primary reason for not being fond of Dobsonians has been the lack of precision tracking needed for long duration imaging. However, I am seeing more and more...
I know of five folding telescopes: Bob Cox's folding Cassegrain Victor Nikolashin's folding Cassegrain http://www.rtmcastronomyexpo.org/RDS/RTMC70.html Ken...
Another probable reason to use nitrogen is to reduce oxidation. Those tires get quite hot. When You use a high pressure jet of air, quite frequently you get a...
I have liked the views my 6 inch refractors deliver, but I would like to reduce their weight. The metal cells and tubes seem to be a place to begin weight...
I sent this yesterday but it never went through. Another probable reason to use nitrogen is to reduce oxidation. Those tires get quite hot. When You use a high...
Hi Gang! I'm in the process of repairing a really inexpensive, entry level refractor for a friend. You know the kind. . . . you see them at flea markets, in...
I know the "usual" method for cleaning our mirrors: soap in warm water with a couple drops of dove dish soap for 15 minutes, use a soft cotton cloth or cotton...
Hello Art, You wrote: There were several tests planned with an assortment of Lamentations. and in a previous mail: Unfortunately a sudden jam on the polishing...
I create a video that shows how I align the optical components of my Bath interferometer. This along with the prvious setup video should give you a very good...
Hi I found an article on my computer. "A Large Field F/10 Cassegrain by By Charles Rydel,Socit astronomique de France" I have had it awhile so I am not...
Mark Just saw the pictures that you posted. That looks like a very clean cut. I suppose you made the hole saw from a metal pipe. What grit did you use and how...
Hey gang , I am having a little trouble understanding Tex's coefficient of deformation. In the book he gives the formula for any zone with a radius of...
How important is field curvature, or rather, the lack of it, for visual observing of deep sky objects? I'm in the final stages of rough grinding a 12" primary...
Hi Group: I have my MI250 mount on what I believe is an Astrophysics pier. It is 10 inches O.D. but does anyone know what the I.D. of the pier tube is? I...
