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Ready to Grind

Last post by yobbo89 « Sat Aug 10, 2024 1:07 pm
Replies: 24
by yobbo89 » Fri May 24, 2024 7:38 pm
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2
First post

It took me all week to make this tool. 2 days waiting for the Plaster to fully cure, then 2 coats of epoxy and then gluing the tiles.. I think i...

Last post

It's been awhile since I've posted an updated, I've had to re grind at 25 micron 4 times due to scratching, all fixed from beveling the tool, using a...
24 Replies

3216 Views

Last post by yobbo89
Sat Aug 10, 2024 1:07 pm
Bath interferometer laser

Last post by yobbo89 « Wed May 08, 2024 3:46 pm
Replies: 2
by yobbo89 » Sat Apr 27, 2024 4:20 pm

First post

I'm trying to setup my bath interferometer but just can't find a suitable laser, it seems the shape of the diode (rectangle) is projecting through...

Last post

Finished my xyz table.

I will start grinding soon, I have my mirror grinding stool setup aswell, just waiting for some wett stones I've ordered to...

2 Replies

1767 Views

Last post by yobbo89
Wed May 08, 2024 3:46 pm
Cleaning mirror on my 18" dob

Last post by NGC 1365 « Sun Mar 17, 2024 7:28 am
Replies: 7
by OzEclipse » Sun Mar 10, 2024 6:11 am

First post

I have owned reflectors for 45 years and cleaned mirrors many times, mainly my 6 f7. That mirror is easily removed from the telescope by loosening...

Last post

Joe, to make the removal and re installation of my mirror easier, I got rid of the sling support and installed wiffle tree edge supports. Although it...

7 Replies

2456 Views

Last post by NGC 1365
Sun Mar 17, 2024 7:28 am
diy spherometer

Last post by OzEclipse « Sun Feb 04, 2024 1:09 am
Replies: 2
by yobbo89 » Sat Feb 03, 2024 1:10 pm

First post

printed this simple spherometer, didn't have ball end grub screws but it does have 3 printed contact points that some what work until i get some...

Last post

Nice stuff Rob. I couldn't quite remember the final f ratio but I think I said I thought it was somewhere around f5.6, not bad memory after 40 years!...

2 Replies

2309 Views

Last post by OzEclipse
Sun Feb 04, 2024 1:09 am
Scope rebuild project

Last post by SkyHiker « Fri Nov 17, 2023 12:23 am
Replies: 1
by Durad » Thu Nov 16, 2023 10:53 pm

First post

Hi All,

I have 2 scopes (6 and 8 ) that I believe can be rebuilt using the mirrors (primary and secondary). My worry is that I see many discussions...

Last post

Hi All,

I have 2 scopes (6 and 8 ) that I believe can be rebuilt using the mirrors (primary and secondary). My worry is that I see many discussions...

1 Replies

2028 Views

Last post by SkyHiker
Fri Nov 17, 2023 12:23 am
A cheap (or free) and easy solar finder

Last post by messier 111 « Tue Oct 03, 2023 3:07 pm
Replies: 3
by gregl » Tue Oct 03, 2023 4:13 am

First post

Here’s a quick and cheap solar finder for the annular eclipse next week and next year’s total eclipse. I made this with some foam core poster board...

Last post

I like the ingenious side, thx.

3 Replies

2370 Views

Last post by messier 111
Tue Oct 03, 2023 3:07 pm
Tuning up my one-piece worm

Last post by SkyHiker « Sat Aug 19, 2023 6:48 pm
Replies: 18
by SkyHiker » Mon Jul 31, 2023 4:17 pm

First post

I thought I had posted my one-piece worm assembly, but I can't find it here. It looks like this,

IMG_1104_small.JPG

The motors are attached to...

Last post

I still have some coma problems. See the parachute-like smears below for all 4 corners. This affects the quality of the guide stars because they are...

18 Replies

3871 Views

Last post by SkyHiker
Sat Aug 19, 2023 6:48 pm
My 8 inch f/2.9 rich field telescope refurb project

Last post by StarBru « Tue Aug 15, 2023 4:31 pm
Replies: 7
by StarBru » Mon Aug 14, 2023 2:03 am

First post

Some of you may have heard this story before. I was seduced from a small ad in Sky & Telescope some time around 1979, and I ordered and bought an 8...

Last post

You could also look at purchasing a small anodizing kit, it is quite easy to do with metal or aluminium.
If you could find a plastic bin large...

7 Replies

2463 Views

Last post by StarBru
Tue Aug 15, 2023 4:31 pm
Building a fixed post mirror grinding machine

Last post by PatWilc « Thu Feb 09, 2023 7:35 pm
Replies: 31
by Kanadalainen » Thu Aug 15, 2019 12:55 pm
1

2
First post

Hello all,

I'm fascinated by those who can grind and figure their own mirrors for reflecting telescopes. With the availability of kits to finish...

Last post

How has your mirror grinding been going? Great machine I am thinking of trying to build one. I am hand grinding a 16 F6 right now but it is going...
31 Replies

31298 Views

Last post by PatWilc
Thu Feb 09, 2023 7:35 pm
Re-converted my Z12

Last post by notFritzArgelander « Tue Aug 02, 2022 2:56 pm
Replies: 17
by SkyHiker » Tue Jul 06, 2021 6:26 am

First post

I had converted my Z12 to a collapsible using carbon fiber poles a couple years ago. I was never really happy about it because it was a bit bulky and...

Last post

Any postive news nFA, or total destruction? I'm curious how things worked out.

Things are moving at glacial pace. The only positive news is that...

17 Replies

9540 Views

Last post by notFritzArgelander
Tue Aug 02, 2022 2:56 pm
Mount tune-up and new PA method

Last post by SkyHiker « Sun Jul 31, 2022 8:36 pm
Replies: 2
by SkyHiker » Sat Jul 30, 2022 7:00 pm

First post

Somehow, messing with my G11S appeals to me more than the obvious alternative. I added an EqStar controller, replaced it with OnStep, added DIY SLWs...

Last post

Wow, Henk,

I wish I had both your confidence and your knowledge to tear my mounts apart like that. Fascinating write-up. Thanks for sharing....

2 Replies

2173 Views

Last post by SkyHiker
Sun Jul 31, 2022 8:36 pm
My 3rd camera barndoor, a sturdy one this time

Last post by OzEclipse « Sat Apr 02, 2022 2:30 pm
Replies: 8
by SkyHiker » Sat Aug 21, 2021 12:22 am

First post

I had made 2 camera barndoors before on flimsy Kmart tripods and wished that I had a more solid one that fits on my Tiltall. It did not happen before...

Last post

Nice job Henk. Looks great.
Joe

8 Replies

7292 Views

Last post by OzEclipse
Sat Apr 02, 2022 2:30 pm
new configuration for DIY 8" astrograph

Last post by BABOafrica « Mon Mar 21, 2022 1:18 pm
Replies: 5
by BABOafrica » Sun Mar 20, 2022 2:54 pm

First post

The pictures tell the story. Basically I decided to get rid of the secondary mirror and stick the QHY163m camera at prime focus.

The focusing is...

Last post

Here's the image I got of M44 with the new configuration (plus a capture of an image of a star using a B-mask).

M44 is B&W since I only used the L...

5 Replies

3528 Views

Last post by BABOafrica
Mon Mar 21, 2022 1:18 pm
My 6" f7 home/club made mounting.

Last post by BABOafrica « Sun Mar 20, 2022 2:57 pm
Replies: 9
by OzEclipse » Wed Oct 20, 2021 10:42 am

First post

Some of you may have heard me talk about the home made telescope I made when I was a teenager. I often use the OTA on my EM200 GOTO mount but today,...

Last post

Very nice project. Thanks for all the pictures showing us how you did it.

BABO

9 Replies

10059 Views

Last post by BABOafrica
Sun Mar 20, 2022 2:57 pm
f/4 8in PYREX astrograph mirror project

Last post by Lady Fraktor « Sun Dec 26, 2021 6:38 pm
Replies: 17
by BABOafrica » Fri Feb 05, 2021 12:18 pm

First post

I was home visiting my Mom in DC before Christmas. One of my sisters asked what I do for a hobby. I mentioned making telescope mirrors. She pulled...

Last post

Very nice Babo, it looks like you are progressing well with the mirror.

17 Replies

77303 Views

Last post by Lady Fraktor
Sun Dec 26, 2021 6:38 pm
A bracket for my EAF to move around

Last post by SkyHiker « Sun Oct 24, 2021 1:05 am
Replies: 5
by SkyHiker » Sun Sep 19, 2021 3:07 am

First post

Have you noticed how the bracket for the EAF autofocuser only fits on Skywatcher-like focusers? No matter what I tried, I could not make it fit....

Last post

Henk
I hear what you are saying that bigger is not always better. I am doing mental somersaults now trying to work out how big an observatory to...

5 Replies

8388 Views

Last post by SkyHiker
Sun Oct 24, 2021 1:05 am
My 16" f4 dobsonian telescope

Last post by Bigzmey « Thu Aug 26, 2021 8:06 pm
Replies: 6
by Piero » Thu Aug 26, 2021 8:47 am

First post

In June 2020 I started off the construction of my 16 f4 reflector, named after the star: Nunki in Sagittarius. The whole building took 10 months as I...

Last post

Excellent! Great job Piero!

6 Replies

6443 Views

Last post by Bigzmey
Thu Aug 26, 2021 8:06 pm
Spider build and UTA for an 18 inch scope

Last post by OzEclipse « Tue Jul 27, 2021 1:03 pm
Replies: 3
by NGC 1365 » Tue Jul 27, 2021 8:12 am

First post

Whipped this up on Saturday. We are in Covid lockdown for two weeks so I'm doing a few projects that have been in limbo for a while. Also re did an...

Last post

Ivan,
Weather has been bad everywhere. I have had two clear new moon weekends - May and July when coincidentally, I invited a group friends out for...

3 Replies

5411 Views

Last post by OzEclipse
Tue Jul 27, 2021 1:03 pm
10" f/4.7 cellular mirror

Last post by Augustus « Mon Jul 26, 2021 3:16 am
Replies: 4
by Augustus » Sat Jul 24, 2021 7:26 pm

First post

I came up with the idea of buying a cellular 10 blank from BVCTek and making it into a mirror/travel scope. I probably need to get better at making...

Last post

So this thing is like butter - #120 and #220 have each taken little more than an hour. I am going to try to get to polishing by tomorrow night. Might...

4 Replies

5754 Views

Last post by Augustus
Mon Jul 26, 2021 3:16 am
Az circle for my AZ5 - My Latest Kludge

Last post by AstroBee « Thu Jun 03, 2021 5:31 pm
Replies: 1
by pakarinen » Thu Jun 03, 2021 5:07 pm

First post

Not wanting to pull the encoders off my TW 1 and not willing to buy another set of encoders for my AZ5, I went with an analog az gauge.

The gauge is...

Last post

Genius!

1 Replies

4678 Views

Last post by AstroBee
Thu Jun 03, 2021 5:31 pm
printing a telescope

Last post by OzEclipse « Mon May 31, 2021 1:28 am
Replies: 16
by notFritzArgelander » Mon Sep 02, 2019 3:10 pm

16 Replies

17448 Views

Last post by OzEclipse
Mon May 31, 2021 1:28 am
JUNKYARD 8.5" RC

Last post by BABOafrica « Sun Feb 07, 2021 2:42 pm
Replies: 15
by BABOafrica » Fri May 08, 2020 6:50 am

First post

One of the TSS members offered set of mirrors and I grabbed the chance. He warned me that he had no idea how they were supposed to be configured to...

Last post

Many, many thanks for those links. And I have some familiarity with Mike Lockwood. He was even helping me back in the days (about a year ago) when I...

15 Replies

13576 Views

Last post by BABOafrica
Sun Feb 07, 2021 2:42 pm
6" F8 rebuild.

Last post by helicon « Fri Jul 31, 2020 4:21 pm
Replies: 7
by rickolson62 » Wed Jul 22, 2020 12:04 am

First post

hello folks. the rebuild is going along quite well! took an old orion deep space explorer Dob apart to clean and fix what ever, found the old focuser...

Last post

Fingers crossed! Hope you had a session...

7 Replies

10331 Views

Last post by helicon
Fri Jul 31, 2020 4:21 pm
6" F8 rebuild/upgrade question

Last post by John Fitzgerald « Sun Jul 19, 2020 8:42 pm
Replies: 5
by rickolson62 » Sun Jul 19, 2020 1:30 pm

First post

hello folks! i just desided to upgrade an olde 6 F8 dob and need some advice on placing the focuser. i am going from a helical to a crayford focuser....

Last post

You will need to move the primary mirror forward the difference between the two focusers, if you decide to use the taller one. If the secondary is...

5 Replies

7176 Views

Last post by John Fitzgerald
Sun Jul 19, 2020 8:42 pm
Surplus Shed objectives.

Last post by Jones « Thu Jul 02, 2020 9:44 pm
Replies: 5
by PalomarJack » Tue Nov 26, 2019 9:11 pm

First post

Any one try the larger objectives, 127mm for example, found at Surplus Shed? I want to build a 5 refractor some day using one.

Last post

I have built both of the 127mm's. The long focus in 2012 when the lens cell had the collimatable parts. Think it was the best mid f/# achro ever. I...

5 Replies

9261 Views

Last post by Jones
Thu Jul 02, 2020 9:44 pm

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