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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
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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

22307 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

4814 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

300 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

4088 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

887 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

6552 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

72066 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

5815 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

3558 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

3054 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

3066 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

2558 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

12670 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

11397 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

7563 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

4385 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

6571 Views

Last post by Jones
Thu Jul 02, 2020 9:44 pm
Who would be the ATM that made this mirror?

Last post by Kanadalainen « Sun May 10, 2020 2:09 pm
Replies: 2
by astroavani » Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:26 am

First post

Who would be the ATM that made this mirror?
I come through this request help from colleagues to try to identify the origin, or what was the ATM that...

Last post

Man, that stuff looks like its well built. :)

2 Replies

4735 Views

Last post by Kanadalainen
Sun May 10, 2020 2:09 pm
Adding handles to the 18 inch Dob.

Last post by pakarinen « Sun May 03, 2020 11:28 am
Replies: 1
by NGC 1365 » Sun May 03, 2020 6:54 am

First post

Added some handles and wheels to my 18 inch dob yesterday. Wheels that are shown on it are temporary till the larger ones that I ordered arrive....

Last post

Didn’t realize one could buy steel wheelbarrow handles. My first thought was you had bent some electrical conduit. Nice!

1 Replies

3657 Views

Last post by pakarinen
Sun May 03, 2020 11:28 am
Mirror cell upgrade for an 18 inch dob.

Last post by NGC 1365 « Sun May 03, 2020 6:04 am
Replies: 2
by NGC 1365 » Mon Dec 09, 2019 10:04 am

First post

I do a few ATM projects every year and this year I decided to upgrade the mirror cell of my 18 inch F4.5 scope and to build an 8 inch binoscope. Both...

Last post

HI Matt, the wiffle tree edge support in my case works noticeably better than the belt sling and the glatter sling. Stars are tighter even down low...

2 Replies

4435 Views

Last post by NGC 1365
Sun May 03, 2020 6:04 am
foucault considerations

Last post by OzEclipse « Fri Dec 13, 2019 4:51 am
Replies: 10
by bobsorenson » Fri Nov 15, 2019 4:27 am

First post

Hello!
I have two big mirrors I want to work on. This whole project is kind of off the wall and I am quite the noob at all of it.

The mirrors; 24 f3...

Last post

Now I am unable to get the mirror face illuminated.....I think because it needs to be polished, the surface is quite matte.
So, 25 micron, 12 m and...

10 Replies

10262 Views

Last post by OzEclipse
Fri Dec 13, 2019 4:51 am
8 inch Binocular telescope build.

Last post by Peter802 « Tue Dec 10, 2019 10:55 am
Replies: 9
by NGC 1365 » Mon Dec 09, 2019 11:00 am

First post

The other project this year was an 8 inch F5 binoscope utilising two GSO mirrors bought about 7 years apart ( and the focal length difference between...

Last post

A nice project. Wish you good fortune with it.

9 Replies

7683 Views

Last post by Peter802
Tue Dec 10, 2019 10:55 am
Cheap refractor glass any good?

Last post by gregl « Sat Nov 23, 2019 5:29 pm
Replies: 17
by gregl » Fri Nov 22, 2019 4:16 am

First post

Are the objective lenses in the cheap refractors any good? Just thinking. As we know, the cheapo scopes sold in big box stores usually have terrible...

Last post

Thanks, JG . :handgestures-salute:

17 Replies

14505 Views

Last post by gregl
Sat Nov 23, 2019 5:29 pm
need help with stepper motor problems

Last post by KathyNS « Mon Sep 30, 2019 1:44 pm
Replies: 1
by VenusAstronomer » Mon Sep 30, 2019 12:25 pm

First post

Hi folks -
so - I posted this last Friday and haven't had any responses so far. I am wondering if I maybe put it into the wrong category; DIY, other....

Last post

I replied on the other thread.

1 Replies

3988 Views

Last post by KathyNS
Mon Sep 30, 2019 1:44 pm
some temptations are too cruel

Last post by yobbo89 « Sat Aug 31, 2019 12:43 pm
Replies: 17
by mcolbert » Tue Aug 20, 2019 1:32 am

First post

I am seriously trying to figure out how I could get my hands on this;

Last post

i think it cost about $900 to $1000 to just coat a mirror that size

17 Replies

14740 Views

Last post by yobbo89
Sat Aug 31, 2019 12:43 pm

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