Best cheap paint for your OTA - chalkboard black

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Kanadalainen
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Best cheap paint for your OTA - chalkboard black

#1

Post by Kanadalainen »


I recently noticed the back of my dob's secondary mirror was not blackened, nor are the spider vane support bolts.

I should blacken them.

IMHO this paint is the best. Its available a local stores (in Canada -> at the Home Depot and Rona). Very black and very matte, no reflection.
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Ian

Fracs: Stellarvue 70T f6; SW 120mm Esprit f7; "Mark Mk. II" - 60 mm Tasco f6; C80 frac f 11.4
SCT: C8 Edge f10 or f7 with reducer
Dob: 14.5" homebuilt strut dob (f4.5 ZOC mirror), Nexus II, Moonlite focuser
Mounts - Ioptron Skyguider pro, Astro Physics GTO900
Cameras and lenses - ZWO 2600 mc, 290 mm mini, Canon 60D modded with Rokinon 10mm 2.8; Rokinon 135mm f2

Skysafari 6 Pro, Astro Pixel Processor, Pixinsight - using Mac tablet and ASIair pro to run the AP rig.

"Mothers! It is there!" - Rafael Gonzales-Acuna, 2018.
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Re: Best cheap paint for your OTA - chalkboard black

#2

Post by Bigzmey »


Good to know. Thanks Ian!
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
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Re: Best cheap paint for your OTA - chalkboard black

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Post by Lady Fraktor »


Chalkboard Black or Krylon Ultra Black seem to work the best for tube blackening if you do not want to be using flocking or velvet.
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II/ Argo Navis, Stellarvue M2C/ Argo Navis
Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Takahashi prism, TAL, Vixen flip mirror
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Re: Best cheap paint for your OTA - chalkboard black

#4

Post by Sky Tinker »


I've used both of these, but I now prefer the chalkboard-black for its cooler shade; bluish. The camouflage-black is a bit warm; yellowish or brownish...
matte blacks3.jpg
matte blacks3.jpg (27.89 KiB) Viewed 8687 times
Here are the two sprayed and dried side by side, and as seen...

Straight on...
matte blacks.jpg
Note that the camouflage is blacker.

At an angle...
matte blacks2.jpg
Note that the chalkboard is blacker, yet subtly.

Within my telescopes, every square-millimeter is either blackened or flocked. In the case of my Newtonians, there are only two reflective surfaces within: the aluminised surfaces of the secondary and primary mirrors...
before & after2.jpg
"Look, son! Up there!" His son shouted back, "I see it! What is it?" The father regaled, "The galaxy! Andromeda! Our origin, our destiny!" And so the boy was hooked, and for the rest of his natural life.

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Alan :Astronomer1:

Apochromat: Takahashi FS-102 4" f/8 - Achromats: Meade S102 102mm f/5.9, Antares 805 80mm f/6(flocked & blackened), Meade "Polaris" 70mm f/12.9, Sears(Towa) #4-6340 50mm f/12(flocked & blackened) - Newtonians: Orion 6" f/5(flocked & blackened) - Catadioptrics: Explore Scientific 127mm f/15 Maksutov-Cassegrain, Celestron "PowerSeeker" 127mm f/8 "Bird Jones" reflector(modified, flocked, blackened, and collimated!) - Mounts: Meade LX70(EQ-5), Astro-Tech Voyager I alt-azimuth
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Re: Best cheap paint for your OTA - chalkboard black

#5

Post by Kanadalainen »


Thanks Alan for your input!

That newtonian is done properly. :)

Ian
Ian

Fracs: Stellarvue 70T f6; SW 120mm Esprit f7; "Mark Mk. II" - 60 mm Tasco f6; C80 frac f 11.4
SCT: C8 Edge f10 or f7 with reducer
Dob: 14.5" homebuilt strut dob (f4.5 ZOC mirror), Nexus II, Moonlite focuser
Mounts - Ioptron Skyguider pro, Astro Physics GTO900
Cameras and lenses - ZWO 2600 mc, 290 mm mini, Canon 60D modded with Rokinon 10mm 2.8; Rokinon 135mm f2

Skysafari 6 Pro, Astro Pixel Processor, Pixinsight - using Mac tablet and ASIair pro to run the AP rig.

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Re: Best cheap paint for your OTA - chalkboard black

#6

Post by Apollo69s »


Thats exatcly what im into--so know i got nanotubes on my brain-
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Re: Best cheap paint for your OTA - chalkboard black

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Post by Shadower360 »


black 3.0 blocks 99.7 light. There is nothing darker out there. $22. for 150ml. You thin it a little with water. I still have 3/4 of the bottle and did the interior of my 10' Orion
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Re: Best cheap paint for your OTA - chalkboard black

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Post by GCoyote »


I'm making a dew shield out of a section of plastic bleach bottle. The chalkboard black looks grest but is not adhering well. What should I prime the plastic with?
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Re: Best cheap paint for your OTA - chalkboard black

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Post by Thefatkitty »


GCoyote wrote: Fri Aug 14, 2020 4:30 pm I'm making a dew shield out of a section of plastic bleach bottle. The chalkboard black looks grest but is not adhering well. What should I prime the plastic with?
I've run into the same problem. Your best bet is to take some light sandpaper (120 or over) or better yet, emery cloth, and "scuff it up" a bit before painting. Use a circular motion going up and down at the same time....it will give the formerly smooth plastic a surface to adhere to :D

Hope this helps,
Mark

"The Hankmeister" Celestron 8SE, orange tube Vixen made C80, CG4 & AZ-EQ5 mounts.
Too much Towa glass/mirrors.

H/A - PST stage 2 mod with a Baader 90mm ERF on a Celestron XLT 102 (thanks Mike!)
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Re: Best cheap paint for your OTA - chalkboard black

#10

Post by GCoyote »


Thanks, it's a free chunk of plastic so not much to worry about. I'll give it a try.
Any metaphor will tear if stretched over too much reality.
Gary C

Celestron Astro Master 130mm f5 Newtonian GEM
Meade 114-EQ-DH f7.9 Newtonian w/ manual GEM
Bushnell 90mm f13.9 Catadioptric
Gskyer 80mm f5 Alt/Az refractor
Jason 10x50 Binoculars
Celestron 7x50 Binoculars
Svbony 2.1x42 Binoculars
(And a bunch of stuff I'm still trying to fix or find parts for.)
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Re: Best cheap paint for your OTA - chalkboard black

#11

Post by Kanadalainen »


Thefatkitty wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 2:41 am
GCoyote wrote: Fri Aug 14, 2020 4:30 pm I'm making a dew shield out of a section of plastic bleach bottle. The chalkboard black looks grest but is not adhering well. What should I prime the plastic with?
I've run into the same problem. Your best bet is to take some light sandpaper (120 or over) or better yet, emery cloth, and "scuff it up" a bit before painting. Use a circular motion going up and down at the same time....it will give the formerly smooth plastic a surface to adhere to :D

Hope this helps,
Yes Mark is right. I scuff everything prior to painting...aluminum,stainless -if it’s a flat surface it gets scuffed. :P
Ian

Fracs: Stellarvue 70T f6; SW 120mm Esprit f7; "Mark Mk. II" - 60 mm Tasco f6; C80 frac f 11.4
SCT: C8 Edge f10 or f7 with reducer
Dob: 14.5" homebuilt strut dob (f4.5 ZOC mirror), Nexus II, Moonlite focuser
Mounts - Ioptron Skyguider pro, Astro Physics GTO900
Cameras and lenses - ZWO 2600 mc, 290 mm mini, Canon 60D modded with Rokinon 10mm 2.8; Rokinon 135mm f2

Skysafari 6 Pro, Astro Pixel Processor, Pixinsight - using Mac tablet and ASIair pro to run the AP rig.

"Mothers! It is there!" - Rafael Gonzales-Acuna, 2018.
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