The overall condition of the scope was good, just very dirty. The tube is a wonderful retro robin’s egg blue. It appeared to have been painted as opposed to having a colored gel coat. There were the remains of a typed list of messier objects which had been taped to the tube, a remnant of star parties gone by. The aluminum parts had a weird greenish cast to them. It may have been a clear lacquer that oxidized.

So, my intention is to restore the telescope with all the respect it deserves, paint the tube with color-matched paint, polish and paint the aluminum parts, clean, regrease, adjust, etc. The only additions or modifications will be reversible and would likely have been done by Bill himself had it been the norm back then. I hope to bring it to Stellafane in August and enter it in the judging in the restoration category. It will be my first Stellafane in about 10 years and my son’s first (he’s 2)! It’s about 80 percent complete so I think we’ll make it (we better, it’s already registered for judging!).

I’ve got plenty more photos and more to say but it’s getting late. Thanks for reading my post and please ask questions.