Telescope Reviews: Spray painting a 70" mirror??

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Equipment Discussions >> ATM, Optics and DIY Forum

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Mary B
Vendor - Echo Astronomy and Electronics

Reged: 05/21/10

Loc: Minnesota

Re: Spray painting a 70" mirror?? new

[Re: TxStars]
#5544207 - 11/28/12 04:50 PM

He drives truck, I think he may have sources for shipping... awesome project and makes me jealous, all I have is a 10 inch dob

well and my 6 inch RC

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cheapersleeper
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 01/22/10

Loc: Sachse TX

Re: Spray painting a 70" mirror?? new

[Re: Mary B]
#5544332 - 11/28/12 06:14 PM

Somehow, I have a feeling that the gentleman and his friends know what they are doing. This is not his first telescope...

Brad

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ed_turco
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 08/29/09

Loc: Lincoln, RI

Re: Spray painting a 70" mirror?? new

[Re: cheapersleeper]
#5545545 - 11/29/12 01:27 PM

It is possible that this may be a joke.

Ed Turco

Post Extras:

Scanning4Comets
Markus

Reged: 12/26/04

Loc: Deep Space!

Re: Spray painting a 70" mirror?? new

[Re: ed_turco]
#5545639 - 11/29/12 02:27 PM

A joke? That telescope frame looks mighty REAL to me....That thing is gonna be HUGE when it is finished!

Cheers,

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Lynnblac
super member

Reged: 04/06/09

Loc: Arizona

Re: Spray painting a 70" mirror?? new

[Re: ed_turco]
#5545651 - 11/29/12 02:42 PM

I do not think the group that has been working on this for more than 15 years considers their 70" scope a joke.

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seryddwr
Innocent Bystander

Reged: 02/19/10

Loc: I don't know, you tell me.

Re: Spray painting a 70" mirror?? new

[Re: Lynnblac]
#5545662 - 11/29/12 02:50 PM

I met this man about 10 years ago. It's not a joke. I suspect that they will chemically silver the mirror, using a spray gun to distribute the chemicals. Nothing else makes sense.

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Scout92
member

Reged: 12/20/11

Loc: Hoquiam, WA.

Re: Spray painting a 70" mirror?? new

[Re: seryddwr]
#5570271 - 12/14/12 02:42 AM

Cool article

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Bill Whitehead
sage

Reged: 07/11/09

Loc: Exit 135 - Garden St Parkway

Re: Spray painting a 70" mirror?? new

[Re: Scout92]
#5570492 - 12/14/12 09:06 AM

Howdy People,

It sounds like the 70" guy wants to observe with this monster. It also sounds like this thing is a really fast scope, like an f 1.5 or something close to it. Since it was supposed to be a spy satelitte it was created for a ccd camera in the place of the secondary.

So here is my question for you optics experts. Can this mirror focus an image that can be registered by a human eye? And, if so, what kind of eyepiece can be used?

peace, Bill

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cheapersleeper
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 01/22/10

Loc: Sachse TX

Re: Spray painting a 70" mirror?? new

[Re: Bill Whitehead]
#5570497 - 12/14/12 09:11 AM

The structure he is building certainly does not look like it is for a 70" f1.5.

B

Post Extras:

Bill Whitehead
sage

Reged: 07/11/09

Loc: Exit 135 - Garden St Parkway

Re: Spray painting a 70" mirror?? new

[Re: cheapersleeper]
#5570603 - 12/14/12 10:28 AM

B,

I didn't really get a good look at the structure in the video I saw. However, there are limits to what you can put into space, especially in the 1970's. I'm assuming they weren't planning on using a Saturn rocket for this, so the tube would have to be a reasonable size. Not much bigger than a Gemini capsule, for example?

Bill

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danjones
member

Reged: 09/26/12

Re: Spray painting a 70" mirror?? new

[Re: TxStars]
#5571823 - 12/15/12 12:16 AM

loptics.com check out the big mirrors that guy does. he even lists companies that he works with. he does all his mirrors on his own grinding machines. they are huge. good luck with spraying, and with an automotive gun? really? if it runs off a hose and pump, i'd worry about pump oils entering the mix.

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cheapersleeper
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 01/22/10

Loc: Sachse TX

Re: Spray painting a 70" mirror?? new

[Re: danjones]
#5571941 - 12/15/12 02:19 AM

I am amazed at the oddball comments from our Cloudy Nights crowd. The article refers to Steve Dobbs who owns Nova Optical Systems as being involved in this project. So an ATM who already has owned very large scopes and the owner of a company that does coatings are being subjected to cries of anguish from our peanut galler? Seriously, people, read the article and look up the names. I think these guys know exactly what they are doing.

Regards,
Brad

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dave brock
sage

Reged: 06/06/08

Loc: Hamilton, New Zealand

Re: Spray painting a 70" mirror?? new

[Re: cheapersleeper]
#5593059 - 12/28/12 06:05 PM

Looks to me like they'll be using a variation of this method of silvering.

http://angelgilding.com/PumpSpraySilverVideo.html

Dave

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mrlovt
member

Reged: 09/08/12

Loc: Smyrna, TN

Re: Spray painting a 70" mirror?? new

[Re: cheapersleeper]
#5600218 - 01/01/13 07:47 PM

Quote:

I think these guys know exactly what they are doing.

Regards,
Brad

Cheers from this corner of the peanut gallery! These guys have a MASSIVE mirror on their hands; I can't wait to see what they do with it. Never second-guess a guy who loads a 40" telescope into a pickup truck and takes it around to show off the heavens!