Temp O'Rary
super member
Reged: 04/26/08
Posts: 138
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Quote:
Ok This has been fun...but we need more outside comments!!!!
You are watching...per the over 2000 views of this thread...
Please comment...This is not the holy grail...
You have sent me private messages when it looked like I'd end the thread the o  ther day...
It's not ended...so come on...say something!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best Regards,
Preston
Truly an incredible piece of work and an inspiring project.
I saw a thread on a Singaporean(?) astro site about a local amateur's homebuilt 'scope. It was much the same design as your own, albeit smaller but featured a similarly astonishing level of craftmanship.
If I can find a link, I'll post it.
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Glory Be to the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 6006
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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You mean the *thing* under the plastic.... 
I see the bike helmet...but.....
Take some wider field images of your shop so we can see your set up. Looks like you work in wood as well as medal/aluminum. I don't see the location of the Bridgport in reference to the large wooden bench you set the scope up on.
I'm assuming you are building the entire mirror cell, and secondary assembly as well..
Will you be painting this or anodizing it?
Rob
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www.goldmtobservingcenter.com
Providing a great place for amateur astronomers, and ATM's to come and enjoy their hobby.
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danm
sage
Reged: 04/27/08
Posts: 231
Loc: Northern California
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Fantastic Preston. Just wish I had the time and equipment to attempt something myself.
What's the background on this project? I get the impression you work for an observatory, is this for a professional setup?
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TV Ethos 13mm
Oberwerk Ultra 15x70
Celestron C6 f/10 & AT Voyager Alt/Az mount
8" f/6.3 Newtonian (Dad's ATM) & AT66 red tube
12.5" f/4.1 Telekit (Dad's ATM Mirror)
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Sean Cunneen
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/01/07
Posts: 562
Loc: Blue Island Illinois
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LOVE the cup holders, truly top notch. Back to my Sonotubes.... Are you going to treat the aluminum to keep it shiny? Anodized? Just let it go?
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Sean Cunneen
Blue Island IL
8" f/8 Home built Newt, Discovery mirror, curved vane spider, CG5 Motorized head with Intelliscope DSC, Pier
C102hd CG-4
100mm F4 Cedar Tube RF Refractor
2,3,4,5,6mm Televue Plossls
27T3,33T3,44T3
9-22 Ethos Zoom
NO, I'M NOT SELLING!
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Joe Cipriano
Entropy Personified
Reged: 09/03/05
Posts: 3830
Loc: Uh... anyone have a GPS?
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I believe Preston is referring to this scope.
Nice catch, Preston!
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In the Land of Eternal Light Pollution & Great Pizza (Chicago)
SN-6, ED80, WO 66SD
Meade 208xt, SBIG ST-4
D70 (modified)
CGE (way modified)
A Wife who understands (unmodified)
Some other stuff...
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
Douglas Adams
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NeoDinian
Experienced Postmaster
Reged: 10/05/05
Posts: 12070
Loc: Rockford Illinois
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Quote:
Ok This has been fun...but we need more outside comments!!!!
You are watching...per the over 2000 views of this thread...
Please comment...This is not the holy grail...
Been following this from the beginning. LOVE the machining work! A piece of art you're building there. 
(Back to lurking now)...
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Neo... (Jeff)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
10" LX200-GPS/SMT UHTC "Draco"
 Rockford, Il.
NeoDinian's Eye on the Sky!
Coming soon:
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Steenhoek27
sage
Reged: 05/26/06
Posts: 201
Loc: Torrance, CA
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Preston - there are MANY MANY MANY people reading this thread and personally I think it's one of the best I've seen here on CN (there are many threads here that I like a lot too - but this is like watching an episode of this ol house or some car building show - just a cool - wish I could do that kind of thread) so keep it up! I didn't wanna take away from the knowledge with an ataboy keep it up - but since u asked - WE LIKE! Keep it up!
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Jim
www.laas.org
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PrestonE
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/29/05
Posts: 817
Loc: Houston,Texas
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Well!!!!!! I'll have to watch what I ask for 
All kidding aside, thanks for all of the responces.
Ben, thanks...this site has been real inspiration to me
so I'm trying to give back a bit.
Kerry, thanks...It's because of you that we are back on
track. Even the under side of the Capture Blocks for
the truss poles are lightened with 4 holes...
Owen, thanks...Second light will hopefully be a I think
Okie-Tex or something in September. First light
maybe in August here in Houston
Temp O'rary, thanks...if you find the link, I'd be interested
Rob, yes the thing under the plastic...pics later today, along
with a short shop tour. Finish will not be anodizing as that
is an IR mirror...
danm, Background is I purchased the mirror set several years
ago with the intent of doing a robotic scope and observatory.
The other fellow lost interest and I offered the optics for sale
on Astromart. A group offered to buy the mirror and give me
time on the completed robotic setup, IF I would design and
build the OTA...that was almost 2 years ago...this will hopefully
be one of the finest amatuer efforts...I do prototype designing
from my shop.
Sean, thanks...as to the treatment of the aluminum, likely a frosted
surface. I've ordered some tumbling medium and will be testing
it next week. Also ultra flat black paint.
Joe, you are correct...Thanks
Neo (Jeff) Thanks, it's been fun so far.
Best Regards,
Preston
ps...look at what this did. Last night just 2000 and now 2123
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A few I enjoy,
and a few more in the works ;<)
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PrestonE
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/29/05
Posts: 817
Loc: Houston,Texas
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Well the long truss tubes were too tight, so we opened them up a few thou...
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A few I enjoy,
and a few more in the works ;<)
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PrestonE
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/29/05
Posts: 817
Loc: Houston,Texas
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Again the simple things that EAT UP TIME!!!
Ran out of 316 SS 8-32 3/4" long cap screws...I had 1"ers so I cut down 14 of them...
Well, SS leaves a nasty burr that would ruin the threading in the 6061 T6 aluminum parts...so I tried to chase them with a die...messed up the threads as it would not start correctly...
Thankfully I had my trusty thread files and one with 32 teeht per inch...
This whole exercise in shortening 14 screws ate up almost 2 hours.
pic of thread file and burred screw.
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A few I enjoy,
and a few more in the works ;<)
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PrestonE
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/29/05
Posts: 817
Loc: Houston,Texas
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Ok, finally got the upper truss assembly together.
Blue painters tape is to prevent scratching the ring.
"The Unfinished Telescope" is in the background along with
a model of the first plan for this scope, before weigh became a problem.
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A few I enjoy,
and a few more in the works ;<)
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Pedestal
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/11/06
Posts: 3071
Loc: Smoggy Bottom, Baytown,Texas
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Well, I don't think I can make any really useful comments, but trust me, I look at this thread first every time I'm on. I would love to come see this project when it's completed. I used to be a "hobby machinest" (I'm lathless now), and love to "turn the wheels" myself....
Hubert
Quote:
Ok This has been fun...but we need more outside comments!!!!
You are watching...per the over 2000 views of this thread...
Please comment...This is not the holy grail...
You have sent me private messages when it looked like I'd end the thread the o ther day...
It's not ended...so come on...say something!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best Regards,
Preston
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www.smoggybottom.org
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PrestonE
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/29/05
Posts: 817
Loc: Houston,Texas
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Ok, here's Baby without the new scope in the picture
All the packages on the shelf of the workbench is optical glass...ya, I'm deranged/mental
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A few I enjoy,
and a few more in the works ;<)
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PrestonE
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/29/05
Posts: 817
Loc: Houston,Texas
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Quick shop tour.
Right side our CNC router 3 x 3 x 2 foot envelope, connected to external dust collector.
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A few I enjoy,
and a few more in the works ;<)
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PrestonE
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/29/05
Posts: 817
Loc: Houston,Texas
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To the right of the VS scope is mirror grinder/polishing machine. Various wood bandsaws, table saw
--------------------
A few I enjoy,
and a few more in the works ;<)
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PrestonE
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/29/05
Posts: 817
Loc: Houston,Texas
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Further to the right, belt sander, oscelating spindle sander, shaper, thickness planer, 6 inch jointer
And in the center the VARTM table, with removable oven sides and vacuum pump on floor...we'll see more of this, when we start on the secondary structure.
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A few I enjoy,
and a few more in the works ;<)
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PrestonE
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/29/05
Posts: 817
Loc: Houston,Texas
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That was the wood shop.
Here's the upper and lower truss sections together.
Boy that's BIG 
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A few I enjoy,
and a few more in the works ;<)
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PrestonE
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/29/05
Posts: 817
Loc: Houston,Texas
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Back to work. Rough machining the 3 Collimation Plate swivels out of 832 Bearing Bronze.
0.497" diameter by 1" long.
They get much more work tomorrow.
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A few I enjoy,
and a few more in the works ;<)
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PrestonE
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/29/05
Posts: 817
Loc: Houston,Texas
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Short metal shop tour.
Left 6 x 12 surface grinder, middle 9 x 42 Bridgeport, right 10 x 50 Hurco CNC bed Mill
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A few I enjoy,
and a few more in the works ;<)
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PrestonE
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/29/05
Posts: 817
Loc: Houston,Texas
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Behind and to the right of the Bridgeport, on the right an 12 x 36 Enco lathe , left a Hardinge Toolroom lathe, Darex drill sharpener in center and center left shelves for fixtures and other tooling
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A few I enjoy,
and a few more in the works ;<)
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