Telescope Reviews: New materal for micro-faceting AND storing a lap

Glad Press'n Seal Freezer Wrap.

OK, this stuff is neat. My S.O. bought some a while back, as usual I just rolled my eyes and stuffed it in the bin where we keep storage bags and things. But I pulled it out by accident a couple weeks ago and after looking at it closely and getting a feel of the texture, a big light bulb went off in my head...

It's like an extra thick plastic wrap, but it has a 'grippy' side that has this texture of maybe 1-3mm or so ridges and hills and valleys all over it. The other side is much less grippy somehow (magic, I think). When you press 2 grippy sides together, it makes a strong watertight seal, yet you can peel it apart quite easily and re-seal it over and over.

I've been using it while storing my lap and mirror overnight together on an 8" F6 I'm making for a friend. After I clean everything, I put the lap face up with grippy side down on the pitch lap and seal it all around the edge of the lap. Then I place the mirror centered on top and press down a bit to seal it. Then stuff it all in a plastic bin for storage. When I'm ready to polish, the mirror slides right off and the wrap peels easily off the pitch. It's great, better IMO than using a plastic bag because the tiny ridges impress on the pitch lap leaving you with micro facets built right in! I'll try to get a photo tonight but my camera is broken, and I'm not sure if my iPhone can capture the texture well enough.

Not only is it great for mirror/lap storage, it clings to nearly everything -- stuff you can't normally stick plastic wrap to. It grips to wet surfaces. It grips on paper plates, wood, and styrofoam -- nothing short of amazing in my book. But not only does it grip, it's also easy to peel off and strong so that it doesn't shred to bits when you do so, unlike ordinary cling film. I can see it being quite handy for things like ad-hoc dust covers or eyepiece caps, since it sticks so well to various materials.

The downside is it costs probably 2x as much as ordinary plastic wrap. But well worth it IMO, a small roll is something like 50' and set you back maybe $3-4. 50' will last a long time for ATM projects. There's also a non-freezer version which is thinner and not as strong, but still great and costs a bit less.