Pedestal
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/11/06
Posts: 3990
Loc: Smoggy Bottom, Baytown,Texas
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I'm a great fan of Rita Hayworth. She was a classic, and hopefully, this project will recreate a classic. What we got here, is a 6" long FL newt. Mark Harry was kind enough to take on the task of finishing the mirror. It's not coated yet, hopefully it'll get done sometime this month. (Company recommendations?) It turned out with a FL of 52.44", hitting what I was shooting for (F8-F9) dead on. HERE is the story of the mirror, as told by Mark.
I wanted something a bit unusual, so here is -part- of the story in pictures.
I started laying out the bulkheads on 8"x8" birch ply. 4 3/8" and 4 1/2"
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Hubert
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www.smoggybottom.org
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Pedestal
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/11/06
Posts: 3990
Loc: Smoggy Bottom, Baytown,Texas
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I decided the only proper way to make the hexagons was a jig.
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Hubert
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www.smoggybottom.org
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Pedestal
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/11/06
Posts: 3990
Loc: Smoggy Bottom, Baytown,Texas
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I lightly glued all the bulkheads together, then using another jig, cut the slots for the stringers.
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Hubert
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www.smoggybottom.org
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Pedestal
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/11/06
Posts: 3990
Loc: Smoggy Bottom, Baytown,Texas
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I don't have any shots of cutting the centers out. This is where Rita got it's name-it was a B***H! Here, I'm starting assembly of the bulkheads and stringers. The stringers are 1/8" oak, that I cut from an oak board.
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Hubert
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www.smoggybottom.org
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Pedestal
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/11/06
Posts: 3990
Loc: Smoggy Bottom, Baytown,Texas
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Here is a shot of the almost completed assembly.
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Hubert
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www.smoggybottom.org
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veebs2
special label
Reged: 03/13/07
Posts: 296
Loc: DeKalb, IL
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Looks good so far!! 
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Paul
Zhumell 10" (My Mistress - name given by my wife)
Hyperions - 5mm, 13mm and 24mm
Stratus - 8mm and 17mm
Howie Glatter 2"-1 1/4" Holograpic w/ Barlow
Lumicon OIII Filter
Telrad
DeKalb, IL
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Pedestal
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/11/06
Posts: 3990
Loc: Smoggy Bottom, Baytown,Texas
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Once the cage was completed, I taped off major glue joints and painted the assembly flat black.
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Hubert
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www.smoggybottom.org
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Sky Captain
Metal Whisperer
Reged: 11/07/04
Posts: 7766
Loc: Issaquah, WA.
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Nice start to the project Hubert! 
Looks like your wood working skills are up to the task.
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12" Lightbridge : SC 8" f4 : 12.5" f2.35 Astrograph : TAL RS 4" f10 : WO EZT : Atlas EQ6
35 & 22 Panoptic : 14 & 8.8 Meade UWA : 8 to 12 Speers Variable : Antares 1.6x Barlow
Kerry
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Pedestal
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/11/06
Posts: 3990
Loc: Smoggy Bottom, Baytown,Texas
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The flat black paint was pretty reflective. So I glued black felt to each bulkhead, then started assembly of the skin. Each piece was cut at a 45 degree angle, the fitted in place and glue joints marked. Then black felt strips were glued to each piece, and then glued to the bulkheads.
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Hubert
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www.smoggybottom.org
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Pedestal
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/11/06
Posts: 3990
Loc: Smoggy Bottom, Baytown,Texas
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The corners were fiberglassed, 1" wide tape.
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Hubert
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www.smoggybottom.org
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Pedestal
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/11/06
Posts: 3990
Loc: Smoggy Bottom, Baytown,Texas
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Humidity defense: Everything got a preliminary coat of primer. Note the duct tape seal inside the tube. I try to seal both ends for most of the sanding to keep dust out of the interior.
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Hubert
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www.smoggybottom.org
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Pedestal
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/11/06
Posts: 3990
Loc: Smoggy Bottom, Baytown,Texas
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Well, one can dream a bit when you're doing this, can't you?
(this is all for today)
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Hubert
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www.smoggybottom.org
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Achernar
Postmaster
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 5209
Loc: Mobile, Alabama, USA
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This is a very clever jig you came up with. Especially since it allows for the creation of identical, multiple octagonal parts without guesswork. I presume you cut out the center with a drill press and a fly cutter attachment. That was how I made the end caps for my 6-inch Dob, whose hexagonal tube is made of Cherry edge glued together.
Taras
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15-inch F/4.5 Dob under construction
10-inch F/4.5 Discovery Dob
6-inch F/8 Homebuilt Dob
4 1/4-inch F/4 Homebuilt reflector
A whole bunch of eyepieces, filters and other accessories....
One curious cat
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Mark Harry
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/05/05
Posts: 3399
Loc: Northeast
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Doggone, Hubert; How'd you get the wife to allow the use of her dining table, and granite countertop!!!
Mark
BTW, nice work!
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So many projects, so little time!
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Stefan Rostyne
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/19/04
Posts: 1011
Loc: Assenede, Belgium
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I like it!
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Stefan Van de Rostijne
4.5" F4.5 newt 5°widefield/finderscope
8" f/5.6 travel dob
old 12.5" F5 dob (used to look better...)
30 cm f/30 Classic Cassegrain (polishing primary)
23" f/4 dob project
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Darenwh
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/11/06
Posts: 1470
Loc: Covington, GA
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That looks like it is turning out great. Very impressive work. Was your wife out of the house when you used the table and countertops? Doing something like that for me just might get me killed.
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Daren
Covington, GA
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JohnH
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 10/04/05
Posts: 912
Loc: vancouver near the wilds of B...
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You didn't show the cutting of the circles out. I made two cases for scopes where I cut out circles for the cradle inside. The first time, I mounted the 1/2" baltic in a lathe and used a parting tool. It needed so much careful sanding, I nearly quit. The second time, I had a jigsaw but I needed to do it twice, as I had little experience using one.
I can't begin to guess how difficult it was to place and glue the 8 splines. You could have gone to 1/4" but that would require the always expensive and difficult to use dado blade. With that much support, you could get away with just using a sheet of veneer. Think of it, walnut burl veneer like a Rolls-Royce dashboard.
How did you attach the fiberglass tape?
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Pedestal
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/11/06
Posts: 3990
Loc: Smoggy Bottom, Baytown,Texas
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I'll see if I can answer some questions. Yes the plan was to use a fly cutter in a drill press to cut the centers out, however, due to various circumstances, I mostly used a scroll saw.
The 8 splines were overkill, I think you coulda stood on the thing after it was together. Placing them was not bad, once I got the first couple in. I held them in place temporarily with pieces of masking tape.
I wanted to make the skin from 3/32" or maybe even smaller but it was just not available anywhere in the Houston area in the quantities I needed. (Lotsa places had 1 or 2 pieces....) As for walnut veneer, have you priced that stuff lately?????
Edited to add: The fiberglassing is ordinary marine epoxy. I'll also be using the epoxy with "micro balloons" on the rear splines. I've been wanted to try that stuff.
I have a very understanding wife.... It's an old table, and I was really careful to cover the countertop when necessary.... 
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Hubert
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www.smoggybottom.org
Edited by Pedestal (09/02/09 07:36 PM)
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Wes James
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/12/06
Posts: 3942
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Nice job!
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Wes
Atlantic Beach, FL
Some bino’s from Miyauchi 5x32 Binon's up through Garrett 20x110 Signature's,
Some telescopes from a Stellarvue 80mm NHNG up through a couple of 8” reflectors…
And a wonderful 4.25" Delmarva Shiefspiegler!
Some good friends, made here on C/N.
Oh- several cats and a wonderful wife!
Anyone want a cat???? :-O
"When your work speaks for itself- Don't Interrupt" -Gamble Rogers
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plyscope
sage
Reged: 11/23/06
Posts: 468
Loc: Perth, West Australia
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Very nice work Hubert. I have a soft spot for octagonal tubes and /5 BMW motorcycles.
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Andy
6" f15 refractor
6" f5 refractor
90mm f16.7 refractor
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