· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt · Submit a Review / Article    Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums Cloudy Nights - Official Forums of the 2009 International Year of Astronomy Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu.... uh, User   You are not logged in. [Login] Forum Archives · Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online FAQ · Calendar Equipment Discussions >> ATM, Optics and DIY Forum Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Pages: 1 Jeff Young Post Laureate Reged: 08/04/05 Posts: 4115 Loc: Ireland Source for large diameter brass tubing?       #3425115 - 11/02/09 08:37 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Anyone have a source for large diameter thin-wall brass tubing? I need to replace a dewshield on a 6" Wray (ID between 167mm and 210mm). Thanks, -- Jeff. -------------------- Nikon 18x70s / UA Millennium                                       Colorado: Solarscope SF70 / TV Pronto / AP400QMD                       Coronado SolarMax40 DS / Bogen 055+3130 APM MC1610 / Tak FC-100 / AP1200GTO                        Tak Mewlon 250 / AP600EGTO Post Extras:       Jeff Young Post Laureate Reged: 08/04/05 Posts: 4115 Loc: Ireland Re: Source for large diameter brass tubing? [Re: Jeff Young]       #3427837 - 11/03/09 04:42 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   A discussion on the oldscope mailing list led to the suggestion that most late 18th and early 19th C scopes had rolled and soldered (or brazed) tubes. A closer inspection of my 3.5" Wray's dew shield does indeed show a very faint seam down the side. I've done a bit of brazing on historic racing cars, but the dew shield is going to require a bit more finesse than I possess. I'm currently contacting some brass musical instrument makers to see if they'll do it for me.... -- Jeff. -------------------- Nikon 18x70s / UA Millennium                                       Colorado: Solarscope SF70 / TV Pronto / AP400QMD                       Coronado SolarMax40 DS / Bogen 055+3130 APM MC1610 / Tak FC-100 / AP1200GTO                        Tak Mewlon 250 / AP600EGTO Post Extras:       JohnH professor emeritus Reged: 10/04/05 Posts: 734 Loc: vancouver near the wilds of B... Re: Source for large diameter brass tubing? [Re: Jeff Young]       #3428236 - 11/03/09 09:07 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   You could try http://www.lewisbrass.com/index.htm. They were mentioned on the old ATM netlist and are still around. Post Extras:       deSitter Carpal Tunnel Reged: 12/09/04 Posts: 2926 Re: Source for large diameter brass tubing? [Re: JohnH]       #3428553 - 11/04/09 12:59 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Link has an embedded period, remove for happiness. -drl Post Extras:       Jeff Young Post Laureate Reged: 08/04/05 Posts: 4115 Loc: Ireland Re: Source for large diameter brass tubing? [Re: deSitter]       #3428711 - 11/04/09 06:00 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   John -- Yeah, I did try them. They actually have larger sized tubes, but in the 7" - 8" sizes the wall thickness is 0.125" (which would equate to a 17lb dew shield!). Their 0.050"-wall tubing tops out at 3-5/8" OD and their 0.065"-wall tubing -- which would be on the heavy side -- tops out at 6-1/8" OD. It was in fact seeing how their wall thicknesses scaled up with OD that led me to start to wonder if the originals were in fact drawn tube after all (and it turns out they're not). Cheers, -- Jeff. -------------------- Nikon 18x70s / UA Millennium                                       Colorado: Solarscope SF70 / TV Pronto / AP400QMD                       Coronado SolarMax40 DS / Bogen 055+3130 APM MC1610 / Tak FC-100 / AP1200GTO                        Tak Mewlon 250 / AP600EGTO Post Extras:       plyscope sage Reged: 11/23/06 Posts: 327 Loc: Perth, West Australia Re: Source for large diameter brass tubing? [Re: Jeff Young]       #3428717 - 11/04/09 06:09 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hi Jeff What about I R Poyser in the UK? -------------------- Andy 6" f15 refractor 90mm f16.7 refractor Post Extras:       Jeff Young Post Laureate Reged: 08/04/05 Posts: 4115 Loc: Ireland Re: Source for large diameter brass tubing? [Re: plyscope]       #3428839 - 11/04/09 09:09 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Andy -- There's one I didn't know about. I've asked them for a quote as well. (It'll be interesting to see if the musical instrument makers or telescope makers are more price-competitive....) Thanks, -- Jeff. -------------------- Nikon 18x70s / UA Millennium                                       Colorado: Solarscope SF70 / TV Pronto / AP400QMD                       Coronado SolarMax40 DS / Bogen 055+3130 APM MC1610 / Tak FC-100 / AP1200GTO                        Tak Mewlon 250 / AP600EGTO Post Extras:       John Carruthers Skiprat Reged: 02/02/07 Posts: 2270 Loc: Kent, UK Re: Source for large diameter brass tubing? [Re: Jeff Young]       #3429153 - 11/04/09 12:46 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   any old shell cases near you? they used to be quite cheap but I imagine the non ferrous scrap value has escalated somewhat. -------------------- Jc ATM 10" F6.1, 1/25th wave spec (max wavefront error +/- 1/12.6 in zone 4 of 6, sodium light ) 6" F7 spec 127mm F9.4 Refractor 10 x 50 bin ETX80 (finder) Canon 20D PST DSI 1 and a curious mind Post Extras:       Jeff Young Post Laureate Reged: 08/04/05 Posts: 4115 Loc: Ireland Re: Source for large diameter brass tubing? [Re: John Carruthers]       #3429228 - 11/04/09 01:27 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   John -- A buddy of mine (who sold me the Wray) had the same idea and pointed me to the British Ordinance Collectors Network. I started a thread on their forum, but it looks like I'm just a bit above the more common sizes. (I imagine wall-thickness was going to be an issue there too, but I didn't get far enough to confirm.) Cheers, -- Jeff. -------------------- Nikon 18x70s / UA Millennium                                       Colorado: Solarscope SF70 / TV Pronto / AP400QMD                       Coronado SolarMax40 DS / Bogen 055+3130 APM MC1610 / Tak FC-100 / AP1200GTO                        Tak Mewlon 250 / AP600EGTO Post Extras:       John Carruthers Skiprat Reged: 02/02/07 Posts: 2270 Loc: Kent, UK Re: Source for large diameter brass tubing? [Re: Jeff Young]       #3429271 - 11/04/09 01:49 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   how about shim stock, I used to get 12" squares, maybe solder a couple together? I have a similar 170mm dia dew shield to make but this one is in ally so not too bad. -------------------- Jc ATM 10" F6.1, 1/25th wave spec (max wavefront error +/- 1/12.6 in zone 4 of 6, sodium light ) 6" F7 spec 127mm F9.4 Refractor 10 x 50 bin ETX80 (finder) Canon 20D PST DSI 1 and a curious mind Post Extras:       Jeff Young Post Laureate Reged: 08/04/05 Posts: 4115 Loc: Ireland Re: Source for large diameter brass tubing? [Re: John Carruthers]       #3429543 - 11/04/09 04:25 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   John -- I've found quite a few suppliers of brass sheet stock for rolling and soldering into a cylinder. The issue with that approach is my rather pedestrian brazing/soldering skills. So I'm getting some quotes to see what a professional would charge.... -- Jeff. -------------------- Nikon 18x70s / UA Millennium                                       Colorado: Solarscope SF70 / TV Pronto / AP400QMD                       Coronado SolarMax40 DS / Bogen 055+3130 APM MC1610 / Tak FC-100 / AP1200GTO                        Tak Mewlon 250 / AP600EGTO Post Extras:       Pages: 1 Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Extra information 14 registered and 13 anonymous users are browsing this forum. Moderator:  Don W, Mike I. 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