34 replies to this topic

[telesonic]

Doing that sawdust with a new built dob is the one thing.

The same with a classic scope could ruin it`s worth.

 

 

I think, with classics it is a good way to do it removable.

Or in a manner that it could be original.

 

Totally agree with that line of thought.

 

On these scopes, the original paint inside is rather grey-ish (I'm guessing that it was black, but fades to grey over time.) The chalkboard paint was a huge improvement on the first one I did - still haven't gotten around to doing the second tube... too windy to spray today.

 

And yeah, for a classic scope... a repaint (or refresh) of the inside shouldn't harm the value too much if it's done with paint. As I'd noted earlier, I really didn't think that this chalkboard paint would work, but after applying it.... I changed my thoughts.

 

 

Last night I had the modified CC out, doing first light tests - so for now, it's back together with just the chalkboard paint, which was a million times better than the faded stuff that was in there. I'm thinking I'll place an order for a chunk of the Protostar Flockboard sometime this week. Got to order enough to do both of these tubes, and maybe a bit extra for a few 50mm finders.

 

T

[Weisswurst Josef]

That greyish look is normal for these coatings.

They should reflect as less light as possible into the optical path.

[deSitter]

Totally agree with that line of thought.

 

On these scopes, the original paint inside is rather grey-ish (I'm guessing that it was black, but fades to grey over time.) The chalkboard paint was a huge improvement on the first one I did - still haven't gotten around to doing the second tube... too windy to spray today.

 

And yeah, for a classic scope... a repaint (or refresh) of the inside shouldn't harm the value too much if it's done with paint. As I'd noted earlier, I really didn't think that this chalkboard paint would work, but after applying it.... I changed my thoughts.

 

 

Last night I had the modified CC out, doing first light tests - so for now, it's back together with just the chalkboard paint, which was a million times better than the faded stuff that was in there. I'm thinking I'll place an order for a chunk of the Protostar Flockboard sometime this week. Got to order enough to do both of these tubes, and maybe a bit extra for a few 50mm finders.

 

T

The board is way too stiff for finders. About the minimum diameter you could do with the rollup method is 6". Smaller than that, I would use the flock paper, or maybe stick it to beer package cardboard, something that range of thickness.

 

-drl

Edited by deSitter, 01 July 2024 - 07:27 AM.

[Bomber Bob]

Craziest flocking I did was to the Tinsley 6:  Got a bag of very fine sand, just a little larger than some water filter versions, & 2 cans of spray glue.  Sprayed the interior with glue, and rolled the tube over & over & over; reapplied glue, & rotated, until very little fell out.  After that cured, then painted the interior flat black.  It's dark in there, but there were easier methods for sure!

 

Messiest flocking I inflicted on my Jaegers 4 RFT:  Painted very fine sandpaper flat black.  Once dry, I glued these to the tube interior... after the scope sat in the car for a couple of days... the panels came loose, then fell.  So, not recommended for folks Down South.

[telesonic]

The board is way too stiff for finders. About the minimum diameter you could do with the rollup method is 6". Smaller than that, I would use the flock paper, or maybe stick it to beer package cardboard, something that range of thickness.

 

-drl

 

Good advice!

 

The chalkboard paint worked very well on the first tube, and I still have half 'o can, and one more CC I intend to spray with it. I'll get that step completed before I try to wrap my mind around to flock/or not, and what to use.

 

Bob,

I'm not not from the south, but I did spend a week or two there long ago..... those summers are way too humid for me. Out here in the sage desert, it's just as hot ambient temp wise.... but we get virtually zero humidity. I'm not sure which one is better, as our winters get bone chillingly cold.  (which I don't like as much as I used to) Adhesive also fails in the cold out here, so I'm on the idea of -  just paint, and maybe a roll up additional piece, which I could do at a later time.

 

 

So maybe I'll try a few tests with some ideas gleaned from this, but it's darned better than it was when I started this project.

 

Onward!

Cheers,

Temp

[Terra Nova]

I've seen many positive reviews of that flocking, and I'll try and figure out where to find some of it pretty soon. I'm not in a rush on it, since I just got the chalkboard paint done. The flocking will be the icing on the cake per se.

 

Cheers,

Temp

T

‘You jus’ pays yo money and waits.’ 

 

His website is still up, replete with phone number and address. He’s a rather mysterious fellow with a rather mysterious product. I’ve heard that his day job is in the audio-visual/theater line and he somehow has a professional ‘in’ with the actual makers of the product which actually have nothing to do with astronomy. You basically send in your order and just wait. When it ships, (often months later) there is no notification or tracking, it just mysteriously appears on your doorstep, usually sometime after you have completely forgotten you ever ordered it.

 

https://www.fpi-prot.../flockboard.htm

 

It’s definitely worth the wait tho. The product is like no other. Just don’t hound him tho, otherwise it might just be ‘NO SOUP FOR YOU!’

[telesonic]

‘You jus’ pays yo money and waits.’ 

 

His website is still up, replete with phone number and address. He’s a rather mysterious fellow with a rather mysterious product. I’ve heard that his day job is in the audio-visual/theater line and he somehow has a professional ‘in’ with the actual makers of the product which actually have nothing to do with astronomy. You basically send in your order and just wait. When it ships, (often months later) there is no notification or tracking, it just mysteriously appears on your doorstep, usually sometime after you have completely forgotten you ever ordered it.

 

https://www.fpi-prot.../flockboard.htm

 

It’s definitely worth the wait tho. The product is like no other. Just don’t hound him tho, otherwise it might just be ‘NO SOUP FOR YOU!’

 

 

 

Lol... well, he sounds like the right perfect chap then!

 

I think I'll drop an order for some very soon. I'm in no rush to get on with flocking, since I still need to Chalkboard Black my other Comet Catcher OTA. That will use up what I've got leftover in the can, but I can say this - it works good enough that I'm going to buy another rattle can of this, for more scope projects. I might re-do the interior of my C5-750 telephoto, that one is also rather "battleship grey" inside,  and maybe hit some other random stuff like a few finder scope insides.

 

One thing that I mentioned earlier:

So I'm not sure how old this can of Rustoleum Chalkboard paint was.... but it worked fine. I've got pretty decent sized pile of Rustoleum / Krylon - etc rattle cans hanging around, anyway - here is a tip (literally)

 

I used the nozzle from a CRC Brakecleen can, accidentally on the Rusto can, it fit... functioned, and sprayed a pretty large pattern - since those nozzles usually can also use a plastic small straw like WD-40, for a more focused spray.

 

Somewhere in my old shop toolbox, I have a metal one of these straw like things, with a flexible clear tubing  / cap thing that I'd gotten when I worked at the auto body shop. (1995/1996 ish) which would make painting the interior of these, and even smaller diameter scopes with a rattle can, easy peasy. I'll have to see if I can locate it, or find out who made that gizmo. And also, while not traditional painting in the sense of things, Graffiti Artists often use different caps for different spray patterns, and they "used to" fit on the Krylon cans, but not sure if they are still sold.

 

Yeah, back then I knew a few of those train "graf artists."

 

 

Cheers,

Temp

Edited by telesonic, 02 July 2024 - 09:17 PM.

[deSitter]

Lol... well, he sounds like the right perfect chap then!

 

I think I'll drop an order for some very soon. I'm in no rush to get on with flocking, since I still need to Chalkboard Black my other Comet Catcher OTA. That will use up what I've got leftover in the can, but I can say this - it works good enough that I'm going to buy another rattle can of this, for more scope projects. I might re-do the interior of my C5-750 telephoto, that one is also rather "battleship grey" inside,  and maybe hit some other random stuff like a few finder scope insides.

 

One thing that I mentioned earlier:

So I'm not sure how old this can of Rustoleum Chalkboard paint was.... but it worked fine. I've got pretty decent sized pile of Rustoleum / Krylon - etc rattle cans hanging around, anyway - here is a tip (literally)

 

I used the nozzle from a CRC Brakecleen can, accidentally on the Rusto can, it fit... functioned, and sprayed a pretty large pattern - since those nozzles usually can also use a plastic small straw like WD-40, for a more focused spray.

 

Somewhere in my old shop toolbox, I have a metal one of these straw like things, with a flexible clear tubing  / cap thing that I'd gotten when I worked at the auto body shop. (1995/1996 ish) which would make painting the interior of these, and even smaller diameter scopes with a rattle can, easy peasy. I'll have to see if I can locate it, or find out who made that gizmo. And also, while not traditional painting in the sense of things, Graffiti Artists often use different caps for different spray patterns, and they "used to" fit on the Krylon cans, but not sure if they are still sold.

 

Yeah, back then I knew a few of those train "graf artists."

 

 

Cheers,

Temp

I must have lucked out - I ordered enough for a 4 ft long x 1 ft diameter tube and had it in my possession about 10 days later. Then I waited 3 months to install it 

 

-drl

[Jim Curry]

‘You jus’ pays yo money and waits.’ 

 

His website is still up, replete with phone number and address. He’s a rather mysterious fellow with a rather mysterious product. I’ve heard that his day job is in the audio-visual/theater line and he somehow has a professional ‘in’ with the actual makers of the product which actually have nothing to do with astronomy. You basically send in your order and just wait. When it ships, (often months later) there is no notification or tracking, it just mysteriously appears on your doorstep, usually sometime after you have completely forgotten you ever ordered it.

 

https://www.fpi-prot.../flockboard.htm

 

It’s definitely worth the wait tho. The product is like no other. Just don’t hound him tho, otherwise it might just be ‘NO SOUP FOR YOU!’

When I switched from baffles to flocking I ordered a whole roll. I had it within days.  Order little pieces and I imagine it's a pain for him.

[Apollo XX]

A couple of years ago I built an "18th century sky-tube replica" for participation in a sunspot records project;

 

I used a piece of copper tubing that I'd had for years for the optical tube (somewhat authentic per the period) and although the exterior had patinated, the interior was still as glossy as the day I bought the tubing. It simply KILLED the image formed by the puny 18mm aperture!

 

In discussions with a friend he informed me that back in the day they would've used soot to blacken the interior...interesting for sure but a bit impractical in these times. Painting the inside of a 1.5" tube posed certain challenges, and then it dawned on me, why not just roll up some black card stock from those 2' x 3' sheets that you can buy nearly anywhere and shove it down there? 

 

Problem solved! I did the inside of the optical tube and the drawtube and now the contrast of the image is preserved. 

 

Three minutes before totality, April 8th, 2024.

 

Mike M.