Upgrading Grandpa's 1950 Newtonian

[Tim99]

When I was very young, I helped Grandpa carry this telescope outside to look at the moon.  He made the telescope in the early 1950's.  He gave the telescope to me and now (in my retirement) I have decided to upgrade it.  New focuser, new secondary and a primary cell are all in the planned upgrade.  I found a focuser at the Orion website that I think will work.  I did some research and I think I need a 1.3 inch secondary and i found a place to order that along with the holder and 3-vane mount.  I plan to make the cell for the primary mirror.

The telescope has a 6.5 primary mirror and has about an f/7 focal ratio.   I had the mirror resurfaced by a company in Florida and it looks great!  I'm not sure but I bet my grandfather ground the mirror himself.

Any tips, suggestions are appreciated along with advice from a similar project that you may have done.

Thanks

[kalasinman]

A fine idea, a great project.

[xtreemchaos]

thats a real cool scope mate and with the upgrades it will be well useable,good luck and clear skys.  charl.

[Saganite]

What a great legacy, and a fine project, good luck and let us know how you get on.

[laudropb]

What a lovely project. Good luck .

[Merlin]

Why not try to preserve as many of the existing telescope parts by restoring them rather than replacing? Otherwise the 'scope will lose some, if not all, of its 1950's character.

For example, does the focuser really need changing, or just a good brushing and polishing?

[SteveNickolls]

What a great project you have, do post your work when it's all done and maybe some photo's taken through the telescope?

Good luck,

Steve

[Tim99]

 I would like to be able to use my 2" eyepieces and 1 1/4s also.  So the new focuser is a must.  i would be able to connect the camera also using the new focuser.  I am certain that a new secondary and mount would be a great improvement for collimation.  I really want to use the telescope rather than have it sit as a museum piece.   I think grandpa would approve of the upgrades and he would be happy to see me out in the back yard with it.

[Scott]

As merlin has said, If it were mine, I'd not want to be changing a thing....Tidy it up and keep it as close to origional as possible. It's beautiful as it is IMHO

Edit:- we must have posted at the same time Tim, so forgive my presumptions. I'm sure it'll be a cracker

[kalasinman]

Seems he has his own ideas about what to do with his family heirloom.

[RT65CB-SWL]

Hi Tim,

If it were me, I would change the pillar and that is it. I am all for preservation & restoration but try to keep the OTA to as near to the original specs as possible. It looks like a very nice and fine instrument as it is.

Adding or modifying with 21^st century hardware and components may spoil its looks and use.

I am sure Grandpa would approve.

[astronymonkey]

Id agree with a restore rather than replace strategy. I had a friend in the 1980s who restored an old scope like this with his granddad and they spent a week just freeing up the focusser, it too had a long f ratio which meant the need for micro focussing wasnt that important.

I agree with recoating the mirrors but id strip and clean everything and regrease any bearings etc. Id stick to 1.25inch eyepieces and treat it to some nice plossl eyepieces. Maybe a bit of wire wool and spray paint, sticking to the original colour scheme on the tube and mount wouldmbe nice too .... and I quite like the quiant mount.

Cheers

[Dave_D]

i'd keep it 'as build' to totally keep it's vintage appeal.

[Tim99]

I am in conflict with what to do here.  On the one hand, I would like to keep the telescope as is because my grandfather built it.  On the other hand, it is not usable as is. (or at least the views are not such that I would use the telescope.)  So, do I consider the telescope a museum piece or upgrade it and actually use it?  I am tempted to continue the upgrade.  I suppose that if I was not happy after my upgrades, I could always put the old stuff back on and be happy with the memories I had with my grandfather.  You guys really got me thinking!  Thanks.

[NEM]

I'd go ahead with the upgrade.  If I were your grandfather I'd be happy to think that something I made was still being used and enjoyed after all these years; rather than being kept as a museum piece.

Noel

[Scott]

If it's unuseable then a few tweaks wouldn't be bad thing as long as its sympathetically done. I'd just be careful to make sure any upgrades are reversable. You know your grandad better than any of us so if you think he'd rather see it being used, go for it. I know it seems like a complete turn around of my opinion but my earlier comments were purely from a historic point of view. at the end of the day, you'll know what feels right

[Tim99]

Thanks guys.  I am delighted that you think grandpa's telescope is so cool.  I remember him taking me outside one night and pointing up to the sky.  He said, "see that light traveling across the sky?"  I said, "yes."  He said, "That's Sputnik!"  The he explained what it was.  Wow!  I think that was in 1957 and I would have been 6 years old.  Grandpa was a brilliant man.  He also built a small refractor.  That was a beautiful scope. He built the first radio receiver in our little town back in the 1920's. He was also a musician and taught me to play several instruments.  I would later realize that it was grandpa who inspired me to become a music teacher and also a Ham Radio operator.   It will be very cool to use his telescope again!

[Dave Lloyd]

Thanks guys. I am delighted that you think grandpa's telescope is so cool. I remember him taking me outside one night and pointing up to the sky. He said, "see that light traveling across the sky?" I said, "yes." He said, "That's Sputnik!" The he explained what it was. Wow! I think that was in 1957 and I would have been 6 years old. Grandpa was a brilliant man. He also built a small refractor. That was a beautiful scope. He built the first radio receiver in our little town back in the 1920's. He was also a musician and taught me to play several instruments. I would later realize that it was grandpa who inspired me to become a music teacher and also a Ham Radio operator. It will be very cool to use his telescope again!

He sounds like a renaissance man. You were fortunate to have him.

[RLWP]

I don't think I do anything other than clean it up. It's a neat little thing, and I would guess that the mount is totally inadequate. It looks far too flexible to me. So, to make it worthwhile, scrap the focuser, mirror cell and the mount. Then only Grandad's cardboard tube remains, which seem a terrible shame

Clean it up, make it work, look through it and remember the times with your grandad

Richard

[MarsG76]

Awesome project... let me know how the upgrade project goes...

[ed_turco]

I've been away for awhile.  How's the project going?

ed

[Tim99]

After much thought, I have decided to install a cell for the primary mirror and that's it.  This way, I will be able to adjust the telescope's collimation easier but the  telescope will remain Grandpa's in outward appearance.  Once in a while, I can take it out in the back yard and look at the moon just like I did at 5 years of age.

[ed_turco]

After much thought, I have decided to install a cell for the primary mirror and that's it.  This way, I will be able to adjust the telescope's collimation easier but the  telescope will remain Grandpa's in outward appearance.  Once in a while, I can take it out in the back yard and look at the moon just like I did at 5 years of age.

You are going to have a lot of fun with that scope!

Ed