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Everything posted by Alan64
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Still doddering along I am...piddle, pitter, putter... That's more like it. In that the primary-mirror will be moved forward by the thickness of a toothpick, combined with limited range of the low-profile focusser, the ability to adjust the cell accordingly will be there if needed, albeit way-overkill given the effected range of adjustment.
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With stainless-steel flat-washers integrated, the screws for holding the position of the primary-cell during collimation hold fast when battened down; delightful. However, now I don't want to use Phillips-type screws for this. Instead, I will be heading to my local hardware for hex-key screws rather, yet similar to those. The Phillips-type will be fine for the cowling at the front, as they will be battened down once and forgotten. I could go ahead and flock the tube, but I really do want to wait until I get the cell sorted out.
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I had forgotten that recesses into the cell had to be made, and for each mounting-hole extension. Those are now done... Now I may J-B Weld the extensions onto the tube...
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A home-repair/replacement project reared its ugly head... ...hence a delay, but not for long. I decided to go with a two-handle for the kitchen this time round. Plumbing is yet another of my specialties. The optical-tube was masked off... ...then glossed for the flocking... I may now J-B Weld the primary-cell's mounting-hole extensions onto the tube...
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I had no trouble with this 70mm f/13 achromat's tube... ...nor with this focusser's drawtube... Come again?
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I wouldn't say better; easier, rather. Unless of course there'd be a pressing need to remove it in future.
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I finally got round to removing the bulk of that sooty black paint lining the optical-tube. It was a right good finish, wonderfully flat and of a deepest black, but the interior must be glossed, then flocked...
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The lamination of the extensions with bronze, and with J-B Weld steel-reinforced epoxy(made in Texas)... A clamp of oak, hard-felt and wax-paper... Double- and single-sided clear-tapes were also utilised, and to prevent shifting of the components... <tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock>
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The tube's substrates for the extensions were stripped of paint, roughened in the process, and to be scored... From my humble sheet of phosphor-bronze, three sheetlets... ...which were then sanded with 80-grit paper and scored on one side...
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The mounting-hole extensions were given a final shaping, sanding with 80-grit paper, and were then scored on both sides; one side for epoxying to the optical-tube, and the other for the epoxying of the phosphor-bronze sheet thereto...
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Why, they appear as soda- or beer-can pop-tabs; splendid. In the end, those will be overlaid with a "veneer" of phosphor-bronze.
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The point of no return... I only need this much of an adjustment for each. Unfortunately the tube doesn't extend out quite far enough... Just three wee pieces, 1/2" wide, 7/8" in length... Incidentally, throughout the spring and summer: wet, wet, wet. However, within the last three weeks to a month, a drought, and nary an advantage have I taken of it. I had begun working on this telescope just before the drought began. There's no rhyme nor reason where there's an obsession, and a magnificent one at that.
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Before I secure the mirror into its cell, I need to sort out what I'm going to do to effect a tilting solution for the cell. I have to cut those stainless-steel mounting screws to just the right length, so as not to touch the mirror's edge when battened down. That's going to hinge upon what I do about the mounting holes... This is the steel-plate that I removed from the primary-cell of my 127mm "Bird Jones", and in favour of a far better solution... It's of hot-rolled steel, and rather thin. I will be using it for the tilting solution of this one's primary-cell...
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The mirror is safely nestled under and within a canopy of gift-tissue, and until the paint cures... Isn't it absolutely and utterly precious?