where to buy mirrors for diy dob?

[chemtom24]

anybody know where they sell mirrors and the other bits n bobs useful when building your own dobsonian? think i t could be a nice summer job but need to look at prices first!

thanks

tom

[Ant]

Orion optics sell mirrors - primary and flats.

Galve optics also sell mirrors and flats, but also sell blanks so you can make your own.

Not sure about other bits like mirror cells and spiders etc. Try Orion optics for those...

Cheers

Ant

[johninderby]

There are several in the UK. Orion Optics UK, Galvoptics, Oldham Optics.

Have a look at the Telescope Service website.They do a lot of DIY stuff.

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/index.php/language/en/cat/c91_Selbstbau-----Optiken--Spiegel-Linsen-.html

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/index.php/language/en/cat/c64_Selbstbau-----mechanische-Teile.html

John

[chemtom24]

thanks guys - but jesus, if i was gonna pay that money i could go out and buy one! i was kinda hoping for it to be a cheap ish job!

[Bizibilder]

You will find that, these days, it is cheaper to buy a scope and mount than it is to make your own! Crazy but true.

Back in the 60's and 70's you HAD to make your own unless you were very rich, now the Chinese can make (exellent) scopes and transport them half way round the world for vary little money indeed.

[johninderby]

The Chinese made dobs are so cheap now that it might very well cost more to build your own.

You might want to consider picking up an old dob in need of work and re-building it. By doing that you really could save a lot of money.

John

[chemtom24]

really im just after the mirrors. the rest im hopeful/probably too cockily confident that i could rumble something up on the cheap using odd bits n pieces

[Telrad]

I considered making a dob before I bought one. It seemed like a labour of love and a skill that would be extremely satisfactory once completed, and for someone technically capable of making a scientific instrument such as a dobsonian, I weighed up the time it would take, with the time I had, my level of competence at building and the cost...and realised that it would be better to buy one instead. I now think that I probably make one in the future, should time permit once I retire prehaps? I would eventually gain a further understanding of optics and this subject beyond what I currently consider; but for now I'm happy just using my 10". If I did build one, it would have to be at least 16"...to make it all worth while.

[haitch]

You will find that, these days, it is cheaper to buy a scope and mount than it is to make your own! Crazy but true.

Back in the 60's and 70's you HAD to make your own unless you were very rich, now the Chinese can make (exellent) scopes and transport them half way round the world for vary little money indeed.

They wouldn't be cheap if they had to pay the same duty on fuel as we have to in out cars! (and you'd have to be very rich to fly if aviation fuel was taxed the same too)

[banner001]

remember though that the mirrors you buy from OOUK, oldham etc. are usually highly reflective and good wavefronts. for not a lot more you can probably pick up some high quality 1/10 pv optics...will give you amazing fidelity!

[lukebl]

How big are you thinking? When you can buy a second-hand 10" Newtonian for, say, £250 it hardly seems worth the effort. I guess if you are talking 20", then maybe it is worth making your own.

[chemtom24]

erm i dunno i guess 10 inches since i already have a 6 inch newt. its been too cloudy to view anything lately and the part of reading i live in is terribly light polluted anyway, so have had much chance to use it. maybe once i leave uni and come home for summer il be able to use it again and satisf my astonromy cravings.

keep thinking about extending my overdraft and just buying a bigger second hand one. not sure tho. hmmm. i want bigger planetary images than i get with my 150p - i guess i thought making my own dob (or in fact newt) would be a cheaper way to get this result. turns out maybe not.

thanks for all your help its always appreciated

tom

[Moonshane]

used mirrors surface every now and again, you just need to be patient.

I bought a great condition used 16" f4 OOUK mirror for a fraction of the new cost.

if I were you, the first thing I'd buy is a copy of 'the bible'. http://www.green-witch.com/acatalog/Willmann_Bell.html

scroll down about halfway to

The Dobsonian Telescope Ref: b0943396557

• WILLMANN BELL
  

• Authors: David Kriege and Richard Berry
  Published: 1998
  Pages: 473
  Hardback
  ISBN: 0943396557
  

This book tells you how to build a state-of-the-art Dobsonian Telescope using readily available materials and supplies. Every step of construction is detailed in photographs and diagrams, and the underlying ideas are carefully explained. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to build a larger telescope than they can afford to buy.

Price: £27.50

[chemtom24]

i saw a site selling blanks - is it really hard to grind a mirror urself?