Shroud/ Dew shield

[bigrbuk]

Hi. I've seen plenty of suggestions for various materials to use for a DIY job, but I'm still lost as to what material would be best. It appears the options are...

1) Neoprene roll

http://www.homecrafts.co.uk/products-Economy-Neoprene-Rolls_E802A.htm

2) Foam (3 or 5mm?)

http://www.nairnshire-modelling-supplies.co.uk/layout-building-and-track-track-underlay-c-71_105.html?zenid=be5oqh6rv8k70gjluhqposv7s0

3) Camping mat

Not even sure what material they are?

Can somebody tell me the best option, if there is one!

[bigrbuk]

Forgot to mention its for a heritage 130p so needs to span the extension tube

[JamesM]

People tend to plump for the camping mat material (expanded plastic foam) I guess because it's relatively inexpensive (some spare if you make a mistake) and it's easy to get hold of. The main requirement is that it is moisture proof (dew) and that it is rigid enough to extend and maintain its shape as it projects forward by at least 1.5 times the diameter of your scope's aperture.

James

[Naemeth]

Neoprene works well, and you'll have plenty from a roll from that company in case you make a mistake. I ordered from them, made a mistake and still have plenty of neoprene left . 5mm / 7mm thick Neoprene is used for wet suits, and can be used for dry suits. It's perfect for a shroud .

You might have difficulty with wrapping the neoprene around the flex tube, but keep trying and it will eventually work (mine is a really messy job!)

[umadog]

For a shroud you can sew one from black ripstop nylon or black lycra.

[bigrbuk]

Neoprene works well, and you'll have plenty from a roll from that company in case you make a mistake. I ordered from them, made a mistake and still have plenty of neoprene left . 5mm / 7mm thick Neoprene is used for wet suits, and can be used for dry suits. It's perfect for a shroud .

You might have difficulty with wrapping the neoprene around the flex tube, but keep trying and it will eventually work (mine is a really messy job!)

So did you buy the 2-3mm stuff? Would it be suitable to extend past the end of the truss as per the suggested length for dew shields, i.e. is it sturdy enough and not likely to fold in on itself in a gentle breeze?

[valleyman]

I use neoprine, and it works fine for me.

glued and stitched the seam. and had enough left over to make a dew shield for the Telrad.

Pat

[bigrbuk]

I use neoprine, and it works fine for me.

glued and stitched the seam. and had enough left over to make a dew shield for the Telrad.

Pat

The 2-3mm stuff from http://www.homecrafts.co.uk/products-Economy-Neoprene-Rolls_E802A.htm ?

[Naemeth]

So did you buy the 2-3mm stuff? Would it be suitable to extend past the end of the truss as per the suggested length for dew shields, i.e. is it sturdy enough and not likely to fold in on itself in a gentle breeze?

Haven't made a dew shield yet, but it probably would be good enough for a dew shield. If not, you can always make it stronger by making an initial rough circle around the end of the OTA, then glue some cardboard strips (around 2mm wide) down small sections of it on the outside, and glue another circle around that, so there are two layers of neoprene instead of 1, the cardboard will make it easier to stick, and should provide extra strength (haven't tried it yet!)

[barbusg60]

Ive just flocked my Heritage with the Protostar Flockboard from Lyra Optics.

Its really good stuff and I had enough spare to make a nice dew shield.

I didnt have quite enough to make a shroud, I wanted to make a sliding type like I have seen recently on here that stays attached to the top and slides down inside the OTA when closed.

Might be worth a thought?

Cheers,

Rob.