Flocking a baffle tube.

[Merlin]

I have a SKYMAX 90 and would like to flock or blacken with paint the baffle tube. The inner baffle wall is a bit shiny.

How do I remove the front corrector to get to the baffle tube? And does the baffle tube itself screw out?

Any advice would be appreciated.

[NGC 1502]

Hi.  I think I'd be very wary of doing that myself.  (I'm a bit of a 'tinkerer' with my scopes, so know how you feel).

I have my 90mm Mak in front of me as I type. (It's the optical tube from an ETX 90 that had a fried mount). Just shone a bright LED from the front end, but got a better look by shining it from the back end by removing the plug for the photo port (yours will be a bit different here, your diagonal fits just there).  The baffle tube on mine is quite shiny as well, with fine ridges. I've always been impressed by the sharpness & contrast of the views, don't know if that could be improved by doing what you are suggesting.

On mine, the front corrector screws off (told you I was a tinkerer  ) but access to the inside of the tiny baffle tube would be very fiddly indeed, within the confines of the main tube. Don't know if the baffle tube unscrews, or is glued or just a tight fit. You may have to dismantle from the back end, and take the primary out, complete with baffle. Personally, I wouldn't do that, but others may be braver or cleverer than me.

Hope that helps, at least a bit, Ed.

[Peter Drew]

+1 for leaving well alone, the secondary obstruction ensures that very little stray light reaches the eyepiece. Any marginal improvement at this aperture would probably be noticed during lunar occultations or terrestrial bright light sources near to the line of sight. 

[Merlin]

Agreed. Thanks chaps.