Oops - I wish I hadn't done that.

[osbourne one-nil]

I've gone and dented the tube of my beloved TV85 with a bolt that I drove in too far while tightening some mounting bar to the clamshell. The bolts were too long! It's broken the paint and dented the tube. I'm hoping it's just cosmetic though? Anything I should do? It will, obviously. almost always be out of site and out of harm's way.

While I'm at it, what's the easiest way to mount a TV85? The problem with the clamshells is I think they have imperial threads as opposed to metric, and it makes getting hardware to attach the bar more difficult....and risks getting bolts that are too long!

 

[rwilkey]

Heartbreaking good buddy.

[osbourne one-nil]

Lee at Green Witch is looking into whether I could just replace the tube (he's emailed Televue to ask if that's possible)...or I could just take it to the local body-shop....or I could just leave it. 

I've ordered the Televue/Vixen adapter which I should have bought when I got the scope. Don't be a cheapskate I've learned!

[Alien 13]

Ouch i feel the pain.

I think you have 3 options.

A body shop would probably drill it to pull the dent then fill and paint and would probably be invisible.

Source a relacement part.

Make a feature out of it.

Alan

[osbourne one-nil]

That's a good idea - I've got the world's only "distressed" TV85...the only refractor in the world with evidence of micro-meteorite impact!

[LukeSkywatcher]

How does the view look through the scope?. I cant see it messing up the view. I'd just leave it if the view is ok or maybe a dab of white paint.

[happy-kat]

Tomorrow it wont seem so bad and then when you use it again it will be forgotten.

[John]

Ouch !!! 

If it was my scope I'd want that tube replaced I think. Tele Vue will be able to do it but there will be some cost involved inevitably. If you don't get it sorted I suspect it's going to really irk you each time you look at the scope, even if the performance is unaffected. TV's scopes are beautifully put together things and a blemish like that will stand out, unfortunately.

If it was a lesser brand then I'd probably just fill it and spray it. 

[Caldwell14]

Ouch !!! 

If it was my scope I'd want that tube replaced I think. Tele Vue will be able to do it but there will be some cost involved inevitably. If you don't get it sorted I suspect it's going to really irk you each time you look at the scope, even if the performance is unaffected. TV's scopes are beautifully put together things and a blemish like that will stand out, unfortunately.

If it was a lesser brand then I'd probably just fill it and spray it. 

 Same as that, that kind of thing would eat away at me. Get a new tube if you can.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Am i right in saying that the bolt you tightened too much was part of putting the scope together?. If the bolt was too long (and was supplied with the scope), then that is the makers fault and they should replace the OTA (will be a bit of a cost to yourself).

If it was a mod you did yourself then you do not have any comeback.

I can only assume that its a case of the first.

As John has said...............it might irk you every time you use the scope even if the scope works perfectly. It would be enough to really irk me. Then again, i hate dust gathering on my scope tubes. 

[osbourne one-nil]

Ah well, you need to factor in that I am a total cretin. The bolts were supplied by myself as an attempt to attach the imperial-threaded clamshell to the vixen-style mounting bar. I took what they had in the local hardware shop and they were too long. but it never seemed to matter on the Porta II. I forgot this fact last night and happily carried on tightening with my socket set. 

As for irking me, I am very good at pretending things aren't there....crying children wanting attention, tax bills, charity collectors, so I'm going to give that a go first. If a new tube is affordable though, I'll probably sort it over the lighter evenings during the summer. 

[ronin]

Give Televue a call, they do not advertise an email for contact but I suppose if you spoke to them first they could have something available to save on the calls, especially with the time difference.

If they do supply a replacement tube, get shorter bolts.

[osbourne one-nil]

Got a price back via Green Witch of £300 for the replacement of the tube plus collimation and reassembly etc. Well worth it I think - even just to let Televue look over it again. Will sort over the summer when the nights are light.

[knobby]

Is it worth having a look here maybe ?

http://www.carbonscopetubes.com

Probably sacrilidge on a televue though :-)