To flock or not

[martindale]

I recently flocked my 12" newt.

Here's photo of it half done, sorry about the focus.

It definitely show the improvement.

 

 

[happy-kat]

I think it's worth doing too.

Very nice work area

[bottletopburly]

Flocking is definetley worth the effort ,i did my 200p cuts reflection from black paint ,you will know what i mean once you do it 

[dyfiastro]

I have just done my 130PDS, slightly harder I would expect than a larger tube but still something that can be done pretty easily.
I have not had a chance to try it out yet but looking at the before and after results I would say its worth doing.
As well as the main tube I also flocked the inside and outside of the focuser tube. This has made a massive difference compared to the silver paint that comes on the outside as standard. As for the secondary mirror I used a sharpie as I did not feel comfortable with attaching anything sticky to it.

 

Keep at it, well worth the time spent in my book.

[ronl]

I flocked my 200p, it certainly improves contrast, before flocking I thought I was getting reasonable

views of targets, but after, there was a marked improvement, I found flocking reasonably easy, I also 

upgraded my focuser while the scope was stripped. 

[Daz69]

Is there an "how to" for flocking? 

Thanks

[Uplooker]

Purchase a couple of rolls of this:-

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/misc/black-velour-telescope-flocking-material.html

Disassemble your scope so that you are left with a bare tube, apply sticky backed velour to the inside of tube, making cut-outs for the focuser. Hoover the velour to remove all of the loose fibres. Reassemble scope, paint bolt and screw heads with black paint, collimate and your done

[Daz69]

Ahh, righty-o, sounds easy enough. Is there that much of a benefit? 

Thanks for the link also  

[Uplooker]

It does increase the contrast and reduce reflections in the views. I think I have seen in another post that you have only received your scope, your first. I would wait a bit until you are more familiar with it until go dismantling it. Although if you are handy, go for it. How good are you at centering the secondary and collimation, do you have tools for collimation such as a cheshire?

[mapstar]

26 minutes ago, Uplooker said:

Purchase a couple of rolls of this:-

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/misc/black-velour-telescope-flocking-material.html

Disassemble your scope so that you are left with a bare tube, 8apply sticky backed velour to the inside of tube, making cut-outs for the focuser. Hoover the velour to remove all of the loose fibres. Reassemble scope, paint bolt and screw heads with black paint, collimate and your done

The same stuff can be found at Wilko at a cheaper price £5 a roll. As I remember it's called d-c fix velour 

[Magnus_e]

Video tutorial of quite a few newtonian mods, inkluding flocking

 

[Daz69]

20 hours ago, Uplooker said:

It does increase the contrast and reduce reflections in the views. I think I have seen in another post that you have only received your scope, your first. I would wait a bit until you are more familiar with it until go dismantling it. Although if you are handy, go for it. How good are you at centering the secondary and collimation, do you have tools for collimation such as a cheshire?

It is my first, but I'm rather OCD when it comes to getting things spot on and working at their best. I am expert DIY and have my own workshop at home, where I do a lot of woodworking, and the first thing I do with any of my machines before each use is to re-set the blades using machined squares etc. I'm probably a bit too OCD for my liking!

I have no issues with taking things apart methodically and reassembly. I've already adapted my tripod to CG3 mount as there was too much slop when loosened off for panning round.

As for collimation, I did it by eye after making a collimation cap, and when my laser arrived, stuck it in and I was only one circle out of true. I then made a jig to check for the collimation of the collimator, and found that the laser is out of true. So I spent the next 2 hours trying to centre the laser but it is flawed, I can get it to within a couple of mm over 4 feet, but that's the closest, so it's going back on Tuesday. I have a Cheshire, and that says that my eyeball set up was virtually spot on, so I've collimated again using the Cheshire so that it is spot on. 

[Uplooker]

6 minutes ago, Daz69 said:

It is my first, but I'm rather OCD when it comes to getting things spot on and working at their best. I am expert DIY and have my own workshop at home, where I do a lot of woodworking, and the first thing I do with any of my machines before each use is to re-set the blades using machined squares etc. I'm probably a bit too OCD for my liking!

I have no issues with taking things apart methodically and reassembly. I've already adapted my tripod to CG3 mount as there was too much slop when loosened off for panning round.

As for collimation, I did it by eye after making a collimation cap, and when my laser arrived, stuck it in and I was only one circle out of true. I then made a jig to check for the collimation of the collimator, and found that the laser is out of true. So I spent the next 2 hours trying to centre the laser but it is flawed, I can get it to within a couple of mm over 4 feet, but that's the closest, so it's going back on Tuesday. I have a Cheshire, and that says that my eyeball set up was virtually spot on, so I've collimated again using the Cheshire so that it is spot on. 

fair doos. You should find it a doddle. One thing, I would place the dot of the laser collimator on a wall at least 15-20 feet away when rotating it to check for trueness.

 

Good luck