What do you think of this Dobsonian?

[Louis D]

5 hours ago, DRT said:

I think you will find that good quality plywood is more suited to curvature (and stronger) than any solid wood product. That is why it is used for this purpose.  

As long as the plies do not separate due to glue deterioration.  I think that was the initial main concern in this thread.  I can attest that non-sealed solid wood survives much better when left uncovered than non-sealed plywood over a 25 year period of time in the weather when used as part of a backyard playscape.  While the wood looks great, the plywood is separating and warping all over the place.  Solid wood is also much more squirrel resistant than plywood.

I know we're talking telescopes, but be careful about making unqualified blanket statements.

[DRT]

5 hours ago, Louis D said:

As long as the plies do not separate due to glue deterioration.  I think that was the initial main concern in this thread.  I can attest that non-sealed solid wood survives much better when left uncovered than non-sealed plywood over a 25 year period of time in the weather when used as part of a backyard playscape.  While the wood looks great, the plywood is separating and warping all over the place.  Solid wood is also much more squirrel resistant than plywood.

I know we're talking telescopes, but be careful about making unqualified blanket statements.

I was of course assuming that it would be properly treated and maintained. Any material that is neglected or badly prepared will deteriorate over time. I think the concern here is that some people seem to think plywood is unsuitable for this application, which is just not true.