flocking

[red dwalf]

i1ve heard that flocking you newtoniam scope will darken the inside of the scope and produce better contrast, i`ve seen some Velvet Flock Sticky Back Craft Paper for the site below and was wondering firstly if this is worth doing and is the stuff on the site below suitable for the job.

with thanks

http://www.the-craft-corner.co.uk/velvet-flock-sticky-back-craft-paper-2304-p.asp

[Psychobilly]

you ideally want to make sure that it won't "shed" fibres all over your optics...

Billy...

[philsail1]

"To Flock or not to Flock" that is the question!

This is another emotive issue with astronomers "red dwalf!"

I (and many others) have flocked their scopes in the quest for trying to squeeze out that extra bit of resolution or crispness, but in my opinion, the benefits may only be psychological - you think what you're seeing is now that bit crisper!

It would be great if someone could scientifically measure the crispness of image in a scope - before and after flocking, and publish the results on SGL. Then one could give a definite yes or no answer to yours (and many more in the future) enquiry.

But if you really fancy flocking your scope, then I would go ahead.

Regards,

philsail1

[red dwalf]

thanks for your input,

do you think that the paper in the link above is suitable as this seems to be the only supplier i can find out there

[nathkrul]

Hi Phil, here is what I bought for my 250p dob a few weeks ago, it did the inside no problem and it doesnt shed any fibres.

It was very easy to apply, just cut it in half if you find the lengh a bit much to handle.

The seller will cut you a lengh if required just email them.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=370144837824&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=024

Colin

[Astronut]

You might be better off using the proper stuff as velvet may shed fibres onto your mirror. I'm sure it's been used by others successfully so I may be wrong about that.

http://www.fpi-protostar.com/flock.htm

I don't think the above was available when I flocked my dob so I had to import mine from the States:

http://www.scopestuff.com/ss_flok.htm

As to the question of whether it's worth doing it does make sense to eliminate any stray light in the optical path and this stuff is much much blacker than the standard matt black paint on the inside of the dob's tube. The most important area to flock is opposite the focuser ie. behind the secondary but I think it looks much better when the whole tube is done.

It's difficult to apply in one piece without getting wrinkles so it's a good idea to apply it in longitudinal strips. It's not a job that can be rushed and preparation is the key. Once this stuff is stuck down it's down for good so take your time.

I'm sure you've read a few articles on flocking but here's a good link with step by step instructions:

http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=805

The instructions and advice I got with my flocking paper though was to apply it in strips. The edges can be overlapped but it looks much better if you apply the strips without overlapping. This means you need a perfect straight cut and for this I got an A2 paper cutter to get perfect straight edges. A bit OTT but if a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well

[johninderby]

Check Protostar's foreign dealer list.

http://www.fpi-protostar.com/orderinfo.htm#Anchor-Dealershi-2882

John

[neil phillips]

I have no experience with flocking, but if you live in a site with lots of stray light, and if the flocking material is more light absorbent than the paint inside your tube, logic dictates benefits are almost certain. But a big improvement is to use a dew shield, it will block stray light even further, even on a Newtonian, I may flock the inside of my scope where the diagonal resides, and use a dew shield