Storing your Telscope: Caution

[Scottie]

I was just reading a post and it was mentioned that the scope was kept in the garage.

I have it on good authority from a technician in a company producing MOD lenses and mirrors and offering recoating of same.

Mirror coatings like quartz overcoats under high mag. microscope look somewhat like the surface of your lawn, namely thick upright crystal blades.

I was told that quartz overcoats take a minimum of 6 weeks to cure or harden, longer if poss before subjecting them to outdoor exposure.

Any fumes like petrol, exhaust, airosol, and solvents will damage telescope mirrors or at least reduce the longevity of the coating. So be careful with storing in Garages etc. The same might be said for painting and decorating VOC's indoors.

Cheers

Gordon

[zanes]

Quartz on/in a telescope mirror? Thought they were alu on pyrex?

[Merlin66]

After the aluminium is deposited on the glass it's given a very thin overcoat layer of Quartz to give added protection and to prevent the aluminium oxidising in the atmosphere.

[jgs001]

I've got a pair of fracs and a mak stored in my garage... but it's not used for a car... no room to get one in .... nothing much in the way of solvents etc either ...

[acey]

The advice on the SiO2 overcoat is sound - it takes weeks or even months to harden fully, and the mirror shouldn't be cleaned during this period (not that it could possibly need it).

I certainly wouldn't want to keep a scope any place where there might be lots of exhaust particles flying around. Fortunately my garage is too small to fit any car built after about 1940. But I keep the scope under wraps anyway, to protect it from the dust, DIY wood-shavings, guinea-pig poo and everything else that might come its way there. Just a sensible precaution.

[Mark at Beaufort]

Thanks for the information and advice. I am like John (jig001) I have a good sized garage and store both my 10" Dob and 6" frac inside. However, there is no room for a car so I assume I am ok!!

mark