Advice on storage

[iamzoso60]

I shall shortly be getting a dedicated stroage shed in the garden for my scope.

What is the best way to wrap it, in order to keep it clean, dry and free from little critters?

[budski]

You haven't mentioned what instrument you have. If it's a Newtonian (spiders just lurve open-tubed 'scopes) make sure your end caps are on (for both the Main Tube, finder and focuser) and park it upright on a piece of polystyrene (an 1" or so thick). Fix some strapping to the shed wall and tie it around the tube or to the tube rings. Finally, cover the scope with a non-hairy blanket. If it's a refractor make a box for it to lie in (horizontally) padded with some polystyrene and some bags of silica gel thrown in. Most importantly, however, make sure the shed is really, really secure - a little while ago a friend of mine had his astro gear stolen from a shed. As a result I chain and padlock all my kit these days.

[glowjet]

If it is a shiplap and timber frame shed you might like to consider going to the expense of lining it with polyurethane sheet, fiberglass and 1/2"chipboard, including the roof and door, it is well worth doing as it will keep out the damp and make the shed much more robust against crime especially if you bolt your security fittings to the woodwork, telescopes and bits can then be stored in stout cardboard boxes above the ground on shelves. I did this years ago with my large shed and since then I no longer suffer with tools rusting up over the Winter period.

John.