Home made scope?

[khalen]

I was just wondering, after seeing a few sites about making your own scope, how practical this might be.

Is it a difficult task? I do build handmade guitars for a hobby so working in a worshop is not totally alien to me but I accept there is a world of difference between building a guitar and building a telescope.

Can a good sized scope be built to required standards for the price of a manufactured one? If it is feasible, would it be restriced to building a simple Newtonian scope or would it be possible to construct a Cassegrain type? And finally, what is the difference between a Schmidt Cassegrain and a Maksutov Cassegrain?

[G4YVM]

Very practicable indeed. I made a 16" Dob and its brill.

Get a book called The Dobsonian Telescope by Kriege and Berry and you wont go wrong. There's tons on the web too.

This is my scope build 16" Dobsonian - David's Photos

Its on smugmug

It is amazingly satisfying to look through a scope you have made yourself.

David

[Bizibilder]

It is relatively easy to make your own Newtonian reflector, including grinding and polishing your own mirrors - I did just that when I was 16 years old (many years ago now!!) BUT it takes quite a bit of time and the final mirror figuring is quite a challenge. Making the tube is basic carpentry or, as I did, using a bit of plastic tube that I "obtained".

However, having had a look at the problem myself a while ago it would certainly cost MORE to make your own mirrors than to buy a set (that is for a one-off and includes ALL the materials and tools you would need).

It is also quite tricky to make a decent mount without access to a machine shop. It can be done but the result would be very "basic" - to put it politely!

With the prices of telescopes and mounts these days (I'm referring to Chinese types) it is not really financially worthwhile.

Building a refractor is a completely different game - for a start there are FOUR surfaces to grind (two parts to an objective lens) before you consider the problems of tube, focusser and mount.

The greatest advantage of making your own is the satisfaction of doing the job yourself - financially its not worth it.

[jnp]

I have made several refractors and guidescopes using plastic drainpipes and second hand achromat lenes. So long as its solid and well colimated it will work a treat with the advantage is that you can customise it. I did look at building a newt, but for much less than the cost of a 8" mirror set, I got complete scope!

Hats off to guys who grind thier own mirrors, thats dedication. Didnt know anyone ground lenses anymore. Would like to know if anyone has ground thier own triplet APO lenses!

[swamp thing]

Hi

How easy it is I guess depends on your practical skills.

I personally found it very easy and rewarding.

Admittedly I didn't grind my own mirror.

Although you can buy Dobs these days at a price little more than the mirror set alone.

That said you can build a better quality one.

There is a certain enjoyment you get when using a scope you built yourself.

Regards Steve

[G4YVM]

Hi

Admittedly I didn't grind my own mirror.

Regards Steve

Blimey, nor me!! Nor would I!! To paraphrase Shirley Conran "Life's too short to grind a mirror"!

D

[khalen]

Maybe I'll wait till I got my bought scope and using it then I will look at making my own. No pressure from moi to get viewing the skies. I can be a little impatient at times.

[Trull]

Just one thing to note - if you buy a mirror from a quality shop, it will outperform an imported "Chinese" scope. My TorcDobIV has a mirror from Oldham Optics which makes it more than a match for any televue eyepieces...

[Beulah]

Hi Khalen,

I also build stringed instruments (mainly acoustic guitars & classicals) and intend to grind my own 14" mirror one day when I have more time. If you get yourself a good scope now, you won't be in such a hurry to get the mirror grinding project done.

Part of my problem is that telescopes of that size can be acquired more cheaply than making one these days...and in the olden days, people ground their own mirrors, as even an 8" Newtonian was prohibitively expensive to purchase for your average man on the street.

Making your own mirrors to save money was a great motivation, and nowadays one has to work out whether the pleasure and pain of making your own optics is motivation enough.

That is why I pretty much build my own stringed instruments, as the equivelent costs literally thousands. The fact I built them myself is secondary to that, but is still satisfying.