Who could cut a refractor tube in Surrey or London

[Bender]

Just bought a Tal 100R to get my hands on the lens as Neil English thinks them slightly better than the newer ones.

Anyway, as I have 2 tubes now I thought I give it a try and shorten one of them to use binoviewers ( they are ok on their own but a binoviewer on a Herschel wedge would need a considerably shorter tube)

Before I get the hacksaw out, does anyone know a good address in Surrey or London to get the cutting job done by a professional ?

Thanks

Andre

[Merlin66]

It's not really that difficult..use a piece of masking tape to mark the cut around the tube; use a fine hacksaw blade and work your way around the tube following the mark...you can clean up the cut edge with a fine file.

[John S]

Id get or make a pipefitters wraparound. Its simple just a piece of very straight edged hard gasket type sheet wider than the pipe and long enough to wrap tightly around the tube several times so all edges line up perfecty.

Then mark the tube and cut with a hacksaw or junior hachsaw.

The wraparound is used with the pipefitters handbook (online)to mark and cut angles you see on large pipes eg a refinery.

I cut A 6 inch pier last year by hand it took 2 days but I was very pleased and satisfied with the result.

John.

[gliderpilot]

If you remove the focuser and stuff some newspaper inside the tube, it 'll act as a barrier for dust and swarf going up towards the lens.

I shortened my Skywatcher 102ED with a hacksaw by hand and it wasn't onerous at all.

Mark

[Bender]

Thanks for all the encouraging replies. It seems I might be ok doing it myself. Will keep you posted how it goes

[Peter Drew]

Ken's suggestion is the easiest to do. I would add that a second ring of masking tape forward of the cut, spaced from the first by a gap equal to the sawblade width makes a good guide and will help protect the tube if the saw slips a bit. .