[video width=640 height=390]http://www.youtube.com/v/p0iyRgRhvLk&hl=en_US&rel=0[/video]
How to Grind a Mirror (40min Video)
How to Grind a Mirror (40min Video)
Amazing. Aperture fever anyone?
[video width=640 height=390]http://www.youtube.com/v/p0iyRgRhvLk&hl=en_US&rel=0[/video]
[video width=640 height=390]http://www.youtube.com/v/p0iyRgRhvLk&hl=en_US&rel=0[/video]
http://www.astro.sg
email: gary[at]astro.sg
twitter: @astrosg
"The importance of a telescope is not how big it is, how well made it is.
It is how many people, less fortunate than you, got to look through it."
-- John Dobson.
email: gary[at]astro.sg
twitter: @astrosg
"The importance of a telescope is not how big it is, how well made it is.
It is how many people, less fortunate than you, got to look through it."
-- John Dobson.
-
orly_andico
- Posts: 1616
- Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 11:14 pm
- Location: Braddell Heights
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this is true if
1) the mirror you want is small-ish
or
2) you have really deep pockets
in the past people ground mirrors as small as 4.5" or 6" -- in fact Mark Harry got his start as a boutique mirror maker by making his own long-focus small planetary mirrors.
but today anything <= 12 inches, you're probably better off buying. You can buy mass-market, or boutique (Royce, Lockwood, Zambuto, Mark Harry speaking-of-the-devil, Mike Spooner..) and the prices won't be out-of-this-world (I guess for Singaporeans.. I only bought a 10" commodity mirror long ago back in Manila because a 10" Royce was out of my budget).
another option is get a 16" commodity mirror and have it refigured. still cheaper than buying new from a boutique vendor.
above 16" -- unless you have tons of cash, grinding your own begins to become attractive.
1) the mirror you want is small-ish
or
2) you have really deep pockets
in the past people ground mirrors as small as 4.5" or 6" -- in fact Mark Harry got his start as a boutique mirror maker by making his own long-focus small planetary mirrors.
but today anything <= 12 inches, you're probably better off buying. You can buy mass-market, or boutique (Royce, Lockwood, Zambuto, Mark Harry speaking-of-the-devil, Mike Spooner..) and the prices won't be out-of-this-world (I guess for Singaporeans.. I only bought a 10" commodity mirror long ago back in Manila because a 10" Royce was out of my budget).
another option is get a 16" commodity mirror and have it refigured. still cheaper than buying new from a boutique vendor.
above 16" -- unless you have tons of cash, grinding your own begins to become attractive.