Info wanted on old Aust made Mount/scope

[torana68]

Guys,
I have a couple of ASTRO and earlier reflectors, this is the latest. The tube is made of fiberglassed brown stuff? I have seen this stuff before but not for a long time , from my poor description does anyone remember what it was called? its all Unitron parts and an AAOS mirror, the mount is obviously a early small sampson mount, I am assuming the makers as shown are the same people who made the later bigger ones or am I lost? anyone have an idea of date? any thoughts on the whole? any spares for the mount? (its cool enough for me to be considering restoration)
a Mr/Mrs M. REA appears to be the original maker/owner.
Thanks
Roger
(removed a little of the fiberglass and it could be brown cardboard tubing?)

[DavidU]

Looks about f/8, why not restore it ,I would. AAOS mirrors were very good and this scope would be an excellent planetary job.

[bojan]

Not only restore, I would fully motorise and computerise/bartelise it :-)

[gmbfilter]

Sonotube??

[torana68]

could well be, considering its age is the stuff ok to sand and drill? (as in was it made with something nasty in it?)
Restoration if it happens will be back to when it was made , pre computer age :D

[DavidU]

Sonotube is just cardboard. I think yours is F/glass or polyester impregnated fiber.

[bojan]

Question: does it smell like bakelite? Phenolic smell? (Scratch it with something sharp and sniff..)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakelite
http://www.worldint.com/science/bakelite.html
I have seen tubes made of paper impregnated with phenolic resin.. they were very strong and stable, and of course water-resistant, almost like glass-polyester.

[Satchmo]

Its an original from Amateur Astronomers Supply Co. Crows Nest. probably mid '60's vintage. I'm not aware that they ever used phenolic tubes so either someone built it up from parts from them or the original tube was replaced at some time.

[torana68]

Thanks all,
Been busy using it, amazing how good it can be with hardly any coating left, better than most of the new rubbish out there :) I think Ill probably replace the tube with a spare steel Astro one I have, one day, when Im not playing with it :)