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Originally Posted by leinad
Great idea!
Firstly, can you guys recommend some good books to get started on ?
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I can recommend "How to Make a Telescope by Jean Texereau" if it’s still available. Its old but it is very straightforward. Lots of diagrams and a simple explanation of the how to figure and test using a knife edge tester. You can not imagine the pleasure I felt when I first used my knife edge tester, the figuring was way out of course, it was still spherical, but to see my blank light up with the pattern as predicted was a real buzz. I used to knife edge test just to see it.
For you other guys that talk about not having the skill, without wishing to insult the great mirror makers or belittling their skill, it requires patience and time. A small mirror of say 6 inches to start should be within anyone’s capabilities. I won’t lie and will admit that when figuring I probably produced all possible figures, and maybe some that aren’t in any book, I never got frustrated I just stopped for a day or two and then kept going till I got it right, and as I say knife edging was real fun.
Remember the shorter the focal length the more demanding the figuring, but if your using it just for casual observing then extend the focal length.
When I made my mirror the cost of a figured mirror was, for me at least, prohibitive - over US$600, so making them was more common. But I did it for the challenge in the end. I calculate that I worked for about US$3 per hour, and I am considering doing it all over again to make an 18" f4 Dob.