[mental4astro (Alexander)]

Hi all,

I have been following this thread with some considerable interest. I feel it is now appropriate and necessary for me to contribute to the discussion.

I see many references made to the good book by Dave Kriege. I also see some people saying you need to use "this" and not "that" model of Ebony Star.

What I do not see is anyone with any actual practical experience with repeated mount construction who in turn has used all manner of different laminate varieties. I also do not see any mention that the majority, actually nearly ALL, the laminate varieties recommended in the good book are now no longer available. Some for close to 10 years. The good book was published in 1997, so the information of the laminates recommendations is very much out of date as laminate manufacturers have moved away from the fashion of the late 1990's. This means we as scope builders need to look for alternative materials.

As has been mentioned earlier by John, Ebony Star 4552-50 was discontinued some 10 years ago. The textured laminates made by Laminex and Fomica also are close to 10 years past discontinuation. Even when Laminex and Formica were producing textured laminates, NONE were as textured as Ebony Star 4552-50, and NONE were as textured as Ebony Star 4552-90, which of all the currently produced textured laminates is the most textured.

I have used many types of textured laminates, from Ebony Star 4552-50 through to the Dimensions range by Formica and many others. Today, the only textured laminate I use is Ebony Star 4552-90 as it is the only material still in production that comes close to 4552-50. To dismiss 4552-90 as essentially 'rubbish' demonstrates a lack of experience with the material, and experience with other laminate types. It also demonstrates a lack of wanting to progress to new materials and techniques. As a manufacturer, I need to continually look at new materials for product development - that is my responsibility, to be constantly open and accessing new materials that are being produced, not to be closed minded to insist on only OLD and now discontinued technology. Or are we still insisting on using the Apple 2E??? Making my point? And eventually, there will come a day when textured laminates will stop being produced altogether. So what do we do then? Stop building scopes, or source new materials. I know which i'll be choosing.

Some of the talk here is bordering on slander. I openly offer Ebony Star 4552-90, and to suggest that it is not 'the real McCoy' is running a very fine line. I really suggest that if you have any doubts about the suitability of Ebony Star 4552-90, you are more than welcome to handle the telescopes I build with it. If the action of the instruments is as 'rubbish' as the implied quality of 4552-90 is, then I really am a fraud. Nor have I ever received a complaint from any of my customers, or anyone who has handled one of my instruments or mounts about the quality of the action.

The good book by Dave Kriege is an excellent publication. The very principles it talks about are as relevant today as when the book was published. But the book was published nearly 20 years ago and the availability of the recommended materials have moved on a long, long way from those recommendations. It is now up to us to find new materials that will be suitable for our requirements. To insist on ONLY recommending materials that have been out of production for so many years is just not up to date.

If there are a few scope builders that have Ebony Star 4552-50, then that is good for them. For the rest of us that need laminate, we need to utilize those materials that ARE available, and adapt the mechanics of the telescopes we build to suit these new materials.

Sincerely,

Alexander Massey.