[NOT REQUIRED] Assessing various optic materials (Canberra Region)

[mura_gadi (Steve)]

Hello All,

Someone within an hour or so of Canberra who would be willing to look through some boxes of various glass blanks and tell what they are.

I know that soda glass looks green when viewed from side on. Is there anyway to tell pyrex from quartz and other types of glass blanks?


Thanks
Steve


The Blurb:
I recently made a purchase of a large slab of soda glass and some grinding materials. The idea was to make a variety of different aperture mirrors based around the same FL. Mainly to see if I found 1800-2000mm a comfortable length to use on a Dobsonian base and to learn mirror grinding from 8" mirrors and up. Also to make a few dob's prior to the "tell 'em he's dreaming" 16" and finding out I hate the FL for use and comfort.

During discussions with the seller I was told it was from a deceased estate and the seller could not tell me a great deal about what was on offer apart from the above items. However it came with the option of delivery from Sydney to Canberra (a few weeks ago - no covid panic) and that sealed the deal. I bought sight unseen.

I am now the proud owner of about 6 boxes of various size mirror blanks very few of which have any markings on them. I have at least 7+ "Code 634060 6"x1" (pyrex) telescope blanks" in original carboard packaging, others have Corning Pyrex on the packaging. Many more are in tin containers and even a few in some nice wooden boxes. Some have a plastic sleeve trapped in the center of the mirror which I'm guessing is for a Cas-Mak primary mirror?

Some postage marks are to School of Physics UNSW and Div. of Science and Technology central workshop - Mt Nelson. If you'd like to help me out and explore the boxes and tell me a little about them I would love to meet up in the New Year at your convenience.

Others are triangles, pyramids, blanks that are sloped like a secondary mirror but are round and other weird optical glass.

Any help would be appreciated and a small reward offered, beer/wine or cash.

[Rainmaker (Matt)]

I'm not sure I would be of much help identifying the stuff but I would certainly be interested to have a look at your treasure trove of glass.

I'm in Garran .