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Old 03-07-2014, 04:01 PM
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Merlin66 (Ken)
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SkyWatcher -Gold plastic!!???????

Why is it that all the black plastic parts of my Skywatcher gear is slowly acquiring a gold finish???
The finder, the covers on the HEQ5 - all the black plastic parts.
Seems to be related to UV exposure.......
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  #2  
Old 03-07-2014, 04:40 PM
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photo? is it outside in the daylight?
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Old 03-07-2014, 04:44 PM
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dannat (Daniel)
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yes i left my blue tube skywatcher at the top of back seta on a hot day & it developed a rusty gold anodised type finish -their paints can't be UV stabilised
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Old 03-07-2014, 05:33 PM
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pfitzgerald (Paul)
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Hi Ken
Have you tried touching other objects to see if you have that Midas touch?
Paul
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Old 03-07-2014, 06:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pfitzgerald View Post
Have you tried touching other objects to see if you have that Midas touch?
I actually LOL'd and SWMBO asked what I was laughing at...
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Old 03-07-2014, 09:41 PM
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redbeard (Damien)
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Quote:
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I actually LOL'd and SWMBO asked what I was laughing at...
+1 , the LOL bit, great reply from Paul!
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  #7  
Old 04-07-2014, 05:14 AM
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Merlin66 (Ken)
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Thanks guys!!!
I'll get a couple of photos later today....
I'm surprised other users haven't seen the same effect......

(No Midas touch here - everything I seem to touch turns to s%^&)
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Old 04-07-2014, 07:21 AM
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"Skywatcher Gold" ???
Attached Thumbnails
Click for full-size image (SW gold 001.JPG)
54.4 KB72 views
Click for full-size image (SW gold 002.JPG)
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  #9  
Old 04-07-2014, 08:00 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Merlin66 View Post
"Skywatcher Gold" ???
Oh boy, that's terrible !

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Old 04-07-2014, 08:26 AM
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I have the same problem, it seems the aluminium parts are dyed not anodized so it fades in sunlight.
http://www.ehow.com/how_8421322_dye-aluminum.html
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  #11  
Old 04-07-2014, 09:44 AM
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ZeroID (Brent)
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Well at least you've found out they are aluminium and not plastic !!
Automotive spray cans are your friend .. Satin Black looks nice.
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Old 04-07-2014, 10:16 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidU View Post
I have the same problem, it seems the aluminium parts are dyed not anodized so it fades in sunlight.
http://www.ehow.com/how_8421322_dye-aluminum.html
They are anodised (otherwise the dye used in anodising won't adhere to the alu.) - all anodising is is cathodically altering the alu surface then immersing in hot dye to permeate the open crystalline surface.

SW is obviously cheap, non-UV stable anodising dye, just like cheap Chinese clothes I guess.

I had the same on a QHY5 guidecam - anodising turned gold. I resprayed it lurid green
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Old 04-07-2014, 11:14 AM
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MrB (Simon)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LewisM View Post
...all anodising is is cathodically...
It's the anode, hence the name.

You are correct about using cheap dye. Skywatcher probably figured telescopes are used at night so they didn't need to use a lightfast dye.
Black dyes are the most expensive, the black I use is 'Black BK Excel' from US Specialty which has good lightfastness (8/10 score) at 20um thickness, fine for my needs, but it costs about twice as much as all the other pretty colours.
If I was anodising for daylight use I would use 'Black HBL' (about 4x the price) but it rates 8/10 at 10um and 10/10 at 25um thickness.

There is a very good article about why black is not black here:
http://www.pfonline.com/articles/whe...e-is-not-black
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Old 04-07-2014, 11:53 AM
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That'd be correct... brain fart here
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  #15  
Old 04-07-2014, 12:31 PM
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traveller (Bo)
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Or just re-paint it Taka-watcher Sky-hashi scheme
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  #16  
Old 04-07-2014, 02:30 PM
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Merlin66 (Ken)
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Hmmm
Not much hope then for solar observers (like me) using Skywatcher equipment.....
(Maybe that's why the PST already comes with a "gold" tube - matching accessories?)
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