Hmmm it might need some work..

[asimov]

Hi.

I built this scope back in 1974-1975 with the help of my father while I was still at school. The last time I actually saw it was roughly 10 years ago & then it suddenly 'vanished' from the family 'coffers'.. Found out just recently where it was & today I went & retrieved it.

Some of the original stuff is missing, like the home made brass helical 1.25" focuser & the aluminium main mirror cell but even so, I'm so happy to have it back!

I lovingly ground this 8" F6 mirror every night after school for months but it looks like it might need recoating:lol:

To be lovingly restored :thumbsup:

[asimov]

Just found the original newspaper clipping for the scope. About the only time I've ever hit the front page :lol:

[sheeny]

Very cool, John.

Looks like a great project (again!)

Al.

[mozzie]

what a lovely article of you and your father...i nice read and i hope you restore your scope back to it's glory..if your dad's still here he'd probably love to have a look through it again.:thumbsup:

[2stroke]

Thats gold :) Really like the news paper articles, try and keep it 100% original though when rebuilding. I would have the articles and scope put in a glass display case for your study ect :)

[jjjnettie]

:) I'm so happy for you, that you found your old scope. I agree, keep it original.
I hope you post a few pictures of the process for us to see.
The newspaper article was great too. And I bet the interviewer didn't ask you once about aliens.

[pmrid]

Wow. What a great story. Not only about father-and-son, but also about old telescopes being rebirthed. I imagine you had mixed emotions when you saw the scope after all this time - in that condition. But recoating your own mirror gives it meaning that a bought one could never have.
While you have it out, it may pay to check the mirror's figure. It would be a good opportunity to make sure it was as good as it can be.
I hope you share the journey with us.

Peter

[asimov]

Well, I have all the glass out of the OTA & I'm not happy. The secondary has a massive chunk out of it and a new one will be necessary. The main mirror is the major concern - It appears that someone has attempted to clean it & judging by the million & one fine scratches across it's surface, it was done while it had an inch of dust on it. So two operations need to be done. Polish the mirror, & send it away for realuminizing, which needed to be done anyway, I'd say it has 10% of it's coating left.

I still have some cerium oxide so I'm wondering if these scratches could be taken out by hand..?

[Satchmo]

The scratches will be many times deeper than the parabolic correction, and probably not possible to polish out at least not in reasonable time. Your only choice is to just regrind the mirror , or just recoat it. Its possible that many of the scratches are just in the coating. It is not easy to scratch a mirror.

Could you post a photo of the surface?

[asimov]

Thanks for your thoughts Mark. I'll have some pics up shortly.

[asimov]

Ok here we go. It looks worse in photos than in real life I think but suffice to say the fine scratching doesn't appear to be on any areas where the coating is non existent so we might luck out with a simple recoat, but I guess inspection would be necessary after the old coating is off. Next question is what is the procedure for getting the coating completely off? Whoever does the recoat would do this, is that right?

[torana68]

yep clean it off and look .I can see scratching on the silver so maybe it wont be too bad? Ill wait and hear what Mark has to say. Nice piece of family history there, dont loose track of it again :)

[Kunama]

Look forward to see this Phoenix emerge from the ashes.
What a very special feeling it will be to look through that one again.

[asimov]

Figured I may as well make a start today. I'd forgotten what it felt like to have bleeding finger tips from several hours of wet rubbing, geez. Not only am I reliving the past in an astronomical sense, but 1970's pain as well lol! We never had an orbital for this kind of work back then, so I can't see any reason to start now...Might have to do a couple of banks & get me a set of Naglers now that I've got no finger prints :eyepop::lol:;)

Already spent just over $100 on wet & dry, undercoat, Topcoat (Back to it's original white!:thumbsup: ) rotary wire brushes, rust converter & assorted nick-nacks.

Hopefully the old man is watching, & approving. Afterall, he's the one that said "get stuck in, kid!" Which I interpreted years later as: "nothin' wrong with a bit of blood sweat & tears" :lol: Well I ALMOST cried when I saw the state of the mirrors, and I've certainly lost some sweat & some blood.

[torana68]

what size secondary do you need? Ill look and see if I have one ...

[asimov]

Hi Roger & thanks for any help, as I can't seem to find a secondary the size I want except for here > http://www.telescopes-astronomy.com.au/telescopes036.htm

40mm is what I need.

[torana68]

have one in need of recoat 40mm short side 56mm long side, ex Astro Optical 8", If that suits Ill remove it from the holder and have a good look at it

[asimov]

That one would do just nicely Roger. PM me with a price mate.

Thanks.

[torana68]

PM full address Ill take it out later and have a good look at it

[asimov]

Some progress. Topcoat #1 on. By the time I rubbed most of the inperfections like chips out, it was down to bear ally in most places so had to etch prime, plus 3 coats of metal primer. I'll just go the 2 coats of topcoat, & maybe a coat of clear over the top.

[asimov]

The RA shaft & bearing blocks. These took some getting off the shaft I can tell you. Totally seized on. The chrome plating is stuffed on the RA shaft but it'll go again, & won't effect the function of it.

I remember casting those 2 bearing blocks after school one night - & then having to set them up in the lathe to do the inners so they would fit the RA shaft.

[erick]

Brilliant work, John. I look forward to seeing the final result. (Of course - quite crazy at the same time, but we understand! :) )

[asimov]

Crazy is my middle name Eric...:P:D

[asimov]

Well, not only am I famous for cutting a 12V car battery in half with an angle-grinder & shoving the pic on forums, I just had to do the same with a Barlow lens!:D

It was an el-cheapo plastic barlow, although I was eyeing off the 3X Televue a few times..! :eyepop:

The problem: The original focuser only takes 0.965" EP's doesn't it!

Not anymore though, with the help of the top section of the barlow:)

[TechnoViking]

I have been watching this thread, and all i can say is WOW!! what a fantastic trip down memory lane, I wish my Dad did projects with me :(

You dont want happen to want to adopt a new son, do you?? ;)

Great work! I cant wait to see the results!

[asimov]

Thanks James, but I'd doubt your *real father* would approve the adoption :rofl::thumbsup:

The original Unitron finder stripped, cleaned & ready for painting. The elements came up like brand new. They knew how to apply nice tough anti-reflection coatings back then.

[asimov]

Hi Roger. The secondary you sent me turned up in the post today (20th Dec.) & it's the perfect size (there are TWO '40mm' sizes believe it or not) so thank you so much for helping. I owe you one! :thumbsup:

[Ric]

That's a fantastic project your undertaking John.

I'm looking forward to following its progress.

[torana68]

No worries :)

[asimov]

The OTA is basically completed. Had a LOT of breakages getting things apart; seized nut & bolts, screws etc. Even soaking things for days in homemade brews of anti-seize didn't help matters & no access to oxy-acelelene equipment these days..Even had to rebuild the finder brackets because the adjustment screws snapped as well as breaking the castings:(

I am just going to use it with the optics uncoated (what's left of the old coatings) for awhile. Worry about recoat's later.

80% of the mount left to recondition now:thumbsup:

Pretty happy so far despite some setbacks!

EDIT: I should add that it looks really sloppy the way that I had zero choice in having to rotate the focuser in this fashion..Yes these seized mount screws broke the casting away too & there is no choice but to have it this way..Bloody annoyed about that!

[asimov]

Note to self (& anyone else viewing) - With most things *sigh* it pays to approach it methodically & gently, but in the case of drifting a thumping great CW off a shaft with only a carpenters hammer? Uuumm no - You need to have at least 4 mins of mind blowing, adrenalin pumping pure evil MADNESSSSS! ARRGHH! And be VOCAL! It also pays to have an audience of neighbours witnessing the event - Comes in handy later I assure you;)

And then it will be all over & you shall win:)

Next!

[pmrid]

I agree entirely about the need to vocalise when struggling with the forces of rust. A good primal scream or two with a thick layer of expletives usually gets the job done. Strangely, my wife - among others I am sure - does not understand the thereaputic value of this. Fortunately we live in the bush and our closest neighbours are 1/2 a km away. But on occasion, they have been known to comment that I seemed to be having a particulrly tough struggle with something or other.

Peter

[asimov]

Ah Peter, glad to see another person that understands our primal urges lol.

Here is another one of my urges - The non acceptance of some things in life that are supposedly fate, hence being unattainable to a mere mortal..

Focuser FIXED!:P:whistle:

[grantch]

You should send all of this into the paper that did the original story and they may do a piece on the restoration!

Great job!

[asimov]

I might just do that Grant!

Here's an interesting comparison. 3 X 8" newts F4 F5 & F6:)

[asimov]

Ok I've been slack (reads as busy doing other things!) so it's back to this project. Made my own abrasive blasting unit some time ago & it's coming in handy for this.

Primer on the main portable pier.

[asimov]

Topcoat on & I even purchased the old girl some new stainless bolts/nuts. I remember trying to cart this thing around in the boot of my car back in the 80's & one day cracked it & zoomed it in half with the angle grinder & welding flanges on. A whole lot more transportable!

[asimov]

Pretty much finished. It has a fully welded top plate, & latitude is set for Port Lincoln SA & with me now in Bundaberg QLD the plan is to just heighten the rear RA bearing until the correct alt is obtained. Hence the over long RA shaft bolts.

Welcome to the year, 1976....Or welcome to 2013, 1976 scope. Either way, it's a time warp..

[Rod771]

Well done John!!:thumbsup:

What a great journey.

[bytor666]

Excellent restoration John! :thumbsup:

Cheers,