80mm tube

[Ambermile]

A while back I posted a wanted ad for an 80mm WO cell as I had a white Megrez tube laying around the workshop (actually, donated by Tommi WOrton) and had decided to either ditch it or do something with it. Doing something won out and hence the ad. As it turned out I found one here in the UK, pretty much free (just had to do a shortening job on a Starfire focuser) and collected it this weekend.

Today I had a look and set about making the dewshield. I wanted it to slide as the original so had to make four parts ... the shield itself, a top ring, a slide ring and a bottom ring. Top ring inside the top of the shield to stop it retracting past the lens, slide ring to go around the cell to guide the shield and bottom ring to be flocked and then fitted inside the bottom of the shield to hold everything in place.

Turned out quite well, now I have to knock up a focuser:eyepop: Something I have been meaning to do for some time but never needed to do it. I am not really looking forward to this part of the project!

Arthur

[Dennis]

Very nice Arthur work.

Cheers

Dennis

[Ambermile]

Thanks Dennis :)

I have ordered some bearings to make the Crayford focuser but in the meantime I have fitted a Baader one I had laying around. So - this is what the finished scope could look like...

Arthur

[Ambermile]

Well, the bearings arrived today but I'm to busy to start on this at the moment. I've not even done the design yet... but thinking about it, I reckon I should get away with doing most of the turning/drilling/milling on the lathe in one operation if I 'm lucky. Can't be too hard, can it?

Arthur

[gbeal]

Why didn't you just make a C/F tube and be done with it Arthur, the C/F dewshield looks great. Good project huh?
GHary

[Ambermile]

Gary - that'd be cheating... besides, I already did that with the 102mm APM triplet last year! The point of this one was that Tommi gave me the white tube free so I just had to use it!

Bit like the road sweeper "I had this 'ere broom 20 years same broom. Of course it's had a few new heads and handles but it's still the same broom ... " :lol:

Arthur