Another old telescope this time from 1867

[bloodhound31]

Hi all,

well, me and old telescopes just keep finding each other. On neither occasion was I looking for one, but there it is...

I was handed this one on Friday, and have since pulled it into a million bits, measured and photo documented the whole thing, done some research online and written a new web page for my site.

http://www.asignobservatory.com/1867_w.macdonnell_co._refractor.asp x

Enjoy the read!:thumbsup:

Baz.

[netwolf]

Barry its like the seeds falling in the exactly right soil for them to grow, these scopes just fall into the best hands to fix them. A sign perhaps.

[bloodhound31]

ASIGN?;):lol:

[bloodhound31]

I got the tripod today. It's an old wooden affair, looks like a surveyors tripod which fits the bill, being that Brush and MacDonnell were catering for surveyors.

The Tripod has a cast iron head and iron spikes in the feet. Tonight I will clean it up, sand back the wood and lacquer it to protect it for the future.
I'll take a heap of before and after shots in the meantime.

Stay tuned.

Baz.

[bloodhound31]

I got the tripod on Monday morning and have now finished the restoration and put it all together.
Finished story here. http://www.asignobservatory.com/1867_w.macdonnell_co._refractor.asp x
Baz.

[netwolf]

Barry, looks great and good to hear the optics still put up a good image.

[Miaplacidus]

Morphic resonance, Baz. (Just like in my circle of friends everyone has independently and simultaneously decided to start knitting socks. Crazy. Or maybe it is a GFC thing...) More telescopes will no doubt fall out of the sky fairly regularly from now on. Good luck with them all. I like the website, too.

Regards,

Brian.

[spearo]

its fallen into good hands
have fun
frank

[Roger Davis]

Hi Barry, If you read the ad for the company they actually imported them in from an overseas manufacturer. I have a similar one sitting on my bench being restored at the moment. I have seen some in the past with a variety of names written on the back flange. Ottway and Sons was one of them. They came with a table top claw mount as well as the tripod.
Nice Job!

[bloodhound31]

Hi Roger,

As I understand it, when they were trading as Brush and MacDonnell, they imported surveying instruments from OS. When William opened his own business, he built telescopes in Sydney. Not sure though, that's all I have been able to find out so far.:shrug:

Baz.