How a 'newbie' cleaned a GSO dob mirror..

[asimov]

I've been at my new place of employment for 5 or 6 weeks now, & it turns out my boss has a telescope & 'into' astronomy. I turned up to his place only last week to check out his scope...it's a 8" GSO dob, nice little scope in pristine condition, about 12 mths old.

Any hoo, we're discussing this & that, & I get around to the subject of cleaning mirrors (I noticed some black flakes, I assumed paint, perhaps from the inside of the OTA sitting on the primary & commented on it) I asked him how he usually stores the scope, he says with the tube vertical. I tell him to move the OTA into the horizontal position. I then told him how to clean his mirror (in great detail) if he ever wanted to do it, blah blah.

After telling him, he said he couldn't be blowed taking the mirror out just to clean it. I said ok, whatever you wanna do mate, it's your scope :thumbsup: He then suggests sticking the compressor nozzle down there to blow the crap off...I say NO mate! :doh: ....& I tell him why.

I get to work this morning & he comes up to me & says..."I cleaned me mirror" :D

I say to him hesitantly, 'Ummm...how'd you do it mate?'

He says, "bought myself a special cleaning cloth...wrapped it round a stick & stuck it in the tube & gave the mirror a good sprucing up!! :D

Internally I'm going...:eyepop: :doh: :shrug: :screwy: :mad2: Externally I just shook my head a little bit & said nothing.

Did he not listen to a word I said? Apparently his father was into astronomy/scopes........Well Dad forgot to tell the son how to clean optics the correct way...if Dad ever knew how, that is.

New people with telescopes, please don't clean your optics on your scope this way....PLEASE? :scared: :poke: :thumbsup:

[Robert_T]

ye gods! what a waste, if you chew the end of a stick enough it'll do the job without those fancy cleaning cloths :P ;)









just in the very very remote chance someone doesn't realise I'm joking... I'm joking ok :D

[davidpretorius]

as usual with the bosses, whilst he is paying everyone's wages, he can clean his mirror anyway he likes.

there might be a fuss is he offers to clean big blue however!!!

i would even fly over to help with the punch up!!!

[ving]

I use steel wool, it works faster ;)
just kidding!!!

any newbies reading this thread, there aer some great guides for cleaning mirrors on this site, just do a search before you try :)

[newbie]

[I asked him how he usually stores the scope, he says with the tube vertical. I tell him to move the OTA into the horizontal position.


A newbie question I know, but - I store my with the tube vertical, is that not the right way to do it??? What is the OTA???:shrug:

Beth

[janoskiss]

I'm not allowed to store mine horizontally. Takes up too much space. :(
OTA = optical tube assembly

[cjmarsh81]

I store mine vertical because I don't have room to store it horizontally.

I just bought one of those puffer brush things and when the dust builds up I am just going to stick my arm down the OTA and try to blow the dust off. Unless it is so dirty I cannot see a reflection in it I do not think I will ever pull my primary out. I had to clean the secondary once and that is scary enough for me.

[asimov]

Yeah, a lot of folk store them with the tubes vertical. Nothing wrong with it, as long as its well covered I guess. I'm lucky enough to have the room, therefore I'll store all OTA's in the horizontal position. I think this guy must have left it uncovered a few times, 'cos there was lots of crud on the primary.....oh well....It's NICE AND CLEAN NOW!!:rofl:

Hey Robert, I'm busy nibblin' on a broom handle as I type this....nearly got the end nice 'N soft! :thumbsup: Gonna take it to work & tell him he don't need them fancy wizz-bang futuristic high-tech gadgets like cleaning rags!

I could always nail one of them fancy green scourers to the stick too, that would be quicker. :D

[Starkler]

Theres a picture of someone from the first snake valley camp scraping gunge off of Kens mirror with the back edge of a boxcutter knife :lol:

It was however the back side of the mirror ;)

[RAJAH235]

No comment..........other than, 'She'll be right'!
FWIW.....Just use a fairly heavy plastic sheet, cut n taped, to fit over the top, like a lid. Store at any angle you like.
Any 'cloth' material will let the dust thru... :D L.

[fringe_dweller]

I think i found an old pic of his old dad at his former place of employment?

[danielsun]

Yeah i know i remember seeing that !!
I wonder who that was????:D:lol: :lol: :lol:

[acropolite]

Yeah, foolish using a stick, he should have first wrapped the end in sticky tape just in case he got splinters in his fingers :lol2:

[Hammerman]

Have you asked your boss if he's been out observing since he cleaned the mirror? Might be an interesting story there! :lol:

[xstream]

I wonder who's hand it was Daniel? :eyepop: :lol:

[danielsun]

:whistle:...........:lol: