[DobDobDob (Ron)]

Hi Alex, I hope I recognise you without the beard, what a handsome young man you are. Okay, I’ve just been outside after a phone call from Baz, and I have had a go at collimating the scope in the daylight and I can see some trees ok, so I’ll leave it outside till tonight and try again for a few stars, it’s a little cloudy but still a few hours before nightfall. When you come you will be amazed, that’s for sure, it’s an amazing telescope and especially when you consider back when you gave me the initial components. It has come a long way since then.

I have to find a forge, someplace that can cast in steel or bronze two parts of the mount, which we were quoted $1500.00 for, that of course is a lot of money and I am going to give the telescope away as soon as I get these two parts made, so don’t really want to add any more $$$ towards it. I’ve always known that I am going to donate the scope (Baz and I have talked about this many times) to a worthy establishment where the general public will be able to enjoy it. Baz had his fun doing the rebuild, I had my fun doing the research, the telescope belongs to the people of tomorrow so they can see what the people of 1878 used to view the stars.

If you know any foundries or places that can make a mould and then create two ‘parts’ via using molten metal, then let me know. When I find such a place, I’m going to offer them a website, created and hosted for three years as payment for the task, so hopefully some smallish forge out there might find that an acceptable trade.