14.5" Internet Scope

Stans atm page

Tube making page

This telescope is my first attempt at building a telescope and the information regarding building it, all came from searching the internet and the help from the people on the  atm list.

finishing fiberglass

Focuser making

Making a spider

This is the mount and tube assembly for the 14.5 I.S. The tube is 17" outside diameter and 6'2" tall and was made in my garage. Tube page The base was made entirely from scrap heavy particle board. The particle board came from picking up some entertainment centers now and then on garbage day! Not including the drywall screws,The whole mount cost $3.00 to build.

The lower pivot is simply a piece of 1/8" plexyglass and 3 teflon pads. The pivot works well even with me standing on it. The plexy and teflon are glued with contact cement.

The altitude berrings are 1/2"x10" plywood discs banded with teflon. The saddles are banded with teflon also The teflon is held by contact cement. This type of teflon has a backing on it for glueing.

This is the almost finished mirror. in the background is the testor, the mask and the tool for grinding and polishing. The light spot in the picture is the flash of the camera reflected off the parabolized glass surface

home page

Making a focuser

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