Telescope?

[bill.young]

Hey,

Anybody know anything about making telescopes? I've always wanted to have/make one and have been looking at info on the web about truss-frame Dobsonian telescopes. Any of y'all have any first-hand experience...sure seems like it would be a neat project.

And once we get one made we could add a couple of stepper motors and a quick interface to the ShopBot software...

Bill

[bcammack]

I don't, but that would be a way-cool application of a Shopbot, making super-accurate structural components for such a beast.

[benchmark]

Hey Bill,

I found this on a UK Forum,http://www.thelodge1.karoo.net/recreation/Astronomy/Scope_Building/building.htm
I wil try and find further details of some makers.


Paul

[benchmark]

Bill,

This might be a good place to find some parts.
http://www.handsonoptics.com/pts_antares.html#Mirrors



Paul

[scottcox]

Here's another write-up on that. Way cool. Looks like a job for the 'bot!

Scope by Miles Fisk (http://www.fiskemiles.com/whatsup/24March2007.html)


2433

[bill.young]

Hey Paul,

Good finds. I just found a site for a BIG telescope that has downloadable dxf files of the parts he used...might be good for a starting point.

http://www.maryspectra.org/dobsonian/Dob.htm

Maybe a Sketchup model?

Bill

[bill.young]

Hey guys,

I've been learning a little more about building telescopes and thought I would put the project on the wiki, thinking that many heads are better than one! It's in the "Making Things" section under Project Ideas...any help or thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

http://shopbotwiki.com/index.php?title=ProjectMain

Bill

[bill.young]

Just a quick update: the optics for my telescope project from e-Scopes (http://www.e-scopes.cc/) have started to arrive and I'll work on the final design and files after the Florida Camp. I'll update the wiki as the design develops.

Bill

[drodda]

Bill,
I used to have a starmaster 25" Dob. If you put the tracking computers on them they are way cool to see some very deep space sights. Be prepared for many sleepless nights though. Actually building a dome for my last scope is what brought me to the shopbot comunity years back.

[navigator7]

Wow! Just when I thought I'd seen it all?
Look at that scope!

I went to the oldest post I could find on this new forum for a reason.
I'm in construction and as such a lot of what we purchase as tools comes in plastic boxes and holders.

All this freakishly cheap junk breaks and falls apart in no time. It's a pet peeve with me.....why buy junk?

We waste so much time coiling and uncoiling air hose and electrical cords at the end of the day. I want to put a stop to the insanity.

Specifically I'm talking about holders for air lines and extension cords.

As a former mariner, I am preoccupied with the proper coiling and storage of such items.

What I am envisioning is wooden reels capable of holding extension cords, air hose.
The unit might look like a torch cart but capable of holding long lengths of power cord and air hose.

Not sure I see any value in the cart becoming a power source or an air source with power flowing through the hose or cord via an electrical swivel or air swivel...but if you could pull out the cart from a trailer, plug it into air and power, pull off the hose or cord you need and when you come to an end...unplug it and plug it into a fitting on the cart.

This seems like a job for something with wood, carbon fibers and resin.

I've built these things out of steel before and portability seems like a great idea but in no time you can't pick the thing up and carry it.
They need big wheels.

Has anybody built such a device?

[rb99]

Years ago in the graphics trade there where these big fridge sized enlargers that images and text where enlarged with. PMT or photo mechanical transfer.

They had amazing lenses and mirrors... most of them got thrown out. When I saw these telescopes it makes me wonder if the precision optics could be used for a telescope?