16" F/4.2 Construction Images
Here are images of the diagonal and holder, prior to glueing them
together.
The secondary cage. Mirror box parts sitting on my tablesaw after
all dadoing and notching was finished.
The mirror box trial assembly. The mirror box was large because
the frame for the mirror cell was bought already assembled. The
extra room around the mirror will enhance ventilation, though, and
should help the already thin mirror cool off quickly.
Mirror
box glueup is next, using a woodworker's biscuits to hold it
together. Some biscuits are sitting inside the box in the first
picture below. These are the only fasteners, along with good
glue. No nail or screw holes to fill.
The first balancing of the completed tube assembly, including a
Paracorr,
a 27mm Panoptic, and the Telrad.
The scope from the front, and the scope in "storage mode", with the
diagonal
cage nested inside the mirror box. The cage fits in slots cut in
the
sides of the mirror box.
After balancing, it was time to take the tube outside for first light.
Next,
the scope parts were stained and polyurethaned, and the cage was
reassembled.
The various wooden parts after staining and polyurethaning, and a view
of
the back of the finished scope.
So, there it is. Now we just have to wire up
some
cooling fans and the diagonal heater. I made a quick mirror cover
that should do the job, and Bob is making wheelbarrow handles to make
moving the scope around much easier.