Re: [APML] Schmidt camera survives house fire

[Robert Reeves <reeves10@swbell.net>]

> Still off-topic, I would suggest the following for the chemistry of the
> damage to the aluminum mirror.
>
> When you burn wood, potassium & sodium oxides form in the ashes.  These
> react with water to make KOH, potassium hydroxide & NaOH, sodium
hydroxide,
> or lye.

Malcom,

Thanks for the chemical explanation.  It has been many decades since I
studied chemistry, but as I alluded to on the web page, I suspected the end
result of the mess was a weak lye solution.

> You probably have similar damage to the aluminum tube, but as that is not
a
> micro polished surface, a microscope would be needed to see it.  Caustic

The tube was well painted both inside and out.  The paint survived the heat,
water, and everything else thrown at it.  The inside was rinsed with a
garden hose spray and I finished cleaning the outside with SoftScrub brand
cleanser.  We can not tell the tube was ever in distress.  I really think
the whole camera is going to be in better shape after the fire than it was
before.

I should get the mirrors back, both Bryan's and mine, in about three weeks.
Then the real work begins, collimating and focusing two Schmidt cameras at
the same time.  Oh, joy! <g>

Robert Reeves                      reeves10@swbell.net
520 Rittiman Rd.                   www.robertreeves.com
San Antonio, Texas 78209    210-828-9036
USA                                     29.484  98.440  200 meters



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