8.5" cassegrain help and other ATM comments.

[Viper71049@aol.com]

Hello,

For the past 6 months or so I have been fairly silent in the group just 
reading occasional e-mails from the ATM list. I suddenly got started again 
when I came across so many new ATM webpages when I searched www.google.com. I 
was planning to do my 8.5" Dall-Kirkham cassegrain project but could not find 
an appropriate secondary. Anyone have a piece of round plate glass about 
2"-2.3" in diameter? I now have my 8.5" candle glass mirror cored with a 
2.25" core exactly in the center so i can have a 2" focuser. This would help 
because my cass. might me F/14 and I need a 2" 50mm eyepiece to get some low 
power. So anyone know of plans for a crayford focuser with a draw tube about 
6" long? 

This ATM group has been a goldmine for me and my friend as we have no money 
to buy a good telescope and since my dad and I first built a 6" I just got 
addicted to this hobby. I have a grinding machine built by my dad and I for 
mirrors up to 12" and soon I hope to donate a 8.5" telescope (which would 
cost maybe under $100 to my astronomy club) This would get more people 
interested in ATM as noone in my club makes telescopes or mirrors. Any 
further comments are appreciated.

Tony