Re: [ATM] Plans

["Virgil.Johnson" <virgilaj@charter.net>]

Boy, does this bring back memories! My daughter, Emily, made a telescope 
when she was eleven. She had to do a special project in a TAG class and 
chose a telescope. She ground and polished a 4.25 mirror. The polishing was 
not with the enthusiasm that the grinding had. She couldn't see her progress 
as it went as easily. After a couple of days of drudgery, I suggested that 
we put it on my Draper polishing machine to "finish the polish".  She still 
had to figure it to a good sphere and we used a ronchi grating to monitor 
the shape.

We used Richard Berry's "Build Your Own Telescope" plans for the "Dogleg 
telescope mount". It had to be painted magenta!! Richard saw it at Riverside 
and took pictures of her and the scope. He put the picture in the second 
edition.

It was a big project for her and influenced the way she tackles jobs to this 
day. Tenacious would be the word.

It will be easier with a 13 year old, but make sure that progress can be 
seen at all stages.

You will be Proud,
Virgil Johnson


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Francis J. O'Reilly" <foreilly@verizon.net>


> My thirteen year old daughter, Elizabeth, was deeply inspired at  the 
> awards ceremony at Stellafane last night to complete her 4.25 inch 
> telescope. She wants to be able to use it throughout the year and enter it 
> in the junior optical and mechanical competitions next year at Stellafane. 
> I am helping her with it, however she has been the prime mover in the 
> effort, much to her credit.
>
> She is somewhat shy, and I am not the world's greatest carpenter.
>
> We are looking for plans for a mount for the telescope. I can probably 
> help her figure out the OTA. We asked John Dobson for some thoughts on the 
> subject around noon today, however, when asked about his ideas for a mount 
> for a four and a quarter inch telescope, he said simply "too small, try a 
> 14 and a quarter" And went into a lecture on how many people could sleep 
> in a tube of that size.
>
> As Elizabeth has already begun her mirror, and is not interested in the 
> least in sleeping inside her telescope, we turn to the list.
>
> Does anyone hre have plans for such a small mount? A sidewalk type or an 
> alt-azimuth mount would be best for this first endeavor.
>
> Thanks to all in advance.
>
> Francis J. O'Reilly
> _______________________________________________
> ATM mailing list http://www.atmlist.net/
> 


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