Re: ATM Homemade finder scopes

["Chuck Hards" <chuckh@companionsystems.com>]

Go to a pawn shop.  You can find out-of-collimation or broken binos for a
couple of bucks.  Sometimes you can get almost-new "cheapies" for five
bucks.  You get two objectives, two eyepieces, and four prisms for the kids
to make rainbows with in the sun, at less than the cost of  postage for a
package from surplus.
If you don't have a mini-lathe or larger, keep the objectives in their
cells, and epoxy them into the closest-fitting size of PVC pipe.  Use a
reducer for the eyepiece end.
I used to have a Web-page on someone elses site that detailed some of the
finders I've made, but lost the bookmark last time I had a crash.  I believe
that list member Jim Lalone still has page concerning making a small
refractor, and eyepieces, that may prove useful, too.

Chuck