ATM 16" binoscope project

["Michael Burr" <mtburr@msn.com>]

Greetings:

I am working on a 10" binoscope. I have ground out two 10" 7/8ths" plate
glass blanks, acquired two 3.1" secondaries, and begun building a
Mirror-O-Matic 20 to complete the polishing.

At the same time, I had a 16" - 1" thick plate glass blank, generated to
f/5, on order from Dan Cassaro. I had planned to make a Kriege-style Dob
with it. But this weekend it occurred to me that if I build a 10" binoscope,
a 16" monocular might be kind of superfluous. Further, if I'll have a
grinding machine, why should I pay Dan to generate the curve?

So I took the next logical step in this increasingly hazardous ATM journey.
I just arranged with Dan to swap that generated 16" blank for two plano
surface blanks, which I will hog out, grind and polish with the machine.
These will eventually become a 16" binoscope.

I figure I can always sell off one of the 16" blanks (or mirrors, if I
complete both of them) if it becomes clear with the 10" that I've gotten in
over my head.

Am I nuts, or naive, or both? Comments, advice and recommendations welcome.

Thanks,
Michael Burr