Re: [ATM] Silvering Woes

["James Lerch" <jlerch1@tampabay.rr.com>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Donald R. Bates" <dbates3@houston.rr.com>


> James:
>
> Thanks for the link to your site. You may have inspired me to try again. Do
> you think that silvering your own mirrors is worth the effort, or is sending
> them off to the coater the best option when all things are considered?

[evil grin]  Your probably asking the wrong ATMer :)  I have this bad habit of
doing things myself as I enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

If the purpose of a coating is to achieve a long lived and inexpensive
reflective surface, then sending them off to a professional coater is the most
cost effective solution (unless you intend to fabricate several large optics,
or your with a group of ATMs fabricating a bunch of smaller optics).

If the purpose is to explore the adventure that is ATMing, then my advice would
be to put down the chemicals and start Ebay-ing for a Vacuum Diffusion pump,
rotary mechanical backing pump, and associated parts and plumbing, and just
build your own vacuum coating chamber.  It really isn't that difficult other
than the hands on fabrication and assembly.  (dis regarding the nay sayers! :)

To date I've got ~$1100us in my system and can coat 24" optics.  Over the last 4
years, doing coatings for our ATM mirror grinding class, the machine has paid
for itself, and "MAYBE" supplied me with a minimum wage salary for operating the
silly thing. However, I could have earned more money by diverting my time from
the machine to flipping burgers and would be way ahead of the income / expense
curve :)

In any event, Silvering mirrors is an experience well worth the reward of
finally getting it to work.  The Peacock silvering kit is also highly praised
for it's simplicity (pre mixed chems, ready to go), but it is a bit pricey for
just coating a single mirror or two, but to each their own as long as they are
having fun!

Now, back to your question "Is it worth the effort?"   My reply would be it
depends, actually getting the system to work is VERY REWARDING, and I'd vote in
favor of someone that is interesting in performing the method, give it a go.

HOWEVER, I will say to all those that will listen, It will be a cold day in hell
before I chemically silver another optic! :)  Once a vacuum coating chamber is
fabricated, it is just a LOT more fun and rewarding than chemical silvering.
Soo,  bottom line, it really is up to you to decide how to proceed.

My vote would be to continue the chemical silvering experiments, master it, then
move on to vacuum coating systems.  This journey is well worth the effort (if
your in the game to learn and explore the ATMing world.  If you just want a
functional scope to go observing with, send it off to a professional coater....


Take Care,
James Lerch
http://lerch.no-ip.com/atm (My telescope construction,testing, and coating site)
http://lerch.no-ip.com/ChangFa_Gen (My 15KW generator project)

"Anything that can happen, will happen" -Stephen Pollock from:
"Particle Physics for Non-Physicists: A Tour of the Microcosmos"

" Press on: nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. "
                                                           Calvin Coolidge

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