[ATM] cutting plate glass

["Norm Prince" <norman.prince@verizon.net>]

I'm a novice at this whole ATM thing, having taken a really long time to
build an 8" dob that i think works okay, but probably isn't a very good
telescope.  So sorry in advance for posting what may be to yall some really
silly questions.

I recently found a big chunk of plate glass that is aprox. 13"x5'x3/4", and
i said to myself wow! thats a big chunk of glass.  I was thinking it might
be fun to make another telescope, and that i might could use this big chunk
of glass.  I have some questions bouncing around in my head that i'm having
a hard time finding really straightforward answers too.

How the heck does one go about cutting a circle out of such a chunk of
glass?  Can this be done effectively w/o some crazy machine tool that you
won't find in a basic shop setting?

Thickness is a big ??? too.  What is too thin for what diameters?  The
thicknesses i see folks talking about on the web are way thinner than say
what N.E. Howard's newb book talks about.

If anyone could throw me a bone on the subject i would be super greatful.

norm
Georgia, USA (land of bad seeing)


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