ATM beginner projects

["William A. Morgan" <sass5@erols.com>]

Hi everyone!

I've got a lot of projects I'm ready to get started on; first of all, I'll soon
(after the holiday's) begin my refactor, it's a 4.275' quarz/flint doublet. I
just got the aluminum tube today, and the PVC flange which will be the cell is
in the machine shop now. This is project number one. Secondly, I will start
working on a 8" glass blank and which will be my first mirror project. I'm
planning to do this baby by hand for knowledge and experience, I can't wait! I
recently abtained a 1/4 to 1/2 hp; variable 1275/1240 rpm a/c motor,  which I
plan to use for my future grinding table.  I will have a many questions to ask
"you pro's" as I work through each project.  I've acquired all the parts I need
for my foucault tester and will begin this project as I work on the refractor.
I still have some thinking and planning to do before I begin the grinding
table.  Here goes my first set of questions:

1. Can the a/c motor like the one I described work with a rheostat, say a house
hold dimmer switch to slow or vary the rpm's?  I plan to build a grinding table
with a 24" rotating disk to work an 16 -18 inch mirror. My problem here is the
reduction of the rpm's. I'm planning to mount the motor under the table and use
pulley's with V-belts as the drive. Unless, there are better suggestions : )

2. My understanding of the slitless foucault tester is that you want to get as
close to the blade as possible, right? My idea  is to build  support that is 1/4
inch thick or less for the test light and a 1/8 inch view hole with blade. The
support will have a eye cup which will stand out to the side of the support
(think of a backwards "P")l arge enough to fit between the area above the eye
lid (below the eye brow) and just above the cheek bone. The view hole will be
located in axis with the pupil of the eye.  I'm thinking of the sights of a
rife; the type where one looks through a circular rear sight and looks down the
barrow to front sight post. Similar to the sights of a M-16 rifle? "Will this
work or am I off track here?"

This is only a few questions for now,

Thanks for your previous support; many thanks,

Bill