[ATM] Second Thoughts on Mirror Support

[sho at surfnetUSA.com (Steve Houlihan)]

After studying many websites and discussing this with many people, I built a
9 point cell for my 12.5 inch mirror.  I based it a lot on information I got
from Bruce Sayre's website and designed a cell with the intention of
securing my mirror to the cell with RTV (Silicone).  Once I had the cell
completed and could actually look at it and hold it in my hand I am having
second thoughts.  It seems to me that this design will put large bending
forces into the mirror at each of the three support trees.  I have made a
sketch (exagerated a great deal, of course) of what I think may happen to
the mirror when the scope approaches the horizontal position if I glue the
mirror to my cell.  Scroll down past the pictures of the cell to see the
sketch.

OK all you experts!  Am I going down the wrong path?

http://www.surfnetusa.com/sho/Astronomy/Telescope.html

As a reference, here is the link to Bruce's site..
http://www.foothill.net/~sayre/

Any help or opinions are welcome.

Steve Houlihan
Santa Cruz, California

sho@SurfnetUSA.com
http://www.surfnetusa.com/sho