[ATM] Rotating Resin Mirror

["Ian R. Williams" <i.r.williams@bristol.ac.uk>]

Has any body heard of an amateur project that uses the "spin-cast" 
method?  A rotating cylinder of fluid takes on a parabolic surface.  If 
you make a cylinder of resin and spin it on a mill at just the right 
speed until it sets you should have a parabolic former.  The resin can 
then be aluminized to make a parabolic mirror.  A number of large 
professional telescopes have been constructed using this method, e.g.:

http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/dsh/artifacts/SS-caltech2.htm

Has anyone heard of this been done as an amateur project?  Surely 
spinning resin is cheaper than grinding glass?  All the required 
mathematics for the problem can be found at:

http://www.syvum.com/cgi/online/serve.cgi/eng/fluid/fluid304.sal?0

Any thoughts on the idea would be much appreciated.

Ian
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