Re: [Fwd: ] ATMJ article on grinding a 6" by Russell and Germann

[Ken and Teresa Lilja <klilja@enteract.com>]

> 
> Mel Bartels wrote:
> >
> > Subject:
> > Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 08:50:49 -0500
> > From: baierr@einstein.franklin.edu (Richard Baier)
> >
> > An article in issue #10 of the ATM Journal has caught my eye. Ouch! ;)
> >
> > Dr. Mark D. Russell and Val German claim that that by using a precurved
> > 6 inch precurved mirror blank, polishing pads and a "modified star test"
> > the amateur can make a 5.75" mirror with apochromat like quality.
> >
> > This is a very bold claim.  
> > If the average person can make a mirror that will produce the similar views,
> > the world is suddenly a much more interesting place!
> >
> >
> 
Hi! I was one of Val Germann's "victims' at AstroFest 96.  This was my
first chance to push glass.  After 20 or so people worked the glass, it
was then chemically silvered.  At dusk the mirror was mounted into a
tube and we all took a look at Jupiter.  To my admittedly untrained eye
the image was about as good as I REMEMBER from my 8" LX200.  The main
point is that it is possible to build a nice, slow scope with a masked
spherical mirror, which has decent performance, without having to become
an expert at all phases of mirror making all at once.  One good, early
success might lead to many future telescopes.

Ken Lilja