Re: ATM tested today at lunch!

["Bob May" <bobmay@nethere.com>]

The pitch in water is the way that I've been doing it.  I often use the
microwave (some pitches have more water in them than others with Gugolz
being quite dry) to do the heating with the chips of pitch on the tool.
Water sprinkled over the pitch will help it heat if the water level is low.
I've also done the pitch in my large turkey roasting pan (9" mirror in this
case) by filling the pan a bit to where everything is under water and
heating the tool with the pitch on it to the point where it was quite hot
and applying the mold (I have a piece of silicone rubber with round holes
all over it in a triangular pattern) to the top of the pitch and then the
mirror on top of that.  The whole thing worked out very nicely and made an
excellent lap without any real work needing to be done.  I've got some 11"
mirrors that are going to need the same process and they unfornutately won't
fit in that pan so it looks like I need a new pan for the job.
I usually get pitch to the point where it is stringy like warm taffy and it
attaches itself to the tool with no problems and will do so to even the
mirror if you don't watch yourself.  You don't have to make it pour out of a
pan or cup like molassass as I consider that to be a bit too hot to deal
with.
Bob May
http://nav.to/bobmay
bobmay@nethere.com
NEW! http://bobmay.astronomy.net