Re: ATM 6" Dob: How Easy? How Cheap? How Heavy?

[John Stewart <stewart@herndon.xes.xerox.com>]

Brent Hutto said:
> ... I'm visualizing a slightly more elaborate 
> design with thinner plywood but square pieces of wood inside the 
> corners so that no screws have to go end-wise into a piece of 
> plywood. Is that commonly done?

Yes.  FYI, here is a photo of me and my 6-inch f/6 hexagonal scope:

http://www.erols.com/thestewarts/images/johns6in.jpg

My only regret is that I should have made the tube larger to give more
clearance.  I have a couple of other photos (of the mirror mounts), but
haven't scanned them in.  The walls of the OTA are wood paneling I had
lying around.  The corner pieces I "machined" using a radial arm saw
with a shaper attachment set at the right angle.

Jerry Wolzanski (of the Northern VA. Astronomy Club) has a 6-inch f/15
built with a square cross section with corner pieces.  He cut the tube
in half and joins it using dowels inserted into the corner pieces.

Clear skies!  John
---
John Stewart                     | Epistemology?  We don't need no
Xerox Engineering Systems        | stinkin' epistemology!
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