Another ATM scope sees the light of day....err night :-)

[Buck Childers <buckchil@sound.net>]

My 10" f5.8 had it's official first light tonight.  I sent the mirror
off to Clausings and the turnaround was great.  I was hoping, but not
expecting, to get it back by Thanksgiving.  It was back Tuesday, a week
and a half after I shipped it out.   I had family visiting today and
everyone was thrilled with the views of Jupiter and Saturn as well as
the number of stars that became evident in almost any part of the sky.  

This project was about 18 months in duration.  That's misleading because
it was shelved for over a year, and even when I was working on it there
were days and weeks that it sat idle.  The final figure looks pretty
good through Ronchi and star test.  My only regret is the large number
of scratches in the glass.  In the second-to-last figuring session I
contaminated my full sized lap while I was trying to scuff it up with a
wire brush. I think it picked up some rust.  (Another lesson learned.) 
I couldn't bear going back to grind out the scratches so I just finished
up with my sub-diameter lap and sent it off to be coated.  The scratches
look horrible when holding the mirror in my hands.  Thankfully I can't
see them at the eyepiece or notice their affect. 

This is my first, but not last, mirror.  This list, it's archives, and
the web pages maintained by many of you were my primary resources.  I
thank all of you for your contributions. 

-Buck