Re: ATM Re: Spiders

[Myosin@aol.com]

Not necessarily. You can ue a cast or rolled ring, separate from the tube, to 
take the tension. The ring is then held in the tube and no tension from the 
wire vanes gets transmitted to the tube.

Frank


In a message dated 10/19/01 3:42:34 PM, mdholm@telerama.com writes:

<< Using small "vanes" such as wires held in
tension is the structurally most efficient way to minimize the mass and area 
of material
in the light path.  This of course means that the upper tube has to be stiff 
enough to
counter the tension.  >>