RE: ATM beginner tool questions

["Jerry" <wa4guu@verizon.net>]

This fellow has everything he needs to make a mirror, and we're 
complicating the bejabbers out of the job.

	Now of course, if a person really *wants* to futz around, 
building multiple tools and buying lots of dental stone, for a mirror 
that really doesn't require it, that is cool, but by that time, they 
could just buy another blank, or re-use the now convex tool.

	At this point, I would say to get that first mirror under 
your belt, and then if the hobby suits you, start working a bigger 
mirror. At that point, all our wisdom really *is* wisdom.

	- Mike -
-- 


Amen!  The sag of a 6" f8 and even of the f4.5 is so little that it would
take little time to grind the convex tool disk for mirror one back to flat
if you decide to use it for a mirror also. And if you wanted to put the
concave on the other side and leave the back side convex there will be no
problem in mounting it in a cell.

Worry less and start one mirror and finish it before even worrying about
what you are going to do with blank number two. It won't take any longer to
grind that convex off of the surface that it would take to get total contact
between the tool and molded surface on the other side of the blank.

One reason it is a good idea to make a small mirror first is that there is
not much work to each stage Take the most direct route to finish mirror
number one.

Jerry