[ATM] Best books on mirror making

[Mark Holm <mdholm@telerama.com>]

>
>
>Also, Howard's Standard Handbook of Telescope Making has detailed
>step-by-step instructions for making an 8" mirror, similar to Thompson's
>for a 6. List, is this book still worthwhile?
>

I haven't read Howard in many years, but I remember it as well written, 
well illustrated and easy to follow.  Out of print and probably hard to 
find a copy to buy.  Quite a few larger public libraries have it.  If 
yours doesn't, ask the librarian to do an interlibrary loan.  Can take a 
while, but they usually can come up with stuff.  Often ILL can get a 
book from a library you wouldn't be able to borrow from normally.  One 
time I got one from the engineering library at Penn State.  No way I 
could have gotten that on my own.  Another time, I got one from a 
library in California.  Quite a ways from western Pennsylvania.

Howard's first name is Neale or Neal.  I think the book title is as 
given above.  There were two editions in the US and maybe another in the 
UK.  I think the second US edition may be best if you have a choice.

Most larger, and many smaller public libraries have their catalogs on 
line.  In Pennsylvania, there is an internet search scheme that searches 
nearly all the public libraries in the state and most of the academic 
ones all at one time.  It may be easier to let the librarian do it.  
They have some mega searching tool that can turn up a book almost 
anywhere in the US.

Mark Holm
mdholm@telerama.com


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