ATM 1st mirror, polishing for 2+ hours :-)

["Tom Krajci" <krajcit@det5wg57.barksdale.af.mil>]

Just a status report on my first. . .plus a question at the end.

I poured a pitch lap this Sat night (boy, do I have a life or what?) 
and started polishing soon afer pressing channels, cold pressing, 
etc.  I'm using rouge to polish a 6 inch, f/3.8 pyrex blank.

So far good signs:

1.  From minute one the surface polished in a uniform manner (equal 
polish of center versus edge).

2.  No serious problems with previously undetected scratches/large 
pits have surprised me *yet*.

3.  Most of the grayness vanished at about the 1 to 1.5 hour point.  
I can still see slight grayness, and it'll probably take another four 
or so hours before a laser pointer and other bright lights stop 
showing greyness.

4.  I pressed the lap with some plastic window screening for a micro 
texture.  After each texturing pressing (and a cold press without the 
screen) I can polish about 45 minutes before the window screen 
texture gets mostly pressed flat.  In the beginning the drag/force 
for polishing is slight, but as the lap loses the mirco texture the 
drag goes waaaay up!  I continue until I can't manage the required 
force in a smooth fasion and press the lap again with the window 
screening.

Here's the question on #4.  Is the polishing effectivness greatest 
when the drag force is real high?  Do I run a higher risk of sleeking 
in this high drag situation?  Any/all advice is welcome!

Tom Krajci
B-52 Intelligence Officer
http://spur.barksdale.af.mil