My First Telescope
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My first telescope was Leger's Simplified Truss-Tube Dobsonian from Sky & Telescope Magazine

This is my version of Leger's design.

This is the CAD drawing of my mirror box.

CAD model of mirror box.

Rocker box.

I enlarged the ground board by adding the lower round piece.

Mirror box, base, and ground board.

Base and ground board.

The telescope fits in the trunk of my VW Beetle.

Drawing of the upper ring.

My first attempt at a mirror cell.

8" F6 mirror on the polishing tool.

I added tape before adding pitch to the polishing tool.

Do NOT melt pitch on the stove.  

There's more than one way to press a pitch lap.

Oregon Star Party 2001 with the telescope mounted on a foldable pedistal.

Shroud added inside the truss rods.

The sleeve is made from coated nylon.  At the upper left is the upper ring (black plastic).  At the bottom (right) is one of the 5 "stays" (reinforcing ribs).  

The sleeve attaches to the upper ring with Velcro.  The sleeve was sewn on a Singer treadle sewing machine manufactured on January 8, 1912.  Note that all the "stays" (ribs) are inserted, and there is a drawstring at the bottom (right).

The shroud works quite well.