Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Paint the inside of the mailer tube black.
Cut the end of a 1 3/4-inch dowel at a 45-degree angle. Cut three grooves in the dowel with a thin blade at 120 degrees and 1/4 inch deep each. Insert pieces of cedar shingle shims into the grooves so they fit snugly. If you need to glue them for a good fit, use silicone adhesive. Saw off the ends of the shingles at about three inches and bevel to corners. This forms a base for the telescope to stand referred to as the "spider." Paint the "spider" of the telescope black.
Cut three pieces of leather scrap 1/2-inch square each and glue them to the 45-degree cut at the end of the dowel, spacing the leather pieces evenly between the grooves. Apply glue to the top of the leather and attach the mirror directly to the leather, with the mirror centered over the dowel. Keep the mirror level while the glue dries.
Cut a 1 1/2 inch hole in the Masonite and glue the cardboard portion of the eyepiece, of the same diameter and approximately 2 inches long, over the hole. Bevel the inner edge of the tube with a pen knife. This will allow the brass to fit in more easily. Insert the brass tube so it fits snugly inside the cardboard. Run a thin bead of silicone glue around the tube where it meets the Masonite. Install the eyepiece by placing it in the tube. Adjust the cardboard so it fits snugly.
Draw the Masonite snugly against the wall of the tube using two sheet metal screws, one on either side of the eyepiece. The eyepiece can be purchased or can be salvaged from an old pair of binoculars. Adjust the spider so the diagonal mirror is in front of the eyepiece hole.
Cut the plywood square the same width as the objective mirror and round the four corners with a saw or sander. Use a compass to draw a circle on the inside of the plywood, leaving only 1/4 inch on the sides of the plywood at its closest point to the edge. Draw a second circle 2 inches smaller in diameter than the first. Divide the circle into six equal segments, marking off every other segment. Drill bolt holes with a 1/4-inch wood bit. Screw in 5/16-inch bolts, threading them through the wood. Cover the bolts with cardboard, gluing the cardboard to the top of the bolts where they protrude through the wood. Glue the 1-inch square Masonite onto the cardboard.
Cut out pieces of 3/4-inch plywood 1 inch wide and 4 inches long to use as mounting blocks. Install the mounting blocks 2 inches from the edge of the telescope tube to the interior of the tube, screwing them into place, with each block equidistant from the other in the interior of the tube. Mount the mirror of the telescope in the tube, resting the mirror on the mounting blocks. Use furring nails to prevent the mirror from rolling out of the front end of the tube. Close up the tailgate with the plywood and screw the tailgate in.