This workshop is no longer active, but watch for announcement in future for our next workshop.
Let us know you are interested by submitting your request .
This year can be your opportunity to make your own mirror during TSP!
Our Amateur-Telescope-Making (ATM) team will help you by supplying their expert guidance, mirror-making stands, and testing equipment.
Located inside the Lodge building, you’ll have a protected environment to grind, polish, and test your mirror.
See photos from the 2017 and 2016 Mirror-Making Workshops (sorry, no photos for 2018)
You will be able to set up on Sunday afternoon, and continue each day (9 AM – 8 PM Monday-Friday). You should allocate at least 40 hours continuous effort during the week to compete your mirror. You should provide your own materials including mirror, mirror tool and pitch lap, abrasives, etc.
We will have some instruction sessions, about an hour or more each day on:
- Set up & rough grinding: includes Getting set up/overview, Making the Tile Tool, Rough grinding
- Fine grinding: includes Fine grinding, Measuring Sagitta
- Polishing:
- Foucault Testing
- Ronchi testing
Spectators are welcome to look and listen, but please don’t touch anything unless invited by one of our instructors.
Let’s Get Started!
The Stellafane Telescope Makers have a great website
that will help you get started!
- Overview of Mirror-Making
- What Materials and Tools do I need?
- Selecting Mirror Size and Focal length
- Mirror-Making Myths
- Stellafane Links page (an encyclopedia of ATM resources on the internet!)
- Commerical Suppliers
including these mirror-kit and related suppliers:
There is also info at the Mirror Workshop (Astron Soc of Greater Hartford CT).
Here’s some videos of mirror-grinding and mirror-polishing to give you some idea of what you’ll be doing.
Our thanks to ATM volunteers Keith Venables, Tim Cowden, and Robert Kieras !
Ask your questions here !