I just recently put the finishing touches on my classic six-inch refractor; a project that has gone through several incarnations since I bought a six-inch, f/9 Starfire triplet lens assembly from AstroPhysics in 1990. I love refractors and always have and have enjoyed this lens and its superb images after building the OTA .
I started out with a homebuilt mount and suffered through its performance for years until finding a used Losmandy G-11 about siz years ago. After that, having always admired classic antique refractors, I came up with an idea of producing a refractor that looked as good as it was looking through. My first idea was a brass tube but considering the weight and availability of brass, came up with the idea of finishing the OTA in an oak veneer, coming close to the look of some short-focus Clark refractors and Fitz refractors. It worked out really well and just recently I finished the OTA when I needed a new focuser by extending the oak veneer to the tailpiece. The OTA now consists of a fiberglass tube, a sonotube lens hood and PVC tailpiece, all covered by real oak veneer. I stained the oak with a mahogany gel stain and sealed it with a polyurethane spar varnish. I then put brass end bands on the lens hood and tube.
Continuing the theme, I built a wooden accessory tray between the tripod legs with holders for a battery, eyepieces and various small tools. For the tripod extension, I constructed a solid oak plaque with holes drilled in for a clock, thermometer and hygrometer. Here’s a photo of the entire set-up and I’ll send some other photos of close-ups of some of the features.
It’s been an eventful 17 years with this telescope through its different versions. Several times I’ve given serious thought to selling the telescope to fund my burgeoning solar interests but always I‘ve come to realize how special this telescope is. It’s a beautiful scope to look at as well as look through.
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