RUFUS

My dream scope 12.5" f/4.89 ultralight DOB is finally finished!!! Here are some pics and a big list of thank you's to all who contributed. I have enjoyed the most pleasing views my eyes have encountered thanks in large part to the superb optics by Cary at Woden Optical (super guy and great communication and very talented mirror maker! Received mirror in about 3 months time!). Thank you Antares for the good deal on the secondary and also L&L Optics for coatings. I would also like to thank protostar for the secondary holder and spider. A thanks to John Peters who did most of the welds for me at his fantastic machine shop. Thanks also goes to Astromart and Cloudynights for providing not only a place where almost every piece of equipment I have has been purchased, but also for the forums so that I might inquire, bounce off ideas, and learn from other like minded and more experienced people as well as providing a venue for meeting vendors. A super thanks to Herb York for not only providing this environment but for also keeping it safe and productive, without him this project would still be stuck in the mud.
Thanks to all the regular forum writers too, you know who you are there are too many to name, who always answer my most asinine questions with not so much as even the slightest sneer.
I am currently working on a EQ platform to drive the mighty Rufus!!!
Second post will include specs of scope.

Todd

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Part 2
Primary mirror- 12.5" f/4.89 super smooth Woden Optics with semi-enhanced coatings 93% from L&L optics.(Still waiting for the spec report on mirror from Cary)
Secondary- Antares 2.6" 1/20th wave or better enhanced supported by single vane 180* curved spider from protostar.
2" crayford focuser and Telrad
OTA built from scrap 3/4" diameter 1/8" wall thickness scrap aluminum poles given by neighbor who also supplied scrap aluminum "Call before you dig" signs that serve as the focuser/telrad plate, round visual back on opposing side, and eyepiece tray. Top ring and mirror cell triangles are 1/8" thick aluminum scrap and hand bent a pole for the bottom ring housing the mirror cell. The OTA is ass heavy for future attachments so pipe nipples filled with BB's totaling about 5 lbs. in all are used for now as counter weights. They screw directly into the hole of the truss poles on top. The 3/4" thick 8" diameter aluminum side bearings keep everything nice and rigid.
The OTA has flocking paper underneath all surfaces within the light paths reach.
The base is 3/4" plywood with cutouts trimmed out in aluminum duct tape to match the two-toned OTA. Floyd supplied some unique virgin teflon bearings underneath, smooth. 3/4" brake for altitude bearings made from plywood.
The Light shroud is scrap black lenin fabric that I sewed bent metal coat hangers in 5 key locations to keep the fabric out of the lightpath. The top coat hanger ring gives room for the focuser and telrad. The shroud velcros at both ends.
The scope is easily moved about my yard and weighs about the same as my old 8" f/6 Hardin dob.
There are too many stories on top of stories about this scope to include. It has truley been a fun and interesting journey the past couple of years. I have only been into Astronomy for over 3 years now and am amazed by the trail blazed by past ametuer astronomers that enables newbies like myself to comprehend such a project let alone actually finish the telescope.

Thanks again everyone,

Todd Gray 8)

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Very cool Tod, glad to see you got it finish and are getting ready to use it. Have you actually gotten 1st light yet?