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Posts Made By: Michael Barlow

November 29, 2002 03:56 PM Forum: Telescope Making

melting my own glass

Posted By Michael Barlow
**Just a curiosity question**

There are enough glasses dropped here that i could probably melt them all and have enough for a 36 foot diameter mirror ;-) Just out of curiosity, what does it take to do such a thing?

I know I'd need an oven, something to hold the glass while it melts, and a mold to pour it in to, but is it possible to do this at home? How hot would the oven need to be and how does that compare to a normal kitchen oven? and what about the other utencles, the pot and mold, would they need to be of specific metals or thiknesses?

December 11, 2002 11:41 PM Forum: Film Astrophotography - Imaging and Processing

Posted By Michael Barlow
I seen the 2 Olympus OM-1's in the camea's listing here on Astromart and was about to send the seller an email about them. On all other sellers names, when i click on them I get a report about them but when clicking this sellers name I get a "no such user" or something like that. Before i buy these camera's, is there something i should know about this seller and the inability to see a history on her through astromart?

December 11, 2002 11:42 PM Forum: Film Astrophotography - Imaging and Processing

user info

Posted By Michael Barlow
I seen the 2 Olympus OM-1's in the camea's listing here on Astromart and was about to send the seller an email about them. On all other sellers names, when i click on them I get a report about them but when clicking this sellers name I get a "no such user" or something like that. Before i buy these camera's, is there something i should know about this seller and the inability to see a history on her through astromart?

January 18, 2003 02:20 PM Forum: Film Astrophotography - Imaging and Processing

Olympus OM1 Batery Replacement

Posted By Michael Barlow
I just purchaced this camera and was VERY surprized the light meter worked! While I'm getting my feet wet in photography I'd like to use the light meter. However, i know the batery wont last forever and I believe the original is no longer in production(?). So, I need to know what to look for in replacement bateries.

After I get the basic idea on how to use this thing I'll be attaching it to my scope. :-)

March 1, 2003 04:03 PM Forum: Film Astrophotography - Imaging and Processing

Cleaning the pictures

Posted By Michael Barlow
(star trail photos), After getting the Pictures back from the developer and letting my 3 y/o take a look he left some grimmy stains on them. I didn't think much of them until I had them scanned in and seen what appeared to be meteor trails. What should I use to clean the photo off before scanning if new photo's get touched?

(I have other questions i'll post in separate threads)

June 1, 2003 12:27 PM Forum: Home Observatories

balsa wood observatory model

Posted By Michael Barlow
I picked up some balsa wood and will be building a scale model of my
observatory out of it. I picked up what looks like scaled down 2x4's and
glued several of them down on a 1/4" thick piece of poster board (foam
sandwiched between paper sheets). After letting the glue dry I noticed I
made the wrong shape, I wanted 8 sides but made 6 (hexagon v/s octagon?).
So, I'm going to start over again.

About ten years ago I built a RC airplane from a kit so I do have a
little experience with balsa wood that'll help me out some. But I have zero
experience building anything from scratch. Does anyone here have any
experience with such a project and/or experience with building scaled doll
houses that could lend a hand through email? or even could point me to a
place that might have some tips?

July 4, 2003 03:49 PM Forum: Home Observatories

Sono-tube for Obsrvatory

Posted By Michael Barlow
I have a square legnth of aluminum tubing 6" x 6" x 5-ish feet. I intend to sink a 10" Sono-Tube in the grownd with a couple-three feet above and sink the aluminum tube in the center with a couple-three feet exposed to put the mount on to. (tubing is drilled and tapped for the mount already).

After pouring the concrete in the Sono-Tube, setting the tubing in, and letting it set/dry... Do I take the Sono-Tube off by unwinding it, do I lift it off, do I cut at grownd level and lift the top part off, or do I leave it as is?

If I leave any or all of it in the grownd I imagine it'll start to break down(?). If that does happen, as it's happening, does the dirt slowly fill in the missing paper or does it leave a gap?

I'm hoping to get the hole dug this next week and star filling it with concrete near the weekend.

December 14, 2002 01:11 PM Forum: Home Observatories

Polydome group?

Posted By Michael Barlow
I still haven't seen this thing in person yet and I don't expect to until spring-ish. My next question is "room availible"... I'm considering building a 10" Nutonian and considering building my own, or buying, a EQ mount to place on a home made pier. I'm not sure at this time what focal length I'll get so we'll figure an average length of 4+ foot long tube. Do you think such a device will fit well in the polly dome unit?

eventually I want to get a 30 foot nutonian but i think i'll have to wait untill i win the NY lottory 4 or 5 times in a row;-)

January 7, 2003 09:52 PM Forum: Home Observatories

Garden Shed to Observatory Conversion

Posted By Michael Barlow
I seen a post, I think here(?), where someone was building an observitory out of a Rubber Maid shed. More or les a Plastic garden shed.

I was thinking of doing the same thing as you're thinking but then (I can't think of his name, Tom(?)) mentioned the PolyDome. To me it looks more like an observitory (looks coolwink then a garden shed does. And it may even be cheaper in the long run(?).


January 20, 2003 10:40 PM Forum: Home Observatories

Piers

Posted By Michael Barlow
There's a list of links toward the botom of this page.. http://www.seds.org/billa/obs/obslist.html

While you're at it, you'll need something to cover that pier.. The top half of that page will help out there ;-)

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