Re assemble of SCT mirror

I just got back my re coated C-11 mirror and it came back with the baffle separated. I guess that is what I should have expected but I didn't. There is a red rubbery material that is torn up at the base of the baffle tube, but mostly in place. I have no clue how to put this back together. Can I get by with just squeezing it all together again with the collar ring? Do I need to peel off the old rubber material and if so what would I do next.

I am sure many have gone through this so I would appreciate some input on how to proceed.

Ed

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Hi Ed, I used to do coatings for a big commercial place. A baffle would generally need to be removed for at least three reasons: tooling, shadowing and contamination: most tooling precludes "sticking out" things, the baffle would likely shadow the mirror from the coating source and most anything other than glass or metal can contaminate the vacuum chamber. There is a (typically dark red) RTV "potting" material that is used to attach things to optics. It is used because (properly applied) it will not stress optics, is vacuum-compatible and long-lasting (mil-spec cert for satellites, etc.) The RTV "Adhesive Sealant" that you can find in the hardware store works well. The kind that smells like acetic acid is the good stuff e.g. GE. That's not the same as the potting, which is pumped or gravity-fed in, but is more convenient for home use.