Suggestions for a 1st time project

Hi!
I've been thinkering with the idea of building a 6" or 8" scope. I want something portable that can be taken apart easily and when dissasembled won't take a lot of space, so a truss project sounds OK.

Anyone has suggestions on books and projects I could get to start with this project?

Thanks a lot for your help!

Saul Martinez

Just curious, why would you want to do a truss design for a scope as small as 6"? I wouldn't think it would save much space on that scale.

I think a 6" truss design would be great for a first project. I posted a picture of my 6" truss scope here a couple of weeks ago. (Search "first homemade scope") As I said in the earlier post, that is my version 3. My version 1 was really quick and dirty and didn't work that well, but was still lots of fun. I learned more from trial and error than I did by reading. (I'll read something, think "why would you need that?", try something else, and then say "Oh! That's why!") As for a truss, you really could save that for your "version 2", and still use the same mirror and other "expensive" components.

Charlie