To flock the impossible...

OK so I want to flock my refractor. The main tube is 5.75" inner diameter, and about 28" or 30" long (it's not here.) No baffles are in it.

How does one possibly control a roll of self adhesive McMaster during this process... I am quite intimidated by this step.

thanks
Mike

I used a heavy plastic sheet used to cut Stencils as a backing. I cut it to fit tight aganist itself, slid it up the tube. At that length you would need to do sections about 6" at a time. Mine was sections between baffels. It's been in the scope over a year, no problems.
DL Smallen

I tried flocking with the McMaster self-adhesive once and quickly realized it was going to be a pain.
So I went with the McMaster non-adhesive.
Sprayed the inside of the tube with 3M Super 77 adhesive.
Rolled the flocking up tight around a broomstick
Placed the broomstick down through the center of the tube
Unrolled and pressed flat with the broomstick
I've been through this process several times now and always worked like a charm

I tried flocking a dew sheild with one single roll of flocking paper. I was a miserable experience. Later I flocked the tube of an 8" f/8 and I used a partner and layed a series of strips lenthways in the tube. It worked very well.

Gary Weber

I cut the paper backing into 1" strips that will run
length-wise along the telescope tube, and leave it
attached to the flock paper. I start with only
about 1" of adhesive exposed along an edge, and
get that stuck lengthwise in the tube. Its important
to get that first strip on there evenly and
squared to the tube axis. Then reach in
and pull off the next 1" of backing, hence exposing
1" of adhesive, and work that on to the scope
surface. Then the next inch, etc., working around
the inner circumference of the tube. Much more
control than pulling off all the backing at once.