Posts Made By: Jim Moscheck

While waiting for my mirror cell for my 14.5" f4.3 mirror to be finished I'm moving ahead and want to fabricate the split blocks for my mirrorbox. The truss scopes I've seen that have split blocks fasten them to the mirrorbox like the book recommends, with four drywall screws countersunk into the split block. My mirrorbox is going to be made from 1/2" thick plywood and I don't think the screws will have enough wood to grab them tight enough. Has anyone attached them with the screws driven from the inside of the mirrorbox into the split blocks? Or should I just drill through the holes and use machine screws with a nut and washer inside the mirrorbox?

A friend of mine has an angle jig so instead of shimming the blocks so the truss tubes meet the UTA I'd like to drill the holes at a slight angle. If anyone has make a similar sized scope what size angle did you use? The book says 1.5 to 2 degrees.

Any advice would be appreciated.

This sure does makes me feel good. 8)

http://www.astromart.com/poll.asp

Leland must be psychic by inserting Gomez in the line up. The kid was called up off and on, sat on the bench most of September, had 6 RBIs for the year, and then get 4 RBIs to be the hero of last nights game. Leland said, "I told him it's a five o'clock start, and that's when you hit your most home runs normally, so I'm going to play you tonight."

Congratulations to the Cardinals. WOW. Seventh game. bases loaded, two outs, bottom of the ninth, NY's best hitter up. I really thought NY was going to pull it off, but it was not to be. Cards vs. Detroit 3. St. louis won the first one, Detroit won the second. Hope it's as good as '68 was. That was one for the books!

As I'm from Detroit I don't know much about the Cards except 1) we swept them in inter-league play this season, 2) Pujols, and 3) former Tiger's Juan Encarnacion and Jeff Weaver.

I like the Tiger's chances. 8) Five games, maybe six.

Hi All,

A few questions about stains and finishes.

I've just completed the UTA and I'm ready to put the finish on the rings. I've finished lots of projects with good results, but mostly darker woods like oak and walnut. I'm using imported Baltic Birch and Maple for the split blocks both of which I've never worked with before. I just tested a few stains that I had on hand on the inside circle from the rings and they came out a little blotchy. Should I use a conditioner before the stain? I haven't decided yet on what stain to use if any and I'm leaning towards as natural (light) a color as possible. For the final coats I think I should use spar urethane and not polyurethane, correct? Has anyone finished one using just the Spar and no stain at all? Also, what finish of the spar, satin or gloss?

Any comments or advice is appreciated, and any example pics of the finishes on your scopes would be great,
Thanks,

Can a Paracorr be used instead of a barlow? I know I'd have to make a target with a hole in the middle for the barrel end of the paracorr. I don't own a barlow and I've never used a paracorr. but I just purchased one here on AMart for my new ATM scope. I also purchased a 2" Howie Glatter Holographic Laser with the grid attachment and have no experience with one, but I hear it's pretty accurate. Anyone have any thoughts on these questions?

Does anyone know of any telescope design software or website based calculator like "Newt" for a Mac? Probably not the best place to ask this as I sure most of you are Windoze kind of guys. :S I'll ask this in the Mac forum, too.

Without getting into it, YET, I rated an individual too fast after finishing a deal. I know I can delete the rating, but can a rating be re-done? I'm not too hopeful at this point and I know it's let the buyer beware, but this was my first bad deal here on AMart.

I'm making a "hat box" for my UTA. I'm looking for a material to make the lip of the lid. K and B's book says to use cardboard but I would like to find a better solution. The lid diameter is 20.5" which makes the total length needed about 64". I'm good with wood, but I've never bent it. I've thought of mat board, but can't find it in the correct thickness or length and I only want one seem. I have a piece of PVC lattice long enough, but it is 3/8" thick x 2" wide and a little stiff trying to wrap it around the disk and it is white.

So would the PVC work? I was thinking of small screws and washers around the diameter for trim and to help hold the PVC while the glue is drying. So a bunch of questions:

Will PVC glue to wood? I'm using Titebond Ultimate wood glue, but could use contact cement. Will PVC get too brittle in the freezin' great white north? I've never painted PVC, will paint stick to it? I want to paint the completed hat box black, put three feet on the bottom, and make it double as a small table so it needs to hold up to dew and those cold winter nights. Any help is greatly appreciated. If you can, post a picture of your UTA case(s).

I had my doubts about this and after reading a bit about how and why it was done I bought it yeseterday and my wife and I have been listening to it ever since. George Martin is indeed the fifth Beatle and we can make his son 5 1/2. From start to finish it is absolutely outstanding and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is worth the price of admission alone. Actually brought a tear to my eye listening to George Harrison on acoustic guitar backed up by a new string arrangement by George Martin. 5 Stars +

The Red Wings are retiring No. 19 tonight at the Joe. I was at his first game when they were known around the league as the Dead Things and right now I'm waiting for my wife to pick me up from work for tonights game. 8) I know hockey isn't really regarded as a major sport in the US, but having a person with the class and character of Stevie as a player and as one of my son's role models while he was growing up has been really great and a blast to enjoy here in Hockeytown.

Thank you Steve Yzerman!