Best is distilled water and isopropyl alcohol,? Q-tips and/or photographers blower bulb.? There's one brand of paper towels that doesn't leave lint.
Bob Royce told me about it 100 years ago.? Do I remember the brand? Heck no. I haven't even cleaned my 16" mirror I made. Viva, maybe?
Running tap water with a drop of dawn is also good but that means a sink.
10:30-11 is like my getting out of bed time but heck, it only happens once in a lifetime to do this work. I think I'll set an alarm clock, bring my new Nikon Z 7ii mirrorless camera for this job!
Will you be able to get those supplies or do I need to go shopping?
John Sillasen?
On Wed, Feb 5, 2025 at 12:42 PM, Leslie Brown via groups.io
<lfbro@...> wrote:
Scott! It would be great to see you again! -LB
Leslie,
I will be available to help on Monday 2/10.
Best,
Scott Leming
Hi All,
Thank you to all of you who responded?so quickly.? Several of you can't help until later in the month and several can't help except on weekends. Weekends are a problem for the new astronomer at Conn, Alex Gianninas, who should be present given that he is the current official caretaker of the observatory. Doing the mirror removal later in the month is sort of an issue in that the College is pushing to schedule the riggers to come in and crane lift the mount and OTA out of the dome then. So, I am thinking we should schedule the mirror removal for next Monday, 2/10. Long-range forecasts are?calling for mostly sunny skies on 2/10 with light to moderate winds of 10-15mph and a high temp of 36F. That means conditions in the dome won't be miserable while? we are removing the mirrors. If Monday's forecast morphs into a snow squall, freezing rain or a blizzard, we will reschedule?to a date more suitable for driving and dome work. Back up date might?be Tuesday, 2/11 - early forecasts look OK,? or Weds, 2/12, if the weather conditions for that date improve?and depending on the timing of the snow arrival.?
Shall we meet in the Olin Observatory between 10:30 and 11am? I can show folks who haven't done this work?before what we will be doing, and I will take lunch orders before?11 am. Before this weekend, I will send all of you, who offered to help, the sections of the 20-inch's?user manual that deal with removing the primary and the secondary?mirrors on this scope. I have the needed screws and nuts to drop the primary, I will have a cart / table to place under the primary cell to hold the cell and the mirror as well as the puller and the crate for the primary.?
John Sillasen, you asked what?tools might be needed. I think we are set for tools to remove both mirrors. What we may need is supplies to do a quick cleaning of the primary before it is boxed. A good cleaning of the primary will require taking it to a location with water and ideally a large sink.?
The primary will have 15 years worth of dust and other?fun stuff on it. In the past, I used a small brush just for this purpose, and collodion to gently remove large grains and bug bits. What do all of you think is the best way to remove dust so as not to further damage the primary??
More shortly,
Leslie
On Sun, Feb 2, 2025 at 5:40?PM Leslie Brown <
lfbro@...> wrote:
Hi All,
I think we are ready to remove the primary mirror cell, the primary and secondary mirror?from the Olin Observatory 20-inch telescope. If you are interested in assisting, please let me know dates that you are available in February. I think we will need between 2 and 4 assistants.?
George, you have done this with me before so it would be great if you can be there.? And, once these mirrors are pulled, who is planning to take them? I will need to arrange to get the mirrors from the college to whomever is this lucky person - mirror delivery doesn't need to happen on the same day?that we pull the mirrors?off the tube.?
Days that I have open for this project are:
Monday 2/10 or 2/24,??
Wednesdays 2/5, 2/19? or 2/26
Fridays: 2/7, 2/21, 2/28 - on Fridays after 11 am.
Sundays: 2/9, 2/22,? or 3/2
We will be providing lunch or dinner from either Mr. G's or Two Wives to thank volunteers for their? help with this. George, I will get you lunch from Fiddleheads :D
If you are interested in helping save the old 20-inch mirrors, please contact me at lfbro at conncoll dot edu.?
Thanks!
Leslie
Leslie F. Brown, Ph.D.
Emeriti - Physics, Astronomy & Geophysics
Connecticut College
New London, CT USA
