I was framed . . .

Feb 12. Add to today's errands a stop at Ballard's for a 10-24 tap. I broke another while threading attachment points on the center frame early this morning. While trying (so far unsuccessfully) to remove the tip of the broken tap, I realized that I was tapping a hole which did not need to exist. I had drilled 4 holes per side, but one side of the frame only requires 2. None is needed on the corrector end, mounting side. I'll forget it or fill it with a smooth coat of J.B.Weld or mount something useful to cover this misstep or remake the piece after the telescope is finished and I know whether my few inches of spare metal will be needed more urgently elsewhere.

Errands... then finish framing the telescope tube.

Feb 13. I bolted everything up and then took several steps backward. First I tried mounting the mirror behind the aft frame but was concerned that position would bring the focus too low or even inside the tube, especially with the corrector and the secondary mirror mounted slightly forward of the original seperation.

Slapped forehead and removed the mirror cell from the outer ring used to mate it to the original tube. All I need are a couple of metal bars across the rearmost frame and that's that: reuse the stock springs, bolts, nuts. I have no metal to make such bars from. I ruined the last couple of candidates, then thought to try aluminum channel stock. Or rebuild the cell from the ground up, a la the dob's cell.

The corrector went on very nicely. I drilled and tapped new holes around its circumference and mounted it to short "ears" that extend forward of the skyward frame. While cutting those ears, I let the miter saw rise through the stock while spinning down. A terrible clang, badly gouged metal, and it runs rougher and cuts loudly, messily, with a roar instead of a whine. What have I done? I assume a tooth is bent or damaged, but I haven't found anything off yet. Another blade is on the way, along with replacement metal for that which I screwed up while trying to wing a mirror cell.

The telescope in its present state weighs 29 pounds. This seemed heavy until I weighed my current outfit: the A-P, ST2000XM and ST80 on the DSBS weighs 49!