Tube painting
David
Anybody tried to paint the (aluminium) tube before ?
Primer ?
Type of color ?
Overcoat ?
Self made spray job or car body shop ?
I am considering the classical off-white with high gloss black dew cap
or a more exotic combination. In the auto-parts shop, they had some
metallic color with clear overcoat or even Mirage(?) brand which changes
color depending on the angle of view ..
David
Reef1969
Clear Skies
Richard
Mike Simmons
http://www.astronomy.com/photogallery/gallery_large.asp?idObjectLibraryGUID={8AC5732D-6897-4A05-85E4-DE2C6FF26CAB}
The guy in the middle did the painting. I don't think it's what you're
looking for, though. I love that paint that changes color with
different viewing angles. I bet it would be pretty amazing on a
cylinder but probably not worth it for something that's usually out in
the dark.
Mike Simmons
Matjaz Pihler
"Mike Simmons" <ecli...@mwoa.org> wrote in message
news:3D058F35...@mwoa.org...
> Here's a creative idea for a telescope tube:
>
http://www.astronomy.com/photogallery/gallery_large.asp?idObjectLibraryGUID=
{8AC5732D-6897-4A05-85E4-DE2C6FF26CAB}
> The guy in the middle did the painting.
Well, he sure isn't a web programmer.
Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80040e07'
[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][SQL Server]Error converting data type
varchar to uniqueidentifier.
/photogallery/gallery_large.asp, line 169
Now this does not look like a telescope tube to me.
Clear skies,
Matjaz P.
Barry Simon
patching over the seam that runs down the length of the Konus
reflectors. (Sorry, I didn't remember if you said your tube assembly
was one of the reflectors or one of the refractors.) JB Weld or a
standard "Bondo" type body filler from an automotive store would work
well for that.
2nd, I wouldn't necessarily repaint the tube, while the Konus orange
is bright, it is reflective and is close to the color of the Takahashi
Epsilon series astrographs - you will get used to it.
If you still want to paint - I like and recommend Krylon. Strip and
sand the exterior down to the bare metal (400 grit wet/dry). Your
primer will adhere well to this. You can paint over the primer in an
hour or so. One color that I find nice is Krylon Ivory, however there
are a multitude of colors.
Do not paint on a windy day, paint on a day with relatively low
humidity. Try to avoid a day with a lot of bugs flying around - once
they land on paint, they cannot take off again and you may very well
have to start over from scratch.
Run a rug pole, mop stick or something equivalent thru the telescope
tube. Suspend it in the middle with foam rubber or bunched newspaper.
Suspend the pole between two garbage cans, tall boxes or anything
that will suspend it above the ground. Suspending the pole ends with
rope from some kind of overhead support works too (hammock stand,
carport gutter, etc.).
Practice your painting technique on something else first. Follow
instructions, smooth even passes - over and back, stop, turn tube,
then over and back again. DO NOT focus the spray on any one area, it
will run. The trick is to make it look thick and glossy without
running. This is a skill that you will not really learn while
painting your first tube. A big telescope tube is a hard one to learn
on, repaint your finder first.
If you can, you want to move the tube into a safe, secure, dust and
bug free environment after painting. A big tube does present
problems. Your finder can be suspended on a piece of threaded rod
running thru it in your hobby room. After 24 hours you might want to
suspend the finder tube in your oven and bake at 160 degrees for 1
hour. This will drive moisture out of the paint, curing it much
faster.
The main telescope tube will need longer curing as you will not be
fitting it in the oven. Unfortunately I find that curing may take at
least two weeks. A felt ring around an uncured tube will at the least
mar the surface slightly and at worst will never be removed from the
tube. After I repainted my 6 inch refractor about 8 years ago I had
the tube suspended between two lawn chairs in direct sunlight. I was
a little upset to see that crow perching on top of the tube about 20
minutes after I set up the tube. Back to square one, I had to strip
and repaint. Anyway after a few days you can handle the tube, set it
on end and put it where it can get some direct sunlight to speed
curing.
Automotive acrylic paints will cure a lot faster, sometimes you will
be able to use them in less that 12 hours, particularly if it is a
small part that can be baked as previously described.
One final word - Krylon Ultra Flat Black is a great paint for tube
interiors.
Barry Simon
Mike Simmons
Hmm. I got the same thing clicking on the link in my post so I guess
just giving the URL doesn't work there. The web site is Astronomy
Magazine's online version, Astronomy.com. If you're really interested,
you can go to their home page -- www.astronomy.com-- then Feature
Stories/Hobby, An Astronomer Visits Iran, Part II and then click the
first thumbnail. But before you bother I'll tell you it is a 6-inch
Newtonian painted with various scenes of astronomy and observing by the
builders in Iran (who are posing with the scope). Very cute and
creative but probably not what the original poster was really looking
for. ;-)
Mike Simmons
David
Barry Simon wrote:
> One suggestion before you paint - you may even want to consider
> patching over the seam that runs down the length of the Konus
> reflectors.
On this refractor tube, no seem is visible.
> 2nd, I wouldn't necessarily repaint the tube, while the Konus orange
> is bright, it is reflective and is close to the color of the Takahashi
> Epsilon series astrographs - you will get used to it.
Well, I started stripping and it is a part of general overhaul.
>
> Run a rug pole, mop stick or something equivalent thru the telescope
> tube. Suspend it in the middle with foam rubber or bunched newspaper.
I blinded the ends with a cutouts from a polystyrene board. Worked well
during the stripping.
...
>
>
> One final word - Krylon Ultra Flat Black is a great paint for tube
> interiors.
I plan on this or Protostar paper.
Thanks,
David