Did you know that it's possible to find out how to build a telescope that can be put together in an apartment? If you have a limited budget, are a little bit handy, and would like to have a high grade Dobsonian telescope of your own, you can build one. Instead of spending thousands of dollars, you'll only have to spend a few hundred, plus a little bit of time. If you'd like to find out how to build a telescope, read on.
You'll need 3/4” plywood, a round concrete forming tube (often called Sonotube), some PVC coupling, Teflon, a piece of Formica for the main bearing, black spray paint, silicone rubber cement, thin wood slats and a 1 1/4” dowel rod, and the appropriate mirrors. You'll also need some plans, to give you more detailed instructions than a short article can provide.
The major components of a Dobsonian telescope are the tube, mirrors, bearings, and the base that the tube rests on. The Teflon and Formica provide side to side rotation without the need for clamps, and the whole assembly can be made to fit into a small car. The first thing you'll need to make is the tube box. This can be pretty tricky, since the box will have to be perfectly squared. You'll turn the coupling into the tube box's bearings by sawing it neatly in half. Look for a coupling that's six inches across. Some have used smaller ones, down to four and a half inches, but the Teflon may score the PVC, since it's a harder material. You could also use aluminum or other metal bearings, but a machine shop might be required.
A piece of Formica will be required to become the main bearing. Fortunately, these are easy to get. Just ask your local cabinetry shop if they have any Formica sink cutouts. They'll often give you one for free. Make sure that you countersink any screws needed to attach this piece to the rocker box, so that they won't interfere with the Teflon bearing pads on the opposing surface. That surface will be the base that the rocker/tube box sits on, and is made up of Teflon on a plywood round.
Once you've constructed the box and base, you'll need to get started on the tube. Its interior will need to be painted flat black with your spraypaint. Use a respirator and gloves while doing this, to minimize the amount of paint on your body and in your lungs. The spider in the middle of the telescope will e made of thin wood and a section of dowel. This dowel has to be cut precisely at a forty-five degree angle to hold the mirror, so consider using a miter box. The mirror can be mounted directly onto the spider using the silicone rubber cement (black is preferred). You can also order a commercial mirror and spider.
The cell holding the primary mirror can also be made from plywood, and the mirror mounted onto it. Once you've done this, all the major pieces are together, and can be assembled. Most of the time, you can get a lot of the components cheaply, or even for free, cutting down on the expense of your telescope. Be sure to go slowly, and look for the advice of an expert if you can find one. However, once you're done, you'll have a high quality telescope of your own.
Telescope Related Article
How Do Telescopes Work?
Most of us, at some point or another, have asked themselves how telescopes work. However, we might have gotten an incomplete or inaccurate answer, or even none at all. Another complication is the fact that there are...
