Beginner's Corner
November, 1939

IF YOU ARE tempted to jump from your first 6" telescope making job to a much larger size, the accompanying photograph and description by a worker who jumped the other way and put his energies into refinement may be worth considering. It is a 4" made by L. J. Ashby, 437 Stone St., Kalamazoo, Mich., and by Mrs. Ashby, and is equal in both design and finish to professional work. Both, we say, since we have seen a few telescopes with very exquisite or even over-elaborated finish but poor design. Ashby, who has been a telescope maker for several years, writes:

"There are a few who want a really portable instrument-one which does not require several strong backs and a truck to handle and transport. My wife cannot conveniently carry around even a 6", hence this 4" Newtonian which carries easily in the family car and can be handled by a woman. Some details are: Mirror made by Mrs. Ashby, with much oral but no manual assistance on my part. No scratches. Tripod, wood. Setting circles, graduated 5 minutes and 2 degrees. Slow motions in both directions-in R.A. by flexible shaft. Tube, aluminum, cork lined for better temperature performance. Rack and pinion focusing. Level and compass for quickly alining polar axis. Finder diagonal type, 7X, 5 degree field. Eyepieces, 1", 1/2'', 1/4," (after Clarke, in 'ATMA.'). Field of view with 1" eyepiece 1-1/2 degrees. Tube 11-l/2 lbs., mount and counterweight, 27 lbs. Cost, $35. Time, 210 hours.

"This little telescope resolves components of Epsilon Lyrae with 1/2" eyepiece, Pi Aquilae with 1/4" "

After all, no beginner on his maiden telescope should attempt so fine a job as the Ashbys' but should aim to equal its design for rigidity, especially at two vital places: on the declination axis near the tube, where a large cross section is here seen, and the plate between this axis and the tube, which is here amply thick.

A little telescope, but built like a watch.

ANOTHER TN (which stands for Telescope Gnut, socially correct designation for telescope makers,) who, after making the beginner's 6", did not scorn to drop to a 4" because of its portability, is C. F. Hofferberth, R. F. D. 3, Dayton, Ohio, telescope maker of long standing and now owner of a 12" Cassegrainian. It has a tube of copper sheet which was rolled, the edge scarfed and silver-soldered. The finish ("engine finish") was done on a drill press with a rubber grommet, oil and emery. Hofferberth made the patterns and did the machining for the polar axis support and bearing and for the well proportioned for but the very beginner-the absolute tyro need not worry about such refinements as the latter since easier methods are available.