Build Your Own Mirror Telescope by Reuse Material!!

Introduction

Space is big, fantastic and mysterious. Many people love to look at the sky and dream to explore the space. One of the methods to see space is using a telescope. However, the telescope in the market is so expensive so this intractable will show how to make a low-price mirror telescope by reuse material and it is easy to make it by yourself. I’m sure that my mirror telescope will inspire you to have one. If I can do it, anyone can!

Materials:

1. Old makeup mirror x1

2. Hardboard x3

3. PVC tube x1

4. Screw +nut m3 x4

5. Hex Screw +nut m6 x2

6. Magnifying glass

Equipment:

1. Glue

2. sticky tape

3. Hand saw

4. Cutter

-First, get to know the basic mirror telescope principle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflecting_telescope

-Concave lens, Primary mirror measurement

First, place any screen in front of the wall and then place the mirror in front of it. Next move mirror forward backward until you get the sharpest image on the wall. Then measure the distance from the mirror to screen and mirror to the wall and do a calculation by the following equation.

1/i + 1/o = 1/f

i Is distance from the mirror to monitor

o is a distance from the mirror to wall

f is the focal length

Mine is approx. 72 cm so my design will be based on this lens. If your lens get difference focal point, you have to change the length of telescope case

Eyepiece

This part I use trial and error for finding the best by moving the lens forward and backward (change length between secondary mirror and lens) until you get the clear picture. For mine, I got 7 cm from telescope case and 10 cm from eyes.

- After design, we will draw the layout of the parts on the hardboard by pencil. We use hardboard because it is easy to find, and it has a low price.

- Cut the cardboard by a saw or an electric saw.

- Smooth the hardboard edge with sandpaper.

- Make a hole by a drill for some parts and use a hole saw to make a big hole.

- It this project we use makeup mirror to be a Concave lens and a secondary mirror because of makeup mirror easy to find. From the experiment, makeup mirror can use to be a telescope mirror but the picture is not clear as the real telescope mirror, but it is cheapest.

- Remove the 2 side of a makeup mirror to be a concave lens and a secondary mirror.

- cutting secondary mirror from makeup mirror

In this part I suggest you to use the glass cutter to cut your mirror but if you don’t have you also can cut it with the hot wire. Cutting with the hot wire you must prepare a hot wire (run high current thru wire) and bath of water. You have to put the hot wire on the mirror at the line that you want to cut and wait about 1-2 minute and then put that mirror in a water, it will break along the line otherwise you have to wait till it cold then do it again.

- Combine 4 piece of hardboard (frame01.DXF x1, frame02.DXF x1, frame03.DXF x2) together with glue and use sticky tape to make it tight. (make sure that 4 pieces of hardboard are rectangular)

- Attach 4 pieces of rectangular wood to the bottom of the frame, that we already made the last step, in order to hold the makeup lens.

- Combine frame cover ( frame04.DXF x1) to the bottom of the telescope frame by screw m3.

- Attach the concave lens inside the telescope.

- Make a secondary mirror mount by attaching 2 pieces of hardboard( secondary04.DXF x2) to support secondary mirror.

- Then combine other 4 pieces of hardboard(secondary01.DXF x1, secondary02.DXF x2, secondary03.DXF x1) and attach to the secondary mirror.

- Next combine 4 pieces of hardboard( eyepiece01.DXF x3, eyepiece02.DXF x1, eyepiece03.DXF x1) and attach to the eyepiece by screw m3 and nut.

- Make 2 hexagon holes by a cutter in

the middle of the frame in order to attach with the hexagon screw.

- Combine 2 pieces hardboard(stand03.DXF)to the bottom plate (stand04.DXF)by glue and attach 4 pieces triangle hardboards(stand05.DXF)to make it stronger.

- Combine mirror telescope mount and telescope together by hexagon screw m6

- First, try to find the focus point by moving the eyepiece

- Make it tight by the screw

- Enjoy!!

*The pictures that I saw thru the telescope is clearer than the pictures taken by iPhone because my iPhone can’t focus.