07-21-2015, 08:55 AM
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#1 |
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Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Elburn, IL
Posts: 5,777
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For Something Completely Different
One of my wife's friends is selling her place and moving to the Mississippi gulf coast, so she gave Mrs. C some plants from her beautiful garden for Mrs. C to transplant at our place.
We returned the containers she dropped the plants off in and had a short visit. As we were getting ready to leave, Julie(Mrs. C's gal pal), says to me, "I have something in the garage you might like." So, I'm thinking an old bike, some tools, or a lawn mower. No. She holds up the big white cylinder and I'm thinking "Why would I want an old water heater?" She spins it around and there is an eye piece and the word 'Meade' printed beneath the eye piece. So, it's not an old hot water heater, but a 12" Meade Newtonian Reflector telescope. And it has a clock drive equatorial mount. This is something I'd sold my soul for as a kid.  The optics look okay but need a good cleaning. The tube, though, may need to be replaced. And a new stand made for the drive. My buddy in Finland who made the CDI for the CX also grinds his own telescope mirrors and told me that concrete forms for pilings make better replacement tubes than getting new. So, a winter project.
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Cheesy ______________________________________ 07 Hi Bird Enduro-Flown the Coop 07 Ural Gear Up 79 Honda CX500 77 VeloSolex 4600 V3 73 VeloSolex 3800 I'm making this up as I go.-Indiana Jones Telling me something 'is for my own good', is a fast way to a fat lip.-Me I don't even care about my own problems, why should I care about yours?-Quote on one of my favorite t-shirts |
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07-21-2015, 11:16 AM
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#2 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Sardis, BC, Canada
Posts: 25,977
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That's funny; I was thinking that a sonotube might work well. Cool project!
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Weldangrind "I figure I'm well-prepared for coping with a bike that comes from the factory with unresolved issues and that rewards the self-reliant owner." - Buccaneer |
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07-21-2015, 08:38 PM
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#4 |
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Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Elburn, IL
Posts: 5,777
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The plan forming in my head is to eventually get it to my daughters place in Maine. There is almost no light pollution there, while I'm only forty miles from Chicago. My SIL is a Math/Science Teacher (don't ever ask him to mix 2 stroke, though). My grand daughter is spooky smart and would just love this. Heck, she is seven and isn't above wearing a Disney princess dress while in mud boots and carrying a chicken.
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Cheesy ______________________________________ 07 Hi Bird Enduro-Flown the Coop 07 Ural Gear Up 79 Honda CX500 77 VeloSolex 4600 V3 73 VeloSolex 3800 I'm making this up as I go.-Indiana Jones Telling me something 'is for my own good', is a fast way to a fat lip.-Me I don't even care about my own problems, why should I care about yours?-Quote on one of my favorite t-shirts |
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07-23-2015, 12:59 AM
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#5 |
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Idaho
Posts: 25,054
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Indeed, I would have loved to own one of those big, Meade reflectors when I was a kid.
 Congratulations. 
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Spud "Never argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level, and beat you with experience."  Mark Twain2015 Zongshen ZS250GY-3 (RX3) 2006 Zongshen ZS200GY-2 (Sierra 200) 2005 Honda XR650L 2004 Honda CRF250X 1998 Kawasaki KDX220 Mods made to my Zongshen ZS200GY-2: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=6894 |
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