pThe 3D-printed mounting cradle fi ts in beau-
tifully with the rest of the scope.
skyandtelescope.com • NOVEMBER 2019 73taught himself how to make printable
3D models on a computer. The result is a
large black cradle that was printed with
high-impact plastic yet looks like it could
be part of the original tripod.
Buoyed by that success, Kit designed
the fi nder brackets on his computer and
had them cut out of^5 // 8 -inch sheet brass
using a commercial CNC water jet.
The result is a beautiful telescope
that combines telescope-making
techniques from the very beginning of
metalworking to the current day. As Kit
said, “To have constructed an antique-
looking replica — yet with state-of-the-
art modern optics — is a dream come
true. I learned many skills along the
way. The fi nal touch was spinning the
brass lens caps, another process I had
never tried before.”
As you might suspect from the pho-
tos, the scope and mount are heavy. The
scope weighs 38 pounds, and the mount
- Kit reports that “Even separating the
tripod and the optical tube assembly is
really a two-person job.”
Sadly, Kit didn’t get to use the scope
much after he completed it. He died just
days after sending me his submission
letter. But in that letter he said some-
thing that still makes me smile, for it’s
true of every ATM project I’ve ever done
and sums up so well why we build our
own telescopes. Kit said, “The project
was a long time coming, but the fun
was in the journey.”
Indeed it is. Many thanks, Kit, for
taking this journey and sharing it with
the rest of us.
■ Contributing Editor JERRY O LTION
also has a few (dozen) long-term proj-
ects in various stages of completion.