MIRROR MAKING

T h u r s d a y, F e b r u a r y 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

“HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN TELESCOPE MIRROR BY HAND”

A To make a telescope mirror from a flat disk (of glass), the flat surface has to be changed
to a spherical / parabolic surface, because a flat surface can only reflect light in the same
opposing angle as it comes to the surface, but for a enlarged view to be seen, the light has to
come to a small focal point, at our eye or camera lens, therefore the surface is changed by
grinding and polishing to the disired shape to produce that “focal-point”. By first rough
grinding to an aproximal shape as calculated, then by finer grinding to the proper spherical
shape, which will have a Focal point at the Radius of Curvature, (the center of a ball .) when
light is produced at that focal point it will be reflected from the whole mirror surface back to
that same point (if properly polished) If the R.O.C. Point is more than 15 times the diameter
of the mirror, the mirror may be considered finished and does not need to be parabolized,
only Aluminum or Silver coated for better reflection, because at that distance the Focal point
from near-by and the focal point from “infinety” are nearley the same.
To make the focal point closer to the mirror, like 12 times (or less) the mirror diameter. than
the focal point of the outer zones (“rings”) of the mirror will not be coinciding with the
mirror center. The remedy is to change the mirror-center section zones to a shorter
reflective distance and tapering-angeling the difference to the outer edge, which will not be
“corrected”, untill all zones will again have one focal point, this is Parabolizing, measuring is
done with the zonal Cauder-screen measuring on the Foucald testing, and ultimately with a
“star test”, or “auto-collimation” becauce the differences in surface depth/angle we can
only measure with light-waves.
The measuring on the Foucald tester is done at the Radius of Curvature of the spherical
mirror shape, which is twice the distance of the parabolic focal point and will show a
“doughnut” shape when viewed face-on, showing that it is not a sphere any more, the real
shape is a smooth parabolic shaped surface. which can be tested and seen with a “double-
reflection” Auto Collumation. (which is a indoor star-test)

B Making your telescope mirror-disk by hand.

Start by deciding what size your telescope will be and what material to use for your mirror.
You can purchace the glass disk or “trepan” it yoursellve. If you have a drill-press you can quite easely “trepan” two
disks, 6” (min.) x 3/8” from plain glass with a 6” diamont edged tool. Or you can make the trepan cutter yourself: cut
with a sabersaw or wood cutting router from ¾” plywood a circular disk of the mirror size, mount around the edge a 2”
wide strip of galvanized iron, cut 4 to 6 diagonal reverced “teeth” in the cutting edge and mount a center “driver”
floor-flange for mounting on the drill, lay the glass sheet in a water bath-tray, (block all edges from moving) start the
slow turning, add grinding carbon dioxide powder on the cutting line and some cooling water and/or glycerine, keep an
eye on the cutting process.
For the material choice, plain window glass (soda-lime glass) and “Pyrex” are the main choices and both can
produce high quality mirror. The size of the mirror-telescope and focal length is a personal choice, for reason where
and how it is to be used, and how the user is able to handle and use it.

Advice for the first time telescope-mirror maker: make your mirror no larger than 6”
(152mm)diameter and focal length of 36” (914mm F6,) or 48” (1219mm F8)
minimal 3/8” thick of soda lime glass for a Newtonian reflector telescope.
One Way to calculate the grinding-depth of the concave-sagitta-dip is (measuring with a 4”
home-made dial indicater-sphero-meter) to divide # 1. with the desired focal length of the
telescope mirror (1/36 = 0.0278” or .70 mm) or (when sunlight is available you can dip the ground disk in water
and the whet surface can reflect the sunlight and show the focal length (the sun size reflection focal point is about ½”
diam)

MIRROR MAKING with circular strokes

When ready to make a concave surface on the mirror you will need to have the mirror-glass-
blanc and glass-grinding tool-disk and grinding grit, place the “tool” on a wet cotton rag (to
prevent slipping” on a level work surface, sprinkle Carbo grit and little water on and grind-
hogging with the mirror on top, making circular strokes with (1/3 min. of mirror overhanging,
during hogging) this produces a concave spherical sagitta surface. (a few lb extra center weigth
on the mirror causes less fatique, and can be used troughout the process, it simplifies even the
parabola-correction)
Use the circular stroke with M.O.T. (mirror on top) for all grinding and polishing and even parabolizing,
only changing the overhang and the center-weight on the mirror for the different functions, here is a film
showing circular stroke polishing

The Circular Polishing hand-stroke with max 20 % over edge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nky7CF4eVI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nky7CF4eVI&feature=youtu.be

When grinding sounds become muffled it is time to re-plenish the grit and water, after a few
times replenishing, clear off the waste and see the mirror center wear, grind again until you
have reached the calculated sagitta (#1/planned foc. Length, as 1/35=0.028) using a 4”
spherometer, This home-made 4” diam. Indicater spherometer on 3 ballpoint pen leggs works on
all size mirrors and focal-lengths) or to measure the foc.lenght divide 1/reading as1/0.020=50).
When Sagitta is reached you can start fine grinding with the samecircular stroke, with only +/-
20% overhang, finer grinding grit and no extra weight, polishing is done also with this stroke
using a pitchlap for the polishing

When “Hogging ” 12 inch or larger mirrors use a sub-diameter tool, lay the mirror face up, on
a larger ¾” octagonal or round sealed plywood board, (with a pivot center hole), To hold the
mirror in place: (with 3 screwed-on clips) and lay the board on a level work place on a short pivot
and a anti-slip wet rag mat. Sprinkle some 80 grit Carborundem (Silicone Carbide) powder and
little water on the mirror surface and start grinding with a tool (a cast iron pipecap, SMALLER
THAN THE MIRROR RADIUS) doing strokes all over the surface onto, but not over the edge
Change from M.O.T. to T.O.T. only to lengten the the Focal Length.of the mirror. (bevel the
sharp mirror edge before the changing to avoid edge spalding) then work the full size tool
with the same circular stroke with 30% overhang thereby changing the F.L. (this change need to
be done to including the mirror center to avoid making 2 different spheres) and avoiding T.D.E.
Test for good sphere with the pencil or Sharpie- ink-test. While grinding with a full size tool. Use
a pencil, circle around the mirror and a cross over center, a few light weight small circular
strokes with #5 Al Ox should wipe the pencilm mark from the mirror, showing perfect contact and
sphere.

1A TOOL MAKING

When you used a sub size tool for hogging. You need to make a full size fine grinding tool,

.Lay the mirror face up on a level surface (the tool is cast on the mirror face, protected by thin
plastic sheeting),Grease the top side of the plastic sheet, and place a “wall” around the plastic
covered mirror about 1” higher than the mirror, place 1” glass or tile pieces on the grease, (to
keep the tiles from moving), mix “Dental-stone” or “Hydro-stone” (from Tile-supply) cement
powder with water to a thick liquid without lumps, pour carefull into the tool-form ,minimum ½
to ¾” thick,without stirring or shaking, lay a pre-cut backing board (with 3 screws penetrating
trough the board for better bonding) in the soft mix.
Clean all cement mixing equipment and wait until tool is hardened (allow 15 min,) remove the
mould ring, clean the tool edge, rinse the tool, pour-sprinkle some #120 Silicone-carbide-grit (or
recycled grid) and water on the tool. Start grinding with maximum 20% overhang to keep the
sagitta constant (no need to wait for complete drying of the tool )

THE “FINE” GRINDING:

Use a full-size tool, small weight, M.O.T., using # 120 grit (or recycled grit) , 15 to 20% maximum
diameter overhang, creating a sphere with circular strokes for 15 or more minutes, clear the
mirror, check the surface for extra large pits with a magnifier, if none are found, check with a 4”
sphero meter the eveness of the whole surface, restart with # 220 grit / 320 going trough the
Carbo-grit sizes, then change to ALuminum Oxide micron-sizes from 25 to 5 micron, (apply 5
micron only when only magnified pits are vizable), once and when more liquid is needed use
only water ( see note below) and possible little tooth-paste) little pressure on mirror, now just
moving the mirror with 40% overhang to avoid fine scratches and produce a very fine pre-polish,
check sagitta depth, and spherical surface with pencil test, which is important before beginning
polishing, next look over the horizontal mirror surface, if it reflects the distance power-pole/flag-pole or other view,
it has a good pre-polish.
Very carefull clean all working parts and-working area before and during pitchlap handling, to avoid time-
consuming scretches in the polished surface

NOTE: I find no need for spherical polishing before beginning parabola correction, when pencil-test have shown a
good sphere and the parabola center will be only 0.0002” extra deep, therefore prepolishing with the Parabola
correction stroke after spherical testing, as well as polishing with 40% overhang all to the mirror edge has produced
parabola’s with much less efford, this circular stroke avoid the over and under corrected zones, from center to edge.
 Making the Pitch-lap
Lay the mirror face up on level surface, place the vinyl mould face up on the mirror, spray little
dish-soap water on for mould release, support mould corners, so that the mould rest corect on
the mirror, melt the pitch slowly to MAX 400 F, (with a thermostate controlled heater) in old
coffee-can, do not let the pitch boil, and do not add any softener, (a hard pitch-lap does not
change shape and works longer) stir until no lumps are left, pour onto the mould over the mirror
area only, place the precut backer-board onto the hot pitch. (I make the backer little smaller
than the mirror) usually Corian type countertop material for pitch-lap backing),
When pitch is “set” (hardened), place mirror with mould and pitch in clean-cold water, when cooled remove the pitch-
lap careful from mould, clean edges from exess pitch (use hammer and chisel carefully) test lap contact, if
improvement is needed, place the mirror face up, cover with a “screen” type (fibre-glass), spray little detergent water
on screen for release, warm the lap face with a heath lamp, when face is sligthly soft, place face-down on the screen-
covered mirror, ADD a weight ( 5 or more Lb) on it (hand pressing is uneven) for few minutes, water cool lap, start
polishing with the fine shaped good matching lap

2 PITCH-LAP POLISHING:
For making a Spherical mirror, place the pitch-lap on the turn-pin, poor some liquid Cerium Oxide on the lap and start
with mirror on top polishing the mirror, after 20 or 30 minutes polishing with the circular stroke using max. 15 -
20% mirror-diameter overhang and little weight, for the Cerium works with chemical reaction, not pressure. Clean
up the mirror and see the first polish, with sunshine you can measure your mirror’s focal-length (with artificial
light you can measure the Radius of Curvature, which is dubble the focal length) and see whether the whole mirror
has polish, keep polishing for a few hours, than see with a laser at 45 degree angle, (always slide the mirror off
thepitchlap, not lifting, and see how the polished surface is coming. good reflection on the polished surface should be
nearly none. (5%). If the mirror gets “sticking” instead of sliding add more Cerium-Oxide If that does not solve
the problem, place the pitch-lap a few minutes under a heat-lamp until surface is slightly
softened and repress with the F.G. screen.When mirror surface is near non reflective, test the
Radius Of Curvature with the Foucalt knife edge for a “null” blanc-out (indicating a sphere) and
test with the Ronci screen to see the spherical-mirror-surface quality, (when Ronci lines are
straight from edge to edge you have a good sphere as shown with the “null”,a Turn Down Edge
(lines curving near the edge)causes much longer parabola labor and can usualy be corrected by
polishing longer with 15 - 20% overhang.

ABOUT Turn.Down or Up Edge. IMPORANCE

The turn down edge name is somewhat of a misnomer, it is the name of the uncompleted
strip on the mirror edge, caused by insufficient/incorrect grinding and/or polishing, complete
to the mirror edge.
One T.D.E. is caused by changing M.O.T. to T.O.T., even for short time.
That change causes a reverse in the grinding as well as polishing.
Do change that way only to make the focal-length longer, and for that the whole surface
needs to change, to the mirror center, the effect begins at the mirror edge and produces first
“two sphere-portions”. In reality the outside begins changing towards convexity in stead of
concavete. By Foucalt testing the area involved can, even with a nice polish, null all focal-
reflection as with convex surface.

3 Parabola-correction
It is important to have a good smooth surface spherical mirror with no T.D.Edge when starting the parabola
correction. Use the same full size hard micro-faced (made with the Fiberglass screen) repressed pitch-lap (for
we do want to change the mirror shape, not the lap), done again with M.O.T. CIRCULAR HAND STROKES,
overhanging mirror by 30 to 40% avereage 35%, little extra center weight (the mirror-center going over the lap
edge must wear down mostly, 0.0002”) and Cerium Oxide. After 75 slow circular strokes test with Foucalt to see if
there is any surface correction change. (With circular strokes the first correction to see is a faint donut hole depression
at mirror center, the next to see is with the Rounce screen slightly centered curved lines instead of straight.) the
adjacent zones will follow all to the rim with the continual use of the circular stroke/weight /overhang. I mark the back
of the mirror with a sharpy marker,avoiding tilting over the edge. Test often, for you do not want to OVER
CORRECT at all. When all zones are corrected, end the parabola strokes and improve the surface with some very
light-short overhang polishing strokes to have a higher RMC surface avereage. (Note: the 1/3 to 35% overhang at
hogging will produce a sphere. the 40% avereage overhang during Parabola correction will change the sphere
to a parabola.)

3 A. PARABOLIZING MIRRORS ON THE Mirror.O.Matic-TURN-TABLE

Mirrors larger than 12…..14” to be parabola corrected on Mirror-O-Matic machine with sub sizes Tool On Top, slow
5 rpm turntable, stroke arm 20….50 p/m start with a small 1/3 size lap going edge to edge but not over, for 5 to 10
min, test mirror when first of doughnut shows, continue with same lap, simular strokes not over edge and little or no
weight, for 10 minutes, keep checking every 60 to 100 strokes. On the foucalt with zone screen from Cauder and
Figure XP program numbers

3 B. Making a mirror on a powered SPIN-TABLE

THE SPIN-TABLE IS THE MACHINE-MODE OF THE CIRCULAR STROKE
The spin-table machine turning 29 to 30 rpm, is more accurate than the circular hand-stroke. Mirrors to 12” diam are
best done with mirror on top. On full size tools (The mirror is “spinning freely while dragging on the powered base )
acting like the circular stroke, hogging with 35% overhang, fine grinding and polishing with max 15 - 20% overhang,
avoiding Fl change. Parabola correction with 35% overhang, test often to avoid hole or hill at center (caused by the
spinning accuratie)
(NOTE: TO AVOID THIS LET THE”PIN” MAKE SMALL SIDEWAY STROKES possible with the MOM, or
do some corection on the spinning table by hand without the Pin
measure regular for sagitta depth, when that point is reached, change to finer grit, following with the same changes as
done by hand-fine grinding.
All work for mirror making can be done with this spinning from hogging to parabolizing.

3 C Larger mirrors are made on the Spin-table with Tool on top. this is working upside down : REVERSED
IN EFFECT, AND NEEDS A PRESSURE ON THE TOOL EDGE WHERE THE MIRROR-CENTER
“HOGGING” OR PARABOLIZING CORRECTION TAKES PLACE
For working larger mirrors use sub-dia-meter tools on top, (minimum 70% mirror-size), during hogging, and fine
grinding and polishing, when ready for polishing use a fine pressed hard lap troughout, little or no pin-weight,
maximum 20% overhang, continual supplying Cerium-water, regular testing until ready for
Parabola corrction Change to minimum 70% pitchlap, 40% “overhang”(= 40% clear mirror) , little or no pinweight,
BUT EXTRA WEIGHT ON TOOL EDGE, ( I MOUNTED A ROLLER-SKATE WHEEL ON THE”PIN”SIDE-
ARM ABOVE THE LAP-EDGE CARRYING A FEW LB LOAD), makes smooth spinning (LESS than ½ table rpm)
and continual cerium-water dripping, regular testing the zones, until edge zone nulls, test often paying attention to
“hole” in center of mirror, if that happens, remove the large lap and pin. Use a 1/3 pitch-lap, center over
center, edge to edge strokes, by hand on the turning mirror until the hole is gone.

TESTING THE PARABOLOID MIRROR

THE FOUCALT TESTER
The first mirror test for a good sphere is with a “null” test and straight Ronche screen lines with knive adge
viewing or with Camera on TV screen.

For Parabola testing use also the Foucalt-tester now with a full mirror-size “Cauder-screen” (calculated for
Figure XP program) on the mirror face with cut-outs to show the parabolic zones of the mirror, each zone
having a different focal-length for correct “nulling”, all zones are of equal area calculated

MAKING THE CAUDER SCREEN: Cut a thin cardboard disk the size of the mirror, Calculate the
total mirror surface area, (r*r*3.1415) divide area by the number of zones you planned for,
calculate the center-zone area and radius (zone 1), zone 2 radius will be calculated from twice
the center-area, etc. Draw the different zone radius on the screen-board and cut some (25 deg.
sect) in the left and right side of each zone area. using the zone edge information for Figure XP
program .
When all zones are on the Foucalt knive edge corrected,”NULLED” to mach the programmed
zones on the Radius of Curvature. from the Figure XP program shows a good parabola, we can do
the Rounce test which should now show the curved parabola lines. (Note: without Rounce screen
a parabola will show a “doughnut” but any doughnut is not a parabola but shows we do not have
a sphere anymore.)
Next do a Star-test. or (when an optical flat larger than the mirror size is available a test by

AUTO COLLIMATION.
We set up another stand on the test bench for the Auto-collimation test, which is done at the
mirror Focal length which is ½ the ROC and uses double reflection, producing a artificial star
test. We use on this stand a coated“Optical-flat” mirror of same or larger size as the mirror with
a central LED light, wich shines at the mirror and a CAMERA lookjng at the mirror, the two
mirrors are facing each other and needs to be alinged by adjusting the mirror stand XYZ axes
first, so that the single reflection from the mirror-center points at the camera beyond the flat,
next we allign both mirrors so that the (fainter) complete mirror is projected trough the camera,
by minutely changing the focal length we find the exact focal lengt by the NULL and the quality
of the parabola. (note the Focal.Length is distance from test mirror to camera or knive-edge. not
from mirror to opt.flat) Other test are also available for for mirrors larger than the Opt.Flat
mirror, the Ross Null test, which uses a lense instead of the optical flat mirror.
Next step is to get the mirror Aluminized or Silvered.

take equaly more time for shorter mirrors and larger mirrors.
The final quality of the mirror is found after Parabolizing, not after spherical polishing, so end up to do some
very lightweight polishing, with less overhang for a fine surface without changing your parabobic shape.
Only smoother with a higher RMC surface avereage

A PINHOLE LIGHT for artificial star-testing a mirror

20 micron diameter is the recommended size
1 remove the print-cartrige cover plate from the front that exposes a 20m hole or
2 Use a thin copper plate on a wood surface, punch a dimple in the copper plate
reverce the plate and sand the dimple carefully until a 20m
appears.
Test for ligth rings at 1 meter (40” ) distance star-test at 20 meter (60 ft) min

How I came to use the circular hand-stroke

In 2008 when I was starting to fine grind a 8” mirror with M.O.T. after I hogged it with a sub diameter tool
and 80 carbo grit, now using 120 grit and stroking as all the books tell jou: Back and fort, back and fort and
going around the barrel, and after a short while I was thinking while grinding: why this dumb back and fort
and becarefull to do it from all sides to produce a sphere, this is like I use to do as a carpender with a hand
saw or a hand plane, why not do what I do as a modern woodworker who uses a circular saw for cutting much
better and quicker and better I will try to stroke around circularly, using same overhang and weight, so I
tried.
And it worked more easy and surprisingly, made at the same time a very good spherical surface, so I finished
the grinding being less tired and done quicker.

So I made the pitch-lap on the mirror with the lap-mould and being in the mood of changing, I changed from
making a softened lap, I make the pitch-lap hard, for I want to change/polish the mirror surface but not the
pitch-lap, so I did and polished with this hard lap, using the same circular stroke until the surface was ready
for parabolizing.

Parabolizing is changing the surface from a sphere to a Parabolic shape by deepening the mirror-center by
10,000th of inch, from the spherical shape so star light from the whole mirror can focus at the same location.

But Parabolizing is really not much unlike what is done at the start of the hogging-grinding, only on a much
more delicate scale. I started with the same circular stroke, mirror on top, using 35 to 40 % mirror overhang
and little extra weight at the center so that the 20% center of the mirror would wear over the lap-edge and the
remainder of the surface wear less until no wear at the mirror edge. All done with the same hard spherical
pitch-lap and circular stroke.

And while most ATM people are somewhat reluctand of Parabolizing, it turned out surprisingly well as
planned and much simpler and quicker than before.
Starting correction at the mirror center and spreading it continualy to the edge, going slower as the correction
area became larger, until the mirror-edge was reached without any zones over or under corrected. Caused by
the continual 40% overhang and the fine-hard lap. I also found that the amount of time-effort for hogging
equals more than the parabola-correction time.

The Circular Polishing hand-stroke with max 20 % over edge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nky7CF4eVI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nky7CF4eVI&feature=youtu.be

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