Amateur astronomers who are curious about making their own telescopes can find help in this rich and deep guide from the Springfield Telescope Makers dating back to the 20th century, which is particularly suitable for beginners who want to craft their first telescope with a Newtonian reflector setup on a Dobsonian mount, as mirrors are far easier to make than lenses for newbies.
It offers advice on mirror production, from grinding and polishing to testing the optical components and putting them together to make a working telescope.
Despite the depth of the guide, the contributor cautions that while it is immensely rewarding to make a telescope, the plethora of substandard scope components on the market mean it is hard to judge the quality until the scope has been used, and the cost of a mirror kit can be more expensive than a cheap, finished mirror.
