: : Check out this link on spherical mirror warping: : : http://tempest.idle.com/~markv/spherical.html : : I believe this is what Joe was referring to. : : : : This is a good idea in that a relatively easy to make spherical mirror is warped into a paraboloid. However I have wondered if the warping is uneven and causes astigmatism.

: You want to read that page carefully. The author is using precision ground, polished and figured mirrors that are spheriods already and they are full thickness masking the error. The author states that a little tension pulls the sphere into a paraboloid which is technically not correct. The figure will be a hyperbaloid but by having a fairly small diameter and a fairly thick mirror with a sphere already polished into it, it could look like a paraboloid. The author mentions that with more tweeking it is pulled into hyperbaloid which is exactly what it becam as soon as it was deformed from the sphere. : The eccentricity of radius for a sphere is zero. There are not degress of spherocity. Same goes a paraboloid with an eccentricity of 1. The hyperbola can be near paraboloid or to an extreme. Extreme is what you will get if you try thin mirrors, large mirrors and non sphere mirrors. You can take a sphere and using vacuum deform it into a parabola but not by using a bolt. I strongly encourage experimentation but you also should be familiar enough with the laws of physics and mathmatics to know what to expect.

: Enjoy Experimenting : -Rick

Hi Rick

I am interested in this approach because I own a full-thickness, 8", f/8 mirror with a smooth spherical curve. It's rated at about 1/2 to 1/3 wave p-v. I agree that the bolt method won't warp the mirror into a parabola, but would it warp it into a shape that would give better star images (ie 1/4 wave or better)? The author of the article indicates that it would. I am little suspicious though. My guess is that if the bolt, carpet ring, and/or wooden block are not made/configured to very high tolerances, problems with the image would result.

At this point, I am just curious about this approach. I'll probably parabolize the mirror the old fashioned way with a pitch lap.

• Re: Read Carefully - Rick_Crockett/">Rick Crockett - January 23, 2000 - 22:25 UTC