2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class
Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13

Winter at Stellafane

2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Winter at Stellafane The McGregor Observatory Perched on a snow covered hill

2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Winter at Stellafane John Martin plows snow

2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Winter at Stellafane The Bunkhouse is busy Roads were mostly ice-free and frozen

Improvements at Mirror Class

2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Improvements at Mirror Class Tom said: "Let there be light!" And he gave us light without a chill

2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Improvements at Mirror Class Tom's wonderful new window A clear plastic film gave us a new feeling of spaciousness and light.

2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Improvements at Mirror Class The New Foucault Tester By the end of the day, Dave Prowten had the testing tunnel enclosed and mirror trolley installed.

Mirror Work

2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Mirror Work Elizabeth grinds in the bunkhouse She completed #80 grit this session	2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Mirror Work Darby grinds in the bunkhouse kitchen He is working with 25 micron grit A form for a plaster lap disk waits in the foreground; Tom poured one for Darby later that day.	2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Mirror Work Carl checks for pits He is checking to see if he is done with 12 micron grit
2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Mirror Work Tom chats with Darby A large grinding machine sits in the back of the bunkhouse behind them.	2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Mirror Work Jim works with 5 micron grit We poured a pitch lap for him later in the day. Carl has his back to us as he works on his mirror.	2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Mirror Work Suzanne is enjoying her figuring But her 4 year old lap was too hard, and we made her a new one. Al's 10", being figured, sits in the foreground.

Pouring Pitch Laps

2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Pouring Pitch Laps Brad pours a lap for Chris Cody & Chris look on as Brad fills the pitch up to the rim of the masking tape dam.	2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Pouring Pitch Laps Wow, that's a nice lap! Jay and Brad admire the lap	2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Pouring Pitch Laps Brad works on the initial pressing Chris and Jay observe as Brad mounds the pitch in the center Brad then presses out any air bubbles trapped near the concave center of the mirror.
2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Pouring Pitch Laps Brad channels Chris' lap While Chris has covered his mirror with Cerium Oxide so it is ready for pressing Brad poured 4 laps this day for Chris, Jay, Jim and Suzanne.	2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Pouring Pitch Laps Pressing after Channeling Brad works while Cody, Tom and Chris look on You can watch the lap press into contact through the back of the mirror.	2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Pouring Pitch Laps A pretty new lap Suzanne's new lap cools down on the porch She is using another mirror blank to hold the lap, unlike the plaster disk we usually use.

Trimming Pitch Laps

2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Trimming Pitch Laps Jay trims his new lap Messy work best down outside, as the pitch dust flies everywhere!

2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Trimming Pitch Laps Chris trims his new lap He doesn't seem to mind the cold (notice the snow behind him)

2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Trimming Pitch Laps Suzanne trims her new lap In late afternoon, a jacket is necessary as the shadows grow long.

Cooking at Stellafane: Pitch Fondue

2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Cooking at Stellafane: Pitch Fondue Mix equal quantities of #64 and #73 Gugolz Heating pitch on our new "Buffet Ranges" (You can't buy simple hotplates any more!) Brad makes the initial mix.

2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Cooking at Stellafane: Pitch Fondue Master Chef Jay stirs to an even consistency using only the finest hardwood kindling for that added oak flavor

2003-2004 Stellafane Mirror Class Session 3 held on 2003-Dec-13 Cooking at Stellafane: Pitch Fondue What a Treat: Crackers dipped in Pitch Fondue! The Stellafane Diet: You won't have any appetite with our cooking!