Stellafane 2008-09 Mirror Class
Announcements
This class is over. To sign up for a future Mirror Class, see the pink box on the Mirror Class Main Page. We expect the next class to start in October 2009. Please email any questions or corrections to mirrorclass@stellafane.org.
Schedule & Class Pictures
| Schedule Including brief notes about the session |
Class Pictures Click Image for Photo Album |
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0: Saturday, September 27, 2008:
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X0: Saturday, October 11, 2008:
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1: Saturday, October 25, 2008:
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Sorry, no photos are available for this session |
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X1: Saturday, November 08, 2008
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2: Saturday, November 22, 2008:
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3: Saturday, December 20, 2008:
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4: Sunday, January 25, 2008:
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5: Saturday, February 28, 2009
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6: Saturday, March 28, 2009:
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7: Saturday, April 25, 2009:
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X: May 2009: 
sessions. Here are the completion photos we have (L to R) Dennis & Dave; Randy & Dave. |
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Mirror Status
Here is a report on our participants' progress:
| Mirror Maker *Club Member |
Mirror Size/Type |
Focal Ratio |
Mirror Status |
Status Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex* | 6" | 8 | Polish | 04/09 |
| Alexa | 6" | 7 | Rough | 04/09 |
| Anne | 6" | Rough | 01/09 | |
| Brendan | 8" | 6 | Rough | 04/09 |
| Carl* | 8" | 6 | Done! | 04/09 |
| Christy | 8" | 6 | Rough | 01/09 |
| Claudio | 8" | 5u | 04/09 | |
| David* | 8" | 6 | #40 | 04/09 |
| Dennis* | 6" | 4 | Done! | 05/09 |
| 10" | 5 | Polish | 04/09 | |
| Dixie | 6" | 6 | 40u | 10/08 |
| Doug | 10" | 5 | Done! | 10/08 |
| 6" | 4.5 | Done! | 11/08 | |
| Fran | 10" | 2 | Done! | 02/09 |
| 8" | 5 | Done! | 03/09 | |
| Gary | 8" | 6 | Polish | 03/09 |
| Janet | 6" | 7 | #120 | 11/08 |
| Jay* | 12½" | 6 | Figure | 04/09 |
| Jeff* | 10" | 5 | Done! | 01/09 |
| 12.5" | 5 | Done! | 02/09 | |
| Jim* | 8" | 6.0 | Figure | 04/09 |
| Kayla | 6" | 7 | Polish | 04/09 |
| Kim* | 8" | 6 | 12u | 04/09 |
| Liz | 6" | 6 | Polish | 05/09 |
| Nancy* | 6" | 7 | Rough | 09/08 |
| Randy | 6" | 5 | Done! | 05/09 |
| Ray | 8" | 6 | Done! | 04/09 |
| Rick | 8" | 7 | Polish | 04/09 |
| Samantha* | 10" | Polish | 04/09 | |
| Team Reilly | 6" | 11.2 | Done! | 10/08 |
| 6" | 4.2 | Figuring | 04/09 | |
| Terry | 6" | 7 | Polish | 04/09 |
| 28 Mirror Makers | 32 Mirrors | 11 Done | ||
Instructors
Thanks to our large group of volunteer instructors, we can hold these mirror class and give everyone the individualized attention they require. Several of our instructors work professionally in the optics industry, and many have competed dozens or mirrors and more complicated optics as amateurs.
Officers, Trustees and Full Members of the club have had to successfully made a mirror or other quality optical surface.
 Mirror Class Leader, Full Member Eats #80 Grit for a Snack! |
 Full Member Explaining a Polishing Stroke |
 Full Member Making Mirror Kits |
 Full Member Uncrating a 16" Blank in the Bunkhouse |
 Full Member Using the Foucault Tester |
 Full Member Demonstrates Polishing Techniques |
 President Mechanical Judging at Convention |
 Truestee Assembling the Domed Observatory |
 Full Member Making Pitch Laps at the 2001 Convention |
 Full Member At the Foucault Tester |
 Trustee and Webmaster Explaining Foucault Testing |
 Secretary Making a Pitch Lap in the 2006-07 Class |
 Full Member At the 2007 Convention |
 Full Member At the 2006 Stellafane Convention |
 Full Member Explaining Telescope Construction |
 Full Member Assembling his telescope, 2006 Convention |
Final Report
What a wonderful and productive mirror class season we had! Over the course of 12 sessions we were able to complete 11 mirrors, all to a super high level that met the exacting demands of our parabola guru Dave Kelly. Any of these mirrors will be very competitive in the Stellafane Convention optical competition and we hope to see some of them entered this year. Several mirror class students who caught glass pushing fever joined the Springfield Telescope Makers as Associate Members this season. The Refractor Interest Group continues to make progress towards completing a unique design and has been busily cutting blanks. It was another harsh winter in Vermont, with one ice storm that cut power to our area and thousands of residents for a week. Fortunately the Fletcher House, an accessible location in winter, was again donated to the club by our friends at Newsbank. Having Fletcher House available is a great winter resource for Stellafane Mirror Class and we appreciate the opportunity to use it. During the better weather students made use of the Breezy Hill site, enjoying the Bunkhouse and the McGregor Library for grinding and polishing. During mirror class activities several STMs are working on the club 16 inch mirror which has reached the polishing stage. This full-thickness Newtonian optic will probably be mounted in a Dobsonian truss. I would like to thank all our amazing mirror class instructors, who give so much time and talent to make this magic happen. Your infectious enthusiasm for Stellafane and for mirror making keep our sessions fun and engaging. We hope to see our students who finished mirrors at Convention this August with completed scopes on the field in front of the historic Clubhouse. And we hope to meet up with everyone next fall for mirror class, when all the grit slinging and pitch melting will begin again. Thanks for another great season, Jay Drew
| Attendance | Sep | Oct #1 |
Oct #2 |
Nov #1 |
Nov #2 |
Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | April | May |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 14 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 15 | X | 15 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 7 |
| Instructors | 10 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 10 | X | 11 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 3 |