How to Make a Telescope - 8 Inch Newtonian Reflector (Part 1)

Рет қаралды 871,404

Күн бұрын

This is a tutorial on how to make a telescope (part 1 of 2). We make an eight inch Newtonian Reflector telescope. If you are not exactly sure what that means that is ok. I will describe it in the video and a little bit here. A reflector telescope is one that has a mirror in it. And being a “Newtonian” means it is very similar to the one that Sir Isaac Newton made. It has an eight inch in diameter mirror. And that is a really good size mirror. You are going to see some amazing stuff if you make this telescope.
✅ It's been a life long dream of mine to write a book on telescopes and stargazing. Get my Book on Amazon with this affiliate link: amzn.to/3S6bWig
(See it With a Small Telescope: 101 Cosmic Wonders Including Planets, Moons, Comets, Galaxies, Nebulae, Star Clusters and More”
In this video I show you how to make the tube part of the telescope. In part 2 we make the mount for it, completing it.
Note from Will: On the day I finished this telescope it was a clear night. The moon was about three quarters and Jupiter wasn't far away from it. I temporarily attached the scope to another mount that I have and took a look through it. And I was shocked by how beautiful a view of the moon and of Jupiter I got with it. The moons around Jupiter were crisp and sharp. That big eight inch mirror gathers a lot of light.
The web tutorial for this project, which includes complete parts list and lots more tips, information and pics is here:
www.stormthecastle.com/telesco...
This is an intermediate level project. If this project is a bit ambitious for you I have a couple of other telescope making tutorials you might be interested in:
Make a 4 inch newtonian reflector telescope:
• How to Make a Reflecto...
Make a small hand held telescope with lenses (Cheap and easy telescope project, good for children to make):
• How to make a small ea...
PART 2 OF THIS TUTORIAL (MAKING THE MOUNT) is here:
• How to Make a Telescop...
About my Channel:
I have hundreds of videos covering all kinds of creative projects. I put out a new video every Tuesday and Friday and if you want to stay updated you can subscribe to my channel here:
kzfaq.info_c...
Affiliate Links:
The Focuser I purchased for this tutorial: amzn.to/2fYPeux
The Telescope Tube: amzn.to/2eC3bcz
The Bondo Fiberglass resin: amzn.to/2eKE6iP
The Bondo Fiberglass mat: amzn.to/2flFruC
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✅ Want to Support Will and his work? Help him create more content and help him build a castle? You can learn more and become a patron here: / epicfantasy
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Пікірлер: 861

@epicfantasy 4 жыл бұрын

Like this video. Be sure to subscribe to my channel! And hit the little bell icon so you are notified when I upload new videos! Thanks!

@kennethkingery2586 3 жыл бұрын

I buy one from you.

@nissanmotor1 3 жыл бұрын

I sent you some picture ofmy build to your email

@SpaceScienceAndAstronomy 3 жыл бұрын

I am very poor I love astronomy and space science Please give me telescope for free

@Sniptool 3 жыл бұрын

Could you please share the details about focuser & second mirror sizes.

@nissanmotor1 3 жыл бұрын

The list of part i used is on his website

@patrickstevenson8305 3 жыл бұрын

What a blast! I am retired from Steward Observatory Mirror Lab where we fabricated 8.4 meter mirrors. I now have my own observatory with all factory components. I found that I had lots of time during the day with little to do so I decided to make my own telescope. First thing I did was call Parks and price all the components and it came to about $1600 for an 8" f/6 telescope. Then I found you on the internet and ended up here on KZfaq. You have inspired me to forget Parks and I'm now going to build one like this. This will be a fun project and will keep me busy doing something I love. I will make Optical Tube Assemblies, sell or donate them, and then build some more! Thanks for taking the time to make this video. You did an excellent job and truly inspired me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

@epicfantasy 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your kind words and.... sounds like you are going to have some fun! Keep me posted and feel free to email me!!

@johnsmith-oh2xo Жыл бұрын

Hi sir are you still making them i would love one or to buy one....

@ishaangunjan25yearsago42 2 жыл бұрын

Imagine buying telescopes when you can make one

@GUY_ON_INTERNETT 2 жыл бұрын

Too bad I bought one

@MathewPanicker1010 2 жыл бұрын

You cant replicate the quality and complexity of a manufactured scope. This is a simple Newtonian, so constructing it at home is relatively do-able. SCTs and Maks would be impossible

@parthd714 2 жыл бұрын

@@MathewPanicker1010 but homemade scopes are still preferred for large diameters. I would make a 14 ìn telescope for 500usd max instead of buying c14 for 900usd

@MathewPanicker1010 2 жыл бұрын

@@parthd714 a c14 is an sct while you are talking about a dob. Also, a 12in mirror alone is ~ $800. I have no idea how you'd make the whole thing for $500....

@Badkitty24 2 жыл бұрын

@@MathewPanicker1010 i can't find any 10" mirrors right now for less then $800.... not to mention nobody had any stock. I may have to just build a 8".

@beleghan 3 жыл бұрын

WILL! I am just past 8mins and already LOVE your video!!!!!! the easy instructions, your easy-going, calm and cool-teacher voice... I cannot wait to build one with my 8yrs old daughter!!!! I live in Costa Rica, so the hardware will be kinda tricky. Thanks for your passion and teaching patience. Pura Vida!

@AbyssinianEmerald 6 жыл бұрын

Hey, i'm 2 years late, but now subscribed. Awesome job! Your presentation style is really approachable, and i think you explained things very well - so people with little or average experience with tools could still probably put one of these together. Thanks for sharing! I am inspired, and think i want to build this style of 'scope on some shared neighborhood commons to maybe get some of the kids around here interested in astronomy. I'm going to try going big, with a reflector made from a mountain bike rim and mylar (thick, rigid plastic sealed to one side, and a mylar space blanket sealed to the other side of the rim, and draw a vacuum with a simple valve... and maybe make the "tube" out of a pair of road bike wheels joined with 4 or 6 pipes or 2x2's lengthwise sandwiched between the large road rims with cables, all thread, or even rope. Might be a bit of maintenance with the less than ideal materials (not sure how the ideal gas law would treat my mirror under thermal changes... but maybe i could fill the space with resin...hmm... projects!), but still would be good to pass along the inspiration the the next generation. Thanks again for sharing - very smart and simple mirror adjustment too. Cheers! and PeaceTruthLove!

@stevew585 5 жыл бұрын

Watching from East London UK, This is fantastic! What a clever Guy you are Sir, so enjoyable and really fascinating! Thanks

@Shadowmanbluesbluesman 6 жыл бұрын

really impressed with this video, I have watched a few and yhis is by far the most informative, Great Job

@Rynax- 8 жыл бұрын

Hey Will, this is great! I'm loving all these new tutorials of different projects, keep it up :D

@epicfantasy 8 жыл бұрын

+Rocket Girl Thanks :)

@enesmertulu 4 жыл бұрын

This is the best video I've ever watched about that topic! Greetings from Turkey!

@EarlWallaceNYC 7 жыл бұрын

I just made this cell for my 6 inch mirror, which I'll use for Schlieren Photography. Your cell was the easiest and best design I found on the web. Thanks for the video.

@franceskowalski6535 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you so so much for putting this out there!. I have been looking forever for easy to follow instructions on building a telescope, and this is the best thing I've found so far!.

@5729ariel 8 жыл бұрын

Excellent video, This is the simplest approach yet! Keep up the good work!

@fookutube501 6 жыл бұрын

Love your video,easy to understand,even showing little detail (like the letter on the light)was awesome!!.Sharp video my bro,keep it up

@AmjadKhagga 7 жыл бұрын

This man is genius & knows the science of optics (this telescope really works) and has wonderful features like centering and tilt adjustments of mirrors.

@WhatAWondWorld 4 жыл бұрын

How wonderful it is! Thank you very much for the video!

@joeabad5908 3 жыл бұрын

Wow.. Such a fantastic tutorial.. You're making it look so easy for me to try... Thank you for sharing your passion.

@MARTIN201199 4 жыл бұрын

I was discouraged by some web sites saying don’t do it. It’s hard and expensive. You saved me. Thanks. I’ll do it and send you photos. I’ll do it slowly and carefully

@srinathmaddur3722 4 жыл бұрын

brilliant ! loved the way you explain the process. Now I am eager to build one :-)

@tsstudios216 6 жыл бұрын

Well done...I bet that scope with your 8" mirror is going to rock !

@edgarsi 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you Sir! This is one great channel!

@foozlefoozle 7 жыл бұрын

Excelente demonstration. I feel like making one, following these instructions. Many thanks for sharing sir.

@SlvrSplsh 7 ай бұрын

What a great video! Great ideas, all of them, but I might offer a suggestion... As a musician, I am aware that climate, especially the humidity affects woods in strange ways. Also, having owned a Newtonian before, I know that a difference of a fraction of a wavelength of light, alters the performance of the mirror. Using wood for the mirror cell might be acceptable, but only if the wood is sealed against humidity. This can easily be accomplished by finishing the wood with a polyurethane finish. Don't skimp, do at least 2 coats. Don't forger to drizzle the polyurethane into the bolt holes on both the cell itself and the back plate, and don't forget the edges. This will ensure the best, most consistent performance from your telescope, for years to come.

@amrinsmiler1d514 8 жыл бұрын

keep it up i also love your awsome mouthwateri tutorials you are a great creative maker or anything great

@kawtardouidy9611 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much. This is amazing!

@abderrahmandouara9973 8 жыл бұрын

Cool ! thank you .. I am so excited to watch the next parts

@andrewhudson2860 3 жыл бұрын

Brilliant video, Thank you. Collecting the parts now. 🇬🇧

@hectormorales6969 8 жыл бұрын

i really have to say this is one of the best tutorials i have ever seen. im making my own telescope

@Urban_Piggy 3 жыл бұрын

Me too. I just want a better understanding of how all the components work together.

@1theheightofparadise 4 жыл бұрын

im so excited to make my first ever telescope. thank you for making this video!

@terminardo 4 жыл бұрын

Jonathan Lavigne I’m thinking of doing it myself. How did it go and how much did it cost in total?

@Ertizoel-backup 27 күн бұрын

i appreciate that you also explained how it works, that makes it so much more interesting!

@777wrench 2 жыл бұрын

Great video. One thing I thought of was to cut you tube about 2 inches longer. So that the mirror can be recessed. Then you could put an end cap over the mirror culminations screws to protect their adjustment.

@joeestes531 4 жыл бұрын

What a Awesome project! Thanks for sharing!

@andybrooks7228 4 жыл бұрын

Great vid keep up the excellent content, A beautiful telescope makes my 130 look anemic :)

@JoseGranny 7 жыл бұрын

Cool video. This one, along with part 2, and 3 got me to sub! Looking forward to checking out the rest of your projects.

@Upuauta 9 ай бұрын

Are there really a part two and three? I seem to can´t find them.

@tdjmusic 7 жыл бұрын

Very cool!! Thanks for uploading.

@georgemorley1029 2 жыл бұрын

Your intro made me, a 42 year old man, and my 7 year old and 5 year old daughters laugh our socks off! It helps that we all love Zelda and astronomy.

@mel_163 8 ай бұрын

Aw man finding your channel again after 10 years or so, I feel like a kid again Loved watching your videos and building stuff Building this telescope was my dream as a kid, and I think I'll be building it now

@epicfantasy 8 ай бұрын

Thanks for coming back :) There is a certain joy in using a telescope you built with your own two hands ") Email me if you have any questions. Happy to help.

@tarandeepkaur6407 6 жыл бұрын

I found it the most useful video of KZfaq . Thankyou sir

@negociosen 2 жыл бұрын

Excelente video, me animare a hacer un telescopio....muchas gracias por tu información 👏

@fullstrutn 6 жыл бұрын

simple clear easily understood thank you!!!

@biswajit2363 5 жыл бұрын

fantastic work.. wanna be a carpenter before assembling this typOO hugE one 😊 thanks for sharing..

@jeffreyyoung4104 2 жыл бұрын

Very nice video for a telescope! The cost of the secondary mirror mount is worth the cost when you collimate your scope. Your main mirror mount is spot on! I used the same tube for my 8 inch scope, and I am looking for a mount to make for it. An equatorial mount would be nice!

@tedwilliams3875 7 жыл бұрын

Very Nice! Its really amazing how simple it is to make a telescope!

@jefflucas_life 7 жыл бұрын

So cool, on my next list to do. thank you.

@Alex-jv4eu 8 жыл бұрын

Could you make a tutorial on the teleport crystals from Sword Art Online? btw great work on the Elucidator, Dark Repulser and Lambent Light!

@anandhb2584 Жыл бұрын

This is such good function driven engineering. I am excited to learn and improve my hands in skills.

@BangBangBeefyMacNCheesy 4 жыл бұрын

Got to the build part where it was time to columnize the mirrors. Couldn’t get them to line up. Decided to use M80 fireworks and blew the whole thing up. Very satisfying indeed. 😃 (this is a great vid for real though... it’s actually very thorough on how to build a decent reflector scope... thank you for publishing it!)

@TheUrbanAstronomer 6 жыл бұрын

Looking forward to part 2 :)

@echeung2004 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you. Excelent job. You help me lot.

@robinkumar9086 4 жыл бұрын

Your video is very informative, thank you very much sir

@amberlamplabarge5287 8 жыл бұрын

this is sooo cool! I'm in awe :)

@Urban_Piggy 3 жыл бұрын

Do you by any chance have any relatives who taught biology thirty or so years ago? My teacher had your name.

@amberlamplabarge5287 3 жыл бұрын

@@Urban_Piggy im in iowa and most of my family are crap!! Lol!!

@dennistruong6091 2 жыл бұрын

Very cool! Thank you for posting this video

@erolldee9542 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for great explanation .

@akbarhussain1767 Жыл бұрын

Thank you sincerely, for sharing your valuable Knowledge & Insights, thank you ...

@aynos629 3 жыл бұрын

Wow! That is so good, thank you!

@besttutorials4534 4 жыл бұрын

I learned a lot Today. Thank you Sir.

@LenyR0SE 4 жыл бұрын

This is awesome!

@mosabammar 4 жыл бұрын

I did it 👌💪💪 and it works perfectly 😉😉

@jorgeolazo5427 2 жыл бұрын

Great video, very practical. Question where did you get the primary & secondary mirrors ?

@johns5917 2 жыл бұрын

lol it's a typical youtuber fact that they won't show you the most important things. They always show you the easy stuff that even a 10 year old can do but when it comes to more advance/important stuff, like mirrors they send you to their books, courses, links and bla bla bla.

@DJBBBOSS 6 жыл бұрын

Very interesting video and as I have been given a telescope and wondered how they are constructed and designed your video instruction on how to build one has given me an insight into how the mirrors in mine are setup and how they could be adjusted if there out of line through being knocked and stored away as this one has for many years..... I can now go ahead and get it setup knowing how its constructed............. thanks so much for making this video, Regards, Steve

@epicfantasy 6 жыл бұрын

You are very welcome. Thanks for watching. The process of aligning the mirrors in your telescope is called "collimating". That term should help you find tutorials.

@DJBBBOSS 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks again........... Ive got a wonderful opportunity to use this telescope as the guy who gave it to me lives in a city that has problems with light pollution as most large towns and cities do..... although I have a house in the UK's 2nd city ( Birmingham ) I'm also lucky enough to have a caravan ( Trailer ) in the countryside that is very dark and I'm told that this is the perfect place to be able to view with so little light pollution.... again, many thanks...

@shadi.y 6 жыл бұрын

thanks a lot for this very useful and easy

@epicfantasy 6 жыл бұрын

You are very welcome. Thanks for watching.

@joejoe7171 3 жыл бұрын

This is awesome! I think I will be doing this!! I want to ask since Epoxy hates smooth surfaces. I don't if if the back of that mirror is smooth or not but I wonder about its life span and how strong it is.

@sidharth4227 6 жыл бұрын

Great video due! Thanks

@robbieohare9542 8 ай бұрын

awesome. i love it.

@aresident7745 Жыл бұрын

this is a great video. thank you

@willparsons32 6 жыл бұрын

So glad I came across your video... easy to follow along with and understand your steps.. Just wondering though... the mirror you use to make the telescope; is it flat or concave?

@Sinestesiacanal 6 жыл бұрын

Hey, I have a question. Can I use for the secondary mirror (The small one) a square mirror ? Or is it has to be elliptical?

@dallaswalden690 5 жыл бұрын

Thank u for the very accuratre way to create a very clear telescope my son is into astronomy and astrophysics and he said all other videos showed nothing of the same and no i havent watched this video but just his over abundance of joy and excitement said it all and again thanks if u have other plans or ideas on improving on this or others please share i would love to record him making his own i bet he will discover plenty !!!!!

@epicfantasy 5 жыл бұрын

Hi Dallas, Thanks for the thoughtful comment. Track down my email and send me a message. I will send you, for your son, a signed copy of my telescope book - gratis.

@M.Huling 2 жыл бұрын

That’s really neat that you know how to do that, however most people nowadays just either don’t have the time or the desire to fiddle with all that stuff, especially since you can go on Facebook market place and pick up a used professional built telescope for practically nothing. But still it’s awesome that you know how to make a telescope from scratch

@brandonbentley5453 11 ай бұрын

I'm looking at 14 inch mirrors for around 250 to 350usd! I work in aerospace and can get the mirrors fully coated etc. Great video!

@princevegeta5907 4 жыл бұрын

Your videos are just amazing

@SFsspacefever. Жыл бұрын

🎉❤ thanks sir

@oq17 3 жыл бұрын

You did a very nice job - thank you

@sannagesh6376 4 жыл бұрын

Easy & quite motivating. Please post more videos

@skywatch63 Жыл бұрын

ill have to try that real good video thanks for showing your telescope build

@JuanCarlos-wb6cm 3 жыл бұрын

You are a genius! Thanks for sharing.

@Eileen_Yulick 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for this

@JayDillon-mm6yv 7 жыл бұрын

Wow that is fun. Thank you.

@asif8208 4 жыл бұрын

I was thinking how can make i my own telescope few hours ago and when i opened youtube i found this video automatically. 😄😄

@epicfantasy 4 жыл бұрын

It was meant to be! You are going to make a telescope!

@toamaori 4 жыл бұрын

I saw how your drill bit was skipping around when you were drilling the hole for the focuser, a tip i was given years ago was to run the drill in reverse for a few seconds until it makes a small divot, then switch direction and drill the hole, might be a useful tip in the future.

@genericusername5909 5 жыл бұрын

The way you decided the focal length: Could you the mirror to project an image on photographic paper (which is typically around ASA 2 iirc) to do cameraless photography?

@klmusic9132 6 жыл бұрын

I would recommend center marking the mirror. Anyway, great project! :)

@alfama9022 4 жыл бұрын

I love how you present your projects in such detailed, yet easy to understand format. Thanks for this, 'cause I always wanted to make a telescope!

@Oganes03 5 жыл бұрын

That's really cool!

@poldipold5726 8 жыл бұрын

this is epic keep it up

@pirusyasayesh5178 6 жыл бұрын

thank you very good.

@cirvis240 8 жыл бұрын

The only question is where to get the mirror and focusing piece. :(

@epicfantasy 8 жыл бұрын

+cirvis240 I have links on the website to where you can get them. And it is possible to make a simple focuser that works quite well. If you are dreaming of a telescope it is always possible.

@cirvis240 8 жыл бұрын

+epicfantasy Who doesn't dream of one! :D I just couldn't find the links at first.

@epicfantasy 8 жыл бұрын

Keep at it! It is worthwhile. In a crazy world it is great to get a little quiet time under a dark sky.

@11TwentyThreePM 6 жыл бұрын

Do u have a video showing how well it works??

@peterraftery2426 6 жыл бұрын

cirvis240 7

@cuellarivera 4 ай бұрын

Dude thanks your great

@lenf2 4 жыл бұрын

How do you plan on taking care of the problems of spherical and chromatic aberration?

@dikhed1639 4 жыл бұрын

That's fabulous

@NaveenKumar-xe9yh 4 жыл бұрын

Method of teaching is excellent. Though I am hindi speaker, but lesson is made very clear. From Dehradun, India.

@steadfasttherenowned2460 5 жыл бұрын

I'm lucky that I have all the lenses, concave and convex mirrors I could possibly want. They came out of an old atmospheric spectrometer my grandfather helped create back on the early 1970s. All I have left is all the precision made mirrors and lenses. Some of the concave mirrors can start fires by reflecting the sun at its focal point. Within seconds. I am totally going to use the parts to make this telescope. Thanks for the Video.

@avt_astro206 3 жыл бұрын

Very Impressive. A Homede 8 inch Telescope great Work ❤️😀😊

@polorizo7381 7 жыл бұрын

nice job...wonderful

@sharathnirmala2248 5 жыл бұрын

Where can I find good parabolic mirrors since at these large sizes, spherical aberration would be an issue, most of the links are for spherical mirrors, also can I modify this design for astrophtography? Thank you for making these useful tutorials.

@bonefishboards 3 жыл бұрын

I rebuilt my Meade 8" Dob and fiberglassed the tube and painted it the same color you did. BUT, the balance point changed significantly after fiberglassing and I had to make some serious base modifications.

@VC27 Жыл бұрын

You are very good teacher!

@clintkennedy8374 4 жыл бұрын

Fantastic 👍🏼

@jameswright4732 5 жыл бұрын

NOTE FOR ANYONE TRYING TO DO FIBERGLASS WORK: The Pink cartridges like the one he is using at 7:49 are generally a PARTICULATE filter. They will do nothing against the fumes of the uncured resin.

@hdunn8589 4 жыл бұрын

I mean if you piss in a rag and put it over your nose and mouth it's a good chemical filter… stops chlorine gas atleast...

@94SexyStang 3 жыл бұрын

Correct James..... pink is a P100......only good for particulates and viruses, welding fumes, and CS Gas(which is actually a particle!)