Beyond the Blueprint: Creating a Galaxy - Post 7-The ups and downs of 3D printing and Plan B
I used to tell people, ¨I would hesitate becoming a member of any group that would allow me to join them…..¨ That being said…. join an Astronomy Group TODAY if you have not already. I just joined the Warren County Astronomical Society. I have lived in Warren County Ohio for years and had no idea they even existed. I was fortunate to find out about this amazing group. They have built and maintained TWO observatories in Warren county and work with the parks department to keep them running. They have regular public viewings. The astronomical society offers online classes. They provide private viewings for members. The society also works with almost any school group that approaches them. I am just getting back into astronomy and what has impressed me the most is that the Warren County Astronomical Society has many dedicated members passionate about science and willing to share their passion with others. You can only learn so much from You Tube. It is a huge help to learn from others journeys and passion. And it makes it much more fun. Join Today!
3 D printed phone holder ABS
Good news….Matt the engineering teacher successfully dialed in the 3 D printer and was able to print a cell phone holder for a telescope. Not so good news…pretty much confirmed that I will need to go to plan B. 70 plus parts with hundreds of students was just a bit ambitious. I am learning that 3 D printing is part science and part art form. That is O.K. It just means that I may have to take the long term plan and trust the process. I think I do have good plan B.
20 year old newtonian reflector….
Years ago I was involved in a great astronomy program at the Cincinnati Observatory center. I was awarded with an 8 inch Newtonian Reflector Telescope. It is now dusty, out of alignment, and has been lent out and tossed in the back of numerous cars and SUVs on road trips. The optics are still good. It just needs to be restored. The plan is to first take it apart, clean it, re align the optics, put it back together and give it every upgrade possible that was not available 20 years ago. I plan to record and video every step of the way…even the mistakes. Why bother? There are many scopes available online that are great used telescopes. You can get them at a decent price and turn them into great scopes with a bit of TLC and creativity. Just think, you can view the universe for a minor investment that can provide years of wonder and enjoyment. Letś get started….
