Can anyone share the basics of making a mirror?
I’d suggest getting a kit or look for a local astronomy club if possible. A 6″ diameter mirror is the minimum size I would make, and it was my first many years ago. Smaller mirrors are actually harder and show so much less of the night sky. I would recommend an 8″ today, as it lets you see much more than a 6 inch, having nearly twice the area. A 10″ is the maximum I would suggest for a first mirror. A 10 inch or larger requires a lot of perseverence- you must not be one to get discouraged easily or it may never get done or it amy take years. Neither is what you want, of course. Making an 8″ mirror won’t take much more time than a 6″, and I’d say about 50 hours effort is required- that’s working time, real time might be 80. That’s an average. After experience, you could make the next in about 25% less time. If you make a mirror, you need to be able to test it. While you could just star test, this requires good seeing and isn’t very convienent. So a Foucault tester is really a near must-
