Mirror Stands
The first test stand was described in an issue of Telescope Making
magazine. It's PVC pipe with pegboard attached. Shelf hooks
can be moved around and support the mirror. A thumbscrew on the
front controls
tilt. Overall, this is a good stand for mirrors under 8" in
aperture.
For larger mirrors, up to 20", I
built this next stand. I have to
make more mirror support blocks, but they are interchangeable and
adjustable
in height. The safety clip can be moved up and down in a T-track,
which is sold for use in woodworking jigs. This stand is rock
solid, and a
furniture glide with a spike attached is inserted in a hole in the
bottom of the front adjustment bolt, and so the front of the tester
does not "walk around" when the knob is turned.
This stand makes testing much more pleasant.
To support some thin 13.1" mirrors that I made, I used a curved support
to rest the mirrors on. It was lined with pile-type
weatherstripping, that is, the stuff that is like a miniature version
of shag carpeti, with little fibers sticking up. I used two
widths of this weatherstripping on the support. Here are photos
of the support attached to the stand, the second being a closeup.
