24.07.2021 Afternoon imaging and the first shutter rib.

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Saturday afternoon. 71F, still cloudy but I'll keep trying when the sun shines.

13.35 First image after lunch. Too much cloud! Etalon poorly tuned with asymmetric brightness.

I think this is the only true spot on the sun at the moment.

13.35 After this the seeing became so bad I could no longer focus!

 

With the seeing not cooperating I went back to the dome woodwork. I glued six arcs into the first shutter rib. Only another three ribs to go. This time I used wood screws instead of spring clamps. Better location and holding power.

It also meant I could safely lift the partial rib to turn it over as each arc was glued. Using clamps denied me the ability to see that the joints were well butted together. Deliberately skewing the joints spread the loads along a much greater length of arc. The joints were staggered by half an arc to spread them well apart. If I thought I were more skillfull with a router I could have made T&G joints.

I used a stiff, nylon, washing up brush to spread the glue. It worked very well. Better than the former scraper. I gave the brush a good swirl in water afterwards and then left it to soak. Titebond III wipes easily off the hands with a damp rag. Followed by handwashing, once I had finished, of course.

 

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