greyhoundman's ramblings

Planet Box

2011-09-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

Got the idea one night while looking at Saturn through my telescope.

First I found a block of highly figured basswood. This I used to make the two halves of the planet.
This turned out to be the easiest part.

I tried all kinds of ideas for the rings, plywood, and several woods laminated into a board. None looked right. I then stopped into a local wood supplier, Kencraft of Toledo, Ohio.
And there just waiting for me, was a piece of claro walnut. It had a large knot that made the wood grain curve into a perfect ring look.

I cut a hole that was a tight fit over one half of the globe. I then made a wood chuck for my lathe for turning it. It took a light touch to turn the taper on the ring piece. During sanding I had to keep it from getting too hot.

The base stand was made from the left over walnut. It was designed to get that school globe look.

I then finished it with danish oil and a homemade hard wax. The inside is flocked with a suede type material. The crescent moon is made from deer antler, found in the woods.

Next I'll post my latest coffee table.

Venus -- my princess and shining star

2011-09-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry my return post should be sad news.
But it's been a rough year. Aside from my health issues, we lost Venus.
She was our second greyhound in the family of 6.

She passed away on July 12th 2011. She was 13.5 years old. But she acted like she was 3 or 4.
She had issues with a disc in her neck for a few years. It finally went completely. This caused her to lose the use of her right front leg. It was also very painful.
So again I had to make the most hated of decisions. I know it was the right thing to do. But every one of these decisions haunts me daily. Another part of me to be lost. This side of the rainbow bridge is getting crowded.
So now we have just Echo. She is the last of what I considered to be my closest family members.

I'm glad of my photography ability. It has allowed me to have a favored photo of each for my greyhound wall.

I will try and get back into posting new items. I have quite a bit of woodworking projects to post about.

Bugatti 3/27/10

2010-03-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

Our beloved Bugatti is waiting at the bridge, as of Saturday.

From the day we took him from the bad home he was in, he has been a super fun and loving member of our family. It was like it was meant to be.

Even though he was slowly losing the use of his legs, he stayed a happy, playful friend.

He is very much missed by us and the two greys, Venus and Echo. The girls are really down right now.

It ripped my heart out to see him fade. But I love all my greys too much to force them to stay beyond that time. If it was up to me, they would live as long as me.

Now I have one more friend awaiting my arrival at the bridge.

When the last one crosses over, I'll be ready too.

Being fair-Never again Castle Photo Ltd

2010-03-23T12:02:00.000-07:00

Just to be totally fair to the jerk that is running the print shop, I took two photo files in for printing. One of which had won me a third place out of 600+ entries. Now they had done these for me 6 months ago with no problems.
Now he says my files are not going to come out as I see them on the monitor. He claims the photo never is going to come out as he sees it on his monitor.
Dialog with owner.
Question: What color profile are you using?
Answer: I’ve got it set for infinite color.
Question: Are you using CMYK, RGB, or sRGB?
Answer: That doesn’t matter, I use infinite color.
Question: Why are the photos coming out so dark, with such muddy colors?
Answer: Your post processing is at fault.
Question: Why then did the prints come out perfect 6 months ago?
Answer: The files must have been corrupted since then.
He was then shown 6 prints he did 6 months ago for a contest.
He was asked why these were just fine, considering they were done on the same computer, software and monitor.
Answer: I have no idea how those were done.

Then he decided to jabber with no idea of what the hell he is talking about.

I don’t know what you want.
We’re not used to doing fine art prints.
I don’t know what to do for the prints.
We’ll try upping the saturation, and darkening them a little to bring out the colors.
Pictures that are lightened too much lose color.

Yet they are the ones saying my photos are too dark to start with.

To be honest.
This guy couldn’t pour pee out of a boot, if it had directions on the heel.
I doubt he’d know a good print, even if it bit him in the ass.
I’m totally done with the low grade moron. Guess it’s time to start raising cash for a top line photo printer for home.
So his claim to fame is that he knows how to destroy a business in less than a year

Castle Photo Redo- ROFLMAO

2010-03-09T15:41:00.000-08:00

Well I gave the guy another stab at redoing the prints. Obviously he does not know how to print colorful photos. Even after having the problems explained, giving him the website info to allow him to see what they should look like, and supplying a CD with all full rez photos, he flubbed it.When it was suggested that he bring them up on his monitor to see how they looked. He said that was worthless, because they probably wouldn't look the same when printed. DUH!! What kind of BS is that.

He got a couple fairly close, but one in particular he trashed it. I have several rose shots that are almost 3D. But he couldn't even get the colors right.

The photo on the left is the original shot, with very little tweaking. The one on the right is his supposed faithful print. I'm done messing with this hack printing outfit.

If you would like to see how my photos look full size. You can see them here, http://swainphotography.smugmug.com/

Castle Photo & How to ruin a photo business

2010-03-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

Castle Photo Ltd is located in Sylvania Ohio. It has been under new ownwership since May 2009.
In the past my photos have always been done to an excellent standard. But the quality has took a trip to the sewer. And when I tried to get them reprinted, I was stonewalled by the employees. They said only the manager/owner could ok reprints. But he makes his own hours, so after not hearing from him, I went and picked up the prints and CD. And what is really a hoot? He doesn't allow the employees to give out his name. Just ask for Joe. LOL
Sounds like the old movies about prohibiton speak joints.
You know. You go to the alley door and knock. A little window opens and you say " I was told to ask for Joe".
Either that or the guy is a member of a witness protection program. :) Of course I'm joking. But it makes for good straight lines when discussing the place. :)
But all I know is that the work there has become sub standard.
And yes, I'm a hard nosed, demanding customer. My tolerance for shoddy business practices is not great. I owned a business, and the customer was my paycheck. So I always made them happy.

NOTE:
He has now called the wife, not me, and agreed to reprint the photos. Gee, I wonder if it has to do with my attitude while there. And here I thought I had such a pleasant, sparkling demeanor. LOL It's only taken two days for him to decide to call. Now I'm supposed to drive another 60 mile round trip, to let him have another try at it. Well, this story may continue. But in the meantime, the locals better beware of the quality of the business.
And it seems I'm not alone in my opinon of the place, http://www.yelp.com/biz/castle-photo-ltd-sylvania.
I'll update when the results are in. ;)

More Astro Drive Bits

2010-01-16T11:32:00.000-08:00

I'll be adding an aluminum plate to use as a tripod mount. The whole unit will be mobile and operate off a 12vdc auto battery. I now have to collect the parts for the stepper motor drive circuit. I plan on it being able to do full step, and half steps.
Plus I'm going to have a removable pully on the other end of the shaft. This will be used to power my "circus" fork mount I built, http://greyhoundman.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html That way I can use heavier scopes.

Astro Drive Bits & Pieces

2010-01-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

I had been thinking about a astro drive for a while. But just couldn't accept the prices for factory stuff.

So I started scrounging again. :)

I found a 4", 120 tooth, 32 pitch worm gear on an astro site. It had a .750" hole for the shaft.

I drilled and tapped a shaft collar to act as a hub. I used a .750" rod to keep it centered while drilling. Next I installed a 32 pitch worm on a .1875 shaft. I pulled a couple of .1875" bearings from a printer to use on the worm shaft. I then built the worm carriage from some .500" Corian that was laying around. I made sure to have the stepper motor mount as part of the carriage, to prevent misalignment.

The main housing is also made from .500" Corian. I drilled and tapped the pieces for 8-32 machine screws, and washers. I machined notches to set the carriage in. I made them a little deep, to allow for shimming the carriage/worm for perfect meshing.

I used two .750", 2 bolt flange bearings for the .750" aluminum shaft. The shaft has .125" walls, giving a .500" sighting tube. I'll install crosshairs after everything else is done.

The stepper motor is from a large Epson dot matrix printer. It has 1.8 degree steps, and is unipolar. I made the motor to worm shaft coupler from a piece of .625" aluminum rod.

The hub that the ballhead mounts to, was made from a aluminum pulley. I cut the center from a 4" pulley, that had a .750" bore. I then mounted a 4.5" X .125" disc to make a turn table. I then made a long setscrew to attach it to the shaft. This way I can reset the ballhead without unmeshing the gears, or having to run the motor in reverse.

Astro Camera Part 2

2010-01-16T08:20:00.000-08:00

Here is the camera ready to use, except for the flat black paint inside the mount.

Plus a shot of the soon to be completed astro drive.

I'll also be using my Pentax K200D on the astro drive.

Astro camera Part 1

2010-01-16T08:07:00.000-08:00

Decided to build a webcam based astro camera for my astro drive setup. The drive is a work in progress.

I use Pentax cameras for my usual photo stuff. So I designed this to use those lenses. Once I found the proper thickness of the lens mount board, it went fast. I made sure to set this at the infinity focus of the lens.

I used some aluminum to make some side brackets to support heavier lenses.

The screw on top is to hold the webcam with it's after market nose piece.

The lens mount came from a junker K1000 Pentax I had in a box of camera junk.

I used #2 X .500" woodscrews to hold it in place. This entailed making the holes larger. I used a Dremel and a tapered diamond bit to do that. The T-nut is located on the bottom to give the best overall balance for the various sizes of lenses.

Another Bellows Experiment

2009-12-29T07:06:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to try making a clipped corner bellows. But I was not finding much in the way of clear instructions. So I sat and played with some stays till I figured it out.

I used the same form as for the other bellows for the Iston. But I tried some different material this time.

I bought some stretch satin, made with 97% polyester/3% spandex. I used some old manila folders to make the stays. The photo shows the layout. Before using the cloth, I coated it with a thinned batch of Tulip matte fabric paint. I've had very good luck with it sealing the fabric, but staying very pliable. The first coated side goes toward the form. After placing the stays I put on the outer fabric. It's coated surface faces away from the form.

It made a very light and pliable bellows, light tight.

I'll take off the previous bellows and install this one. It should be much easier on the adjustment parts.

Bellows Installed

2009-12-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

I decided that I needed a little protection from moisture with the cloth bellows. So I bought a bottle of Tulip brand matte black fabric paint. It dries flexible. It is used to apply letters and such to cloth shirts. I then diluted it with water at a 50-50 rate. This I then brushed on the bellows while it was again stretched over the form. When dry, it folded up again very nicely.

I then applied clear silicone to the rear frame of the camera. I clamped the bellows in place with a gazillion ( really professional word, eh ) small little plastic clamps I found at a local discount store. After 4 hours I did the front standard. When all was dry, I tested the holding ability of the silicone, by cranking out the bellows to it's full length. Holds great, no problems.

Now to get someone to pose for a photo test. :)

Bellows Part 2

2009-12-21T08:00:00.001-08:00

Sorry there are no photos of the steps during the gluing. But I was not going to let my cameras anywhere near spray glue or my sticky hands.

I will say, be prepared to take your time and be patient. :)

The site I referred to in the first post was a great help in getting it all laid out and glued together.

http://www.jbhphoto.com/articles/bellows/bbuild.htm

I did use a different glue than shown in the pdf. I used Super 77 spray adhesive.

Here is a photo of the bellows dry and folded. Next I will remove the old bellows, and get the camera ready for the new one. I plan on using clear silicone as a glue to attach the new bellows.

The Iston Needs A Bellows

2009-12-21T07:46:00.000-08:00

Well I've patched the 4X5 Iston bellows enough. I finally figured I'd have to try making a tapered bellows. First I consulted this site for some insight into the methods to use.

http://www.jbhphoto.com/articles/bellows/bbuild.htm

I then set about figuring how many folds, and their width I would need. I settled on 18 at .625" wide, with .500" end pieces to fold over for attaching to the camera frames.

I then had to draw out the pattern on a piece of white matte board I had laying around. This was to exact size, as it would be used to apply the cardboard stays to the cement coated cloth. This is done by using double sided photo matte tape. Two strips are put on the pattern board. The the stays are laid out in the proper order and lightly pressed on the tape. When the spray on glue is tacky on the cloth, the pattern is put in place, and lightly pressed down. When it is lifted the stays will come off and be stuck to the inner bellows cloth.

Then I built the form for the bellows. It was made 4" longer on each end to allow for clamping it to a bench. The finished bellows was to be 4.75" square at the small end, and 7.75" square at the large end. That done, I was ready to apply cloth and glue.

Flash Extender

2009-11-20T09:01:00.000-08:00

I have missed a few bird shots, due to not being able to get close enough using the external flash on my K200D. So I got to looking at the Better Beamer, http://www.moosepeterson.com/gear/betterbeamer.html

Of course I decided why buy, build it. :)

I bought a full page fresnel lens in the vision section at the store.

I used some left over plexiglass to make the side wings, painted them satin black. Don't want to look to Rube Goldberg in front of others. LOL

One rubberband and a little velcro.

And it is done.

The fresnel lens is 3.750" X 6.00", cut from the center of the full page lens. The distance from the flash lens to the fresnel is 6.625".

I used a small torch and a piece of wood to bend the tabs that go around the flash head.

With the velcro to hold the lens in place, it can be folded up and carried in a pocket.

In my early tests, it looks like I have gained about 2 stops of light at 20 feet.

It narrows the light spread as long as you have the grooved side facing away from the flash.

My cost was $10.00.

Not that the Better Beamer is not worth the price. But I like to spend the big bucks on gear I can't build. LOL

DIY PTTL Macro Flash 2

2009-10-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of it mounted on my Pentax K200D. I also have included a photo taken with the setup. It was at minimum focus distance, with the Tamron 90/2.5 lens.

The rubberband is secured under the hotshoe filler tab that is pulled out about 3/16".

DIY PTTL Macro Flash

2009-10-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

I was trying to figure a way to get PTTL flash for macro shots, without paying $300.00 + dollars for a flash.

I decided to try an extendable tube to bring the flash out to the end of the lens.

The part of the tube that hooks to the built in pop up flash, is 1.5" X 1.5" X 5". I cut the one end to match the angle of the flash head. There are two small cutouts to account for the widing of the flash. I took a paper clip and after straightning, put it through the tube. I then bent the ends to make hooks for the rubberband that would hold the unit in place. The inside has tinfoil glued to it for better reflectivity.

The second part of the tube was made to be a slide on fit with tinfoil on it's inner surface too. The lens end was cut to a 45 degree angle. I then fitted a piece of translucent plastic to act as a diffuser.

I can now adjust the length to match that of the lens at any focus distance.

ARRRRGH! Broken ist DS Camera

2009-09-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

My beloved Pentax ist DS quit working. The shutter button totally gave out. The camera only had 10,214 clicks on it. For over a month I've been trying to get a part number for a new switch. No way was I paying $280.00 to have a $1.83 switch put in.

Well I finally got hold of a Pentax customer service person who knows what the job is about. A Mr. Dorian Black.

He was able to get me a part number. I immediately ordered one. Well it arrived today. Five minutes, and my DS is like new.

I've added a photo of the switch. It is an easy repair. There are no parts to fall or fly out when the top is lifted. Then it is just a matter of carefully desoldering the old switch, and soldering in the new one. Total of 15 minutes of my time.

Hummingbirds

2009-08-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

The wife put up a hummingbird feeder right outside the window where I sit. They are amazing birds, and so tiny.

I thought I'd give a shot at taking some photos. I was leery of shooting through the glass.

I cleaned the inside, the wife the outside. It actually was very clear.

I sat the camera on the window ledge and used the cable remote. I preset the focus in manual focus mode, set the aperture to f 6.7, and used AV mode. Due to changing light levels due to clouds, I went with an ISO of 800. Once I got the timing down, and figured out how they maneuver, it was not too bad.

These are female ruby throated hummingbirds. The males having already left to go south.

The lens was the Tamron 70-300, set at 180mm macro mode. This lens is becoming one of my all time favorites.

Rainy Day Water Drops

2009-08-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

Not much chance of getting out in the yard with all the rain. Decided I would try my hand at water drops. I'd seen a lot of really cool shots on the web. I ended up at the strobist site. It has an easy to understand video on how you can shot water drops with little equipment.

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-photograph-water-drops-with-one.html

Took me a bit to get things pointed in the right direction. I used a piece of white foam board as my reflector. And file folder plastic divider, color blue, to use as the bottom of the water pan.

After a bit I was getting at least 3 out of 10 decent shots. I found a drip rate of one every 3 seconds allowed for getting the rhythm down and timing the shots better.

Of course a photogate would be even better, but I have not scrounged all the parts for one yet. :)

For the most explosive impacts, keep the water on the shallow side. At times I used only a 1/4" of water over the colored base.

Roses & Over Saturation

2009-08-25T06:50:00.000-07:00

I had some roses planted this year to brighten up the yard. When I went to take some shots of the red ones, they were all blown out color wise. So I started to experiment with all manner of stuff to see what I could do about it.

First I discovered that only very early or late light would be good.

Second I found that a reasonable amount of under exposure would tame some of the saturation. The rest was eliminated in the post processing.

Also after watching the hummingbirds at the feeder while I was taking photos tipped me to something. They are drawn strongly by red flowers. And they are very sensitive to IR light.

The red flowers are also excellent at reflecting the IR wave lengths of light.

Point is? The camera sensor is being swamped with more IR than the IR filter can screen out.

I'm now looking into an astronomy type glass IR filter to use in front of the lens. This will still allow focusing in the normal manner.

Gordon

2009-08-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Some of you know how much of my life has been invested in fostering and owning greyhounds.

I never cease to be amazed at the love that they give to someone who shows them they care.

Gordon was even more special. He had been taken back into the adoption agency from a bad home. He had obviously been badly treated. He had become a dangerous dog. The agency was even contemplating putting him down.

Well I decided that I was going to try and help him. The first three months were to say the least, a little scary. But he gradually learned that he was safe and loved. After a year he was pretty much over the bad experiences. Though no stranger could come in the house, with him loose. :)

Outside he was fine.

He had always had OCD, mainly with licking his feet and chewing his nails. Well the beginning of May he suddenly acted like he was lost. Almost like the human disorder, alzhiemers.

It progressed rapidly to the point he didn't seem to know where he was. Then he started to have bad nerve pain all the time. I could not stand to see him suffer. They suspected a cerebral tumor. So I had to let him go.

He passed away on May 20, 2009.

I'm so glad I was able to give him the extra years. He became a very loved member of our family.

So now I have one more friend waiting across the bridge.

The picture is the last one taken, two weeks before he died. He always had such loving, intelligent eyes.

New Posts Upcoming

2009-08-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

I have been neglectful of my blog for some time. Due to an overload of medical problems I have fell behind. As I have been trying to regain my mobility, I have been shooting whatever is near to my door. I plan on sharing some of my shots as I can process them.
Hopefully I won't bore everyone too much. :)

Grey Scope and Clear Skies

2008-10-05T15:16:00.000-07:00

Well I had a beautiful clear sky last night. I spent the first hour or so with my eye glued to the eyepiece. I was bowled over by the awesome views of Jupiter and the Moon.

I used my 6mm eyepiece and saw things on the Moon I've never seen before. It was definitely worth the build and minor hassles to get this scope done.

Before I came in for the night, I took a couple of quick shots with the Pentax ist DS.

I'm looking forward to a night with my webcam and laptop.

Grey Scope Done

2008-09-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

I had the scope done and ready to test. Then the problems started. GRRRRRR

The scope would not come to a focus. I was seeing three of a planet and they would not totally merge.

Now I had made my own secondary. I'd done them before out of Polaroid mirrors. I figured I'd just got a bad one. So I then made one from some Kodak 1/8" first surface mirror. Well this was a bit better, but still not right. I decided I'd just buy a secondary and give up. Well while waiting for it to arrive, I read a thread on CloudyNights.

DUH!!!

I had used two strips of double stick tape to attach the previous two secondaries. I'd never done this before, but didn't think it would be a problem. Big no no.

I had induced warping by holding the glass too rigid. So now I have two extra secondary mirrors.

Live and learn. :)

New secondary installed and the clouds move in. Figures.

Well I sat out there for a good while and caught a small gap in the clouds.

Hot Damn!!! Jupiter looked awesome. I saw detail I'd never seen before. It lasted about 5 minutes, then the clouds closed back in. I'm so pumped waiting for a truly clear night.

It was worth all the trouble in the end.

Grey scope 2

2008-09-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

As things came together I started thinking about some extras. I turned wooden rings to protect the tube ends. I then made a cap to close off the front of the tube. Next I made a rear cap with a computer fan to help cool the mirror quicker.

The base was made of particle board and has 4 coats of outdoor paint. The bearing pads are made from a 1/4" cutting board. The bearings are plywood with 8" PVC bands pressed on.

I painted the inside of the tube with Ultra Flat Black Krylon. The outside was white gloss Krylon.

8 inch Grey Scope

2008-09-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

I'd been thinking of building a larger scope. Well I finally bought an 8" mirror from a CloudyNights member.

Then I had to start scrounging for materials again. The 10" concrete form tube turned out to be the problem. No one in my area even knew they made them. I spent 3 days on the phone before finally locating one.

Once I had the tube, I could design the rest. I built the tube girdle and bearings first. I used particle board and oak. I wanted the tube to be easy to slide. So I used a carriage bolt and a outdoor faucet handle.

Next I built the mirror cell and spider for the secondary. The mirror cell is particle board, painted to seal it. The spider I made from PVC, wood and sheet metal. The focuser is a Tectron that I bought on ebay some time back.

Finder parts

2008-09-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

The elecrical parts came from Radioshack during some other project.

First photo

1) 10K ohm resistor, 15 turn cermat

2)SPST mini switch

3) 3vdc battery and holder, from a computer.

Second photo

1) 10mm red LED, 5000mcd, sanded flat

2) plexiglass screen painted black. I used a hobby knife to scratch the thin lines for the crosshair.

Telrad knockoff

2008-09-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

Decided I'd try my hand at building a knockoff of a Telrad finder for my big scope

Turns out it was an easy project. I used just a plain crosshair on the screen, rather than 3 circles.

I built it from 1/8" masonite and 1/4" plywood. The outer clear viewing screen is plexiglass. The glass inside is window glass painted black on it's back.

Sector Drive P3

2008-07-10T12:22:00.000-07:00

I had decided to build my own bearing system. I designed and cut a two piece block with an oversized shaft hole. I then cemented two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil in the channel. I lightly greased the shaft and test fit. I used the blue tape as shim material. Being such a slow turning shaft, this will be quite OK for a bearing. Then came time to give the drive a good test run. Ran perfect from the start. The cold rolled threaded rod is much better than cut threads. No bits and pieces to cause hang ups. Now all I had to do is build a suitable base to hold it. I used a piece of glued up plywood, 1", to make the base. I installed T nuts so I could use 1/4" carriage bolts as leveling feet. Camera bracket installed and waiting for suitable weather.

Another project from the scrap bins.

Sector Drive P2

2008-07-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

I soldered a small copper strip to each end of the curved rod. This allowed me to mount the rod without trying to use epoxy. I didn't want the job of cleaning out the threads. ;)I installed the straight rod in it's channel with bronze bushings. I had made sure to give it a way to back off allowing the sector to be easily returned to the start position.I installed the drive system on the back plate and tried it out. Ran perfectly.

Sector Drive Camera Mount

2008-07-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

And yet another project in my insanity shop. :)

I read about the sector drive being used to drive a telescope EQ mount. Hey says I, why not a camera mount for long exposure astro photos.

Time to dig in the scrap and junk bins.

I found a 1 rpm timing motor, 1/4" threaded rod and some goodies for making a transmission system.I used some 1/2" plywood to make the sector. I made sure to mount the curved threaded rod at 11.43" center of shaft to center of drive rod thread pitch. I used a piece of cutting board as my slippery surface, to ride against the polished aluminum strip on the back plate. I used a piece of hard 3/4" copper pipe as my central shaft. And some aluminum washers ( DIY ) for spacers.

2 beam scope final

2008-07-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

Well the mirrors arrived. I immediately set about finishing the scope. I used a black aniline leather dye for the beams. Then I just sprayed a light coat of clear to seal it.The guard under the front, is made from a 6" mailing tube and some roof flashing. It and the focuser mount are flocked to prevent glare.

I took it out for it's first light last night. A clear sky for a change. The views were tack sharp. Jupiter and it's moons were knock out awesome. The open design was little effected by outside light sources. The design proved sound, and worked beautifully. Well worth the effort.

Circus Mount ----- End For Now

2008-07-04T05:19:00.000-07:00

I'll of course report back once I have put the scope and the new mount through their paces.

I should have asked for faster UPS shipping on the mirrors. :(

Circus Mount P2

2008-07-04T05:15:00.000-07:00

I will be using the 2 beam scope on this. If the #%^&^%^$# mirrors ever get here. The guy mailed late, and the holiday ( July 4th ) has them sitting in some post office somewhere. :(

In these photos you can see how the timer and gears are setup. It tracks at solar rate. But with a little math, different rates could be put to use.

Circus EQ Fork Mount

2008-07-04T05:05:00.000-07:00

Circus for the loud colors. Hey, it was left over paint I had laying around.

I had been thinking of a DIY EQ mount for some time. But a good fellow by the name of Art Bianconi got me really ready to build.

The upright part of the stand is made from 1.125" particle board. The lower half being hollow

The adjustable feet are from 1/4" carriage bolts and Corian discs for knobs.

The shaft for the fork is 3/4" hard copper pipe, that rides in lignum vitae waxed bearings.

The drive gears are made from 1/2" plywood discs and the toothed belt from an old film scanner I stripped. The drive motor is a 24 hour light/appliance timer made by Interac. Usually available from Radioshack and others.

The angle of the shaft is 41.5 degrees, my latitude.

The 6 little bearing pieces on the half circles are from a small cutting board that used to belong to the wife. :)

Almost There

2008-06-29T13:21:00.001-07:00

I have all the parts ready for the final clear coat. Then I can assemble, and try it out. I'll be having to design a mount. Something on the order of hooking up to a sturdy photo tripod.

I started this as a filler while I waited for the mirrors for the 2 beam scope. Well this is almost done, and the mirrors are somewhere in the USPS netherlands. :(

I hope to soon have photos of both as they are done and in use.

Stay tuned. ;)

Folded Refractor P2

2008-06-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

I next went to work on the sled focuser. I had stripped an old film scanner for the parts a while back. From toothed belt I cut two pieces the length of the sled. I glued them to the wood with super glue. I used one of the gears to make the adjustment assembly. I took my usual PVC pipe and made the eyepiece holder. The secondary mirror came from an old russian spotting scope. As did the mirror at the rear of the scope. The wood was stained using black leather aniline dye. Then waxed to make it nice and slippery.

Folded Refractor

2008-06-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

I salvaged a small 60mm X 800mm refractor scope from the garbage bin down the road.

Since it is rather small, I decided to try a folded scope as a test project. The underlayment is luan and masonite. I'll be veneering with redwood after all measuements check out.

I really need to do drawings one of these days. :)

Lastest Photos

2008-06-24T10:11:00.000-07:00

Here is the scope frame on the completed mount. I also have made the focuser mount, for the recycled/repaired focuser.

I'll be posting as I figure out some of the other engineering challenges.

Recycled Parts

2008-06-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a shot of the basic scope frame on the Recycled Meade tripod. And a couple of the mount.

Follow Up Photos

2008-06-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

Close shots of the pivots, front plate and spider. And the rear Corian plate.

Here We Go Again

2008-06-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

The design is one suggested by Art Bianconi of Cloudy Nights forum.

It is based on 2 hollow beams to support the scope. It has sliding pivot points for adjusting balance. All materials are from the scrap bins in the shop and house.

The mirror set is a 4.5"/f10 that was used by Celestron.

The beams are 1" X 2" outside, hollowed to save weight. The rear plate and mirror plate are from black Corian. The spider and secondary holder are made from wood and coat hanger wire.

Front palte is 1/8" aluminum plate. Knobs are made from the same Corian, with 1/4" carriage bolts embedded in them.

Final Part- Cradle

2008-06-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

I built the scope cradle from .75" plywood, banding strap and some scrap aluminum sheet.

In total, the final cost for materials was $2.80. I had to buy 5 screws. Missed zero dollars by that much. LOL

I'll post a photo taken with it, if I ever get another clear night.

Ready For First Light

2008-06-17T10:13:00.000-07:00

After putting on a coat of spar urethane, I started the assembly. Once together I collimated the mirrors and gave a few peeks at a distance radio tower. I'm looking forward to a night of lunar viewing. The scope can handle a camera too. ;)

Focuser

2008-06-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

I salvaged the rack and knobs with the shaft for a new focuser. The tube is 1.25" PVC pipe. The housing is made from poplar. I turned and epoxied on a set of larger knobs. The tube slides on pieces of canned air applicator tube. :)

Pattern and End Plate

2008-06-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

This is the pattern for the 5 bulkheads I used in the scope. It was also used to cut the end plate that holds the mirror cell.

Low Dollar Scope

2008-06-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

Having salvaged a set of mirrors for a 114 X 900mm reflector. I decided to see how economically I could build a wood telescope. Again I'm going the pack rat route. :) I first designed a framework that would be stiff enough. 36" long, 6.75" across the flats, 5.75" center hole. The frame was made from 3/16" and 1/8" luan wood. The outer skin is made from 3/32" redwood. The outer end rings are from mahogany.

There is no flex in the finished tube.

Observing Chair

2008-06-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm back in a brace again. I needed a better chair to use at the scopes. So I decided to build one from shop scraps. I based it on a design from , http://www.harfordastro.org/izar/izar_chair/izar_chair.html. The wood is cherry from a sawmill's cutoffs. The seat material is camera bellows material. The whole chair cost zero to make in the shop. Which fits with my scrounger, dumpster diver habits. :)

In Between Clouds

2008-04-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

I managed to get out for a while on the 18th. The air was very clear and steady for a couple of hours. Getting the hang of focusing better. This kind of photo makes me want to build a bigger scope. :) Aperture fever hits the astronomer too. ;)

I used the Pentax DS and my reflector scope.

Now for the odd orange moon. This was taken on the 20th just as the rain stopped and a fog was moving in. The moon was low on the horizon. The thick air distorted the shape and caused the coloration. I didn't think I would see the moon. So I didn't have the scope ready. So I grabbed the tripod, camera and the 300/F4 lens. I'm surprised it came out as clear as it did in the thick air.

Rare Event - Clear skies

2008-04-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

The weather has been terrible for a long spell. But tonight the sky was really clear. And there was no wind.

I decided to use my 4.5 inch reflector telescope and Pentax DS. The moon looks very cool in the current position and phase.

As can be seen by the photo. I managed to get some very decent shots.

Despite the $%^&^%$# jet contrails, that eventually blanked out the whole sky. Disgusting pollution of the air, and a bane to astronomers.

I also have to constantly fight the stupidity of my neighbors. They see a camera and/or a scope and they freak. You are instantly a pervert, peeking tom.

A fear for their mental state. They are the same meatheads that have to burn a million security lights to take the trash out.

Rant done. Sorry.

Hopefully the skies will continue to improve. I'd like to get some more photos before the skeeters take over.

Lunar Eclipse

2008-02-21T10:40:00.000-08:00

Well, all the work and practice was put to use 2/20/08. I managed to get some nice shots of the eclipse. I even snuck in a shot of Saturn. I was using my 102X600 scope and ist DS. The shots were taken at iso 800, .7 second, at the principal focus.

The weather cleared about an hour before the eclipse started. It was one frigid session. I had a slight breeze and close to zero temprature. I don't even want to know what the windchill was.

As it was I couldn't feel my hands or feet when I was finished. Now the Saturn shot is over exposed somewhat. I misjudged the brightness. But the telltale shape is there.

But it almost didn't happen. I have some severe eye problems. I thought they were pretty much under control. Before setting up, I used some of the new drops the doctor gave me. The damn stuff gave me triple vision!!! I had to give the wife a quick lesson in helping focus the scope. Plus she had to judge the test shots for proper focus.

More Practice

2008-02-17T11:40:00.000-08:00

I had clear skies for a bit again last night. So I practiced with the new focuser and camera setup.

I oriented the photo to the lunar map I'm using. I also left the photo in color, rather than greyscale. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. :)

First Astro Shot from 102X600

2008-02-16T07:37:00.000-08:00

I finally got some clear sky to try out the scope. The electric focuser worked beautifully. I used my ist DS at prime focus, iso 400 at 1/500. One thing that really helped was to use the 2 second timer. It allowed any vibrations to stop before the shot is taken. Next time I'll try my viewfinder magnifier to get even better focus.

Electric Focuser

2008-02-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

I saw this idea over on Cloudynights.com.

I made it from a few RC plane parts and some junk box pieces. The Futaba 3004 servo has been modified to run continously. This is done by removing the circuit board and gear stop.

The foam airplane wheel has had a groove sanded down the middle for a drive belt. The mount for the servo is adjustable. It is made to fit my Synta style focusers. I used some walnut and copper.

The drive belt is a wore out elastic hair band. :)

The unit allows very precise focusing. It eliminates any shaking of the scope.

Here are a couple of websites that have more info and photos. Each one will basicly be a one off build.

http://emediadesigns.com/focuser/

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Board/atm/Number/2172618/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

More PVC Madness :)

2008-02-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

I got to looking at the scraps around the lathe bench the other day. Shame to let it go to waste.

So I gathered them all up and started stacking in different ways. Light bulb comes on, focuser!

I took the tapered cutoff from a 3"x2" reducer, and glued a 2" coupler on it. I then turned a piece of 2" pipe down to just let 3 teflon strips fit at every 120 degree point. This lets the tube float with less friction. I then added a lip to the tube from a scrap 2" coupler section.

I had an old 1.25" focuser from a cheap scope laying around. I inlayed the gear rail in the tube. Used a hacksaw blade to make the matching groove in the body. Next I Cut the hole for the focus shaft and gear. It slides nice. No drag. I'll add a mounting plate as I finish my current scope project. I'll make some set screws for the eyepiece and such as needed.

2" Diagonal Fini

2008-01-18T12:27:00.000-08:00

I painted the outside a semi gloss black. The inside a flat black.

I cut the 1/8" mirror a little at a time to get the ellipse shape needed. I then carefully sanded the edges on the belt sander. After cleaning the mirror well. I epoxied the mirror over the oval opening. Next I painted the back of the mirror with the semi gloss black. When it dried, I cut and applied a semi hard foam pad to protect the mirror from knocks and bangs.

The foam came from Walmart, and is sold as self adhesive foamies.

2" Diagonal Continued Part 2

2008-01-18T12:23:00.000-08:00

Now I had to make it possible to have a way of holding the eyepieces in. I took a 2/3 rds slice off the scrap from the first cut, and glued it to the side of the opening. Then drilled and tapped for a 10-24 thread. I also turned a temporary 1.25" reducer.Next on the list is to cut the first surface mirror and paint a bit.

2" Diagonal from PVC Pipe :)

2008-01-18T12:14:00.000-08:00

OK, I've been looking at prices for 2" diagonals. Where's my heart medicine? ;)

Thinking cap on and a trip to Home Depot for a 1.5" PVC "T".

Next I placed the "T" in my machine vise, and drilled two of the openings to 2" with a Forstner bit.

I then made up a jig to use on my bandsaw. I ran several tests to be sure of a constant 45 degree cut. I slowly ran the "T" through for a perfect 45 degree cut. I then epoxied a 2.5" long piece of 2" aluminum tube in the one opening. This will be the end to go in the telescope focuser.

Remote Release for the Digital

2008-01-18T09:36:00.000-08:00

Once I got the afocal mount tweaked to where I wanted it, a thought came to me. Pushing the button was going to cause bad shake in the system. Since there was no provision for a release on the Kodak, inventing time. :)

First I took a piece of 1.5"x1/8" aluminum and bent it to fit the end of the camera. I left about 3/32" of clearance.

On the top side I drilled a hole to accept a GSN camera shutter button assembly. This I then epoxied on. On the bottom I drilled and tapped for a 6-32 screw. I didn't want to damage the camera. So I found a nylon 6-32 screw. To give a bigger surface for when wearing gloves. I drilled a hole in a film canister cap. I then super glued the nylon screw in the cap.

Now I can just slip it on the camera and tighten the screw. Place my flexible release and I'm set to go.

Compact Camera Mount

2008-01-18T09:02:00.000-08:00

While stuck inside due to weather. I decided to do a little experimenting. I wanted a way to mount a compact digital to my telescope to do afocal photos. I didn't like the looks of the plastic stuff I've seen on several sites.

I took a 2"x6"x3/4" piece of oak and cut a slot for vertical adjustment. I then drilled a hole that would just slip over my 12.5mm Plossel eyepiece. I then cut a slot to make it able to be tightened by a cross screw.

I then took some 1.5"x1/8" aluminum and made the horizontal support. A 1/4" carriage bolt and nut are used to hold it to the vertical. I took the thumbscrew out of an old camera case to hold the compact on the rail.

While I was at it. I took another piece of aluminum and bent it to hold my SPC 900 webcam/astrocam for afocal shots and video. Again I used a camera case thumbscrew to hold the camera in position.

Pier Continued

2008-01-15T09:55:00.000-08:00

I now took the idea from the book on making legs for the pier. I cut 3 pieces of 3/4" plywood to 7.5" X 24". One end of each was cut at a 30 degree angle. I then tapered them to a rounded style end. With a little test fitting I determined where the legs met to form a triangle. Once marked I used 1.5" screws to fasten them together. I then placed the 4" end of the PVC into the center of the wood legs. I drilled holes and installed 1/4" carriage bolts to hold them in place.

On the top of the 3" pipe I installed a round platform to fasten the EQ mount base to.

All I need to do now is to paint the wood to protect it from moisture.

I'll add some leg adjusters later to be able to level the unit.

Scope Pier ala PVC

2008-01-15T09:43:00.001-08:00

I was reading a copy of Sam Brown's book, All About Telescopes, hoping to generate some ideas.

It did. :)

The book shows several versions of scope piers made from steel pipe and plywood. Steel pipe is out, too heavy for my back. So I started thinking of how to do it out of PVC pipe. PVC pipe is grand stuff to build with. :)

I went and bought 3 foot of 4", and 3 foot of 3" pipe. Now, the 3" is too small for a good sliding fit inside the 4" pipe. So I took 5, 3" X 2" reducers and cut the tapered end off all. I then sanded just enough off the inside diameter of each bushing to make a good slide fit for the 3" pipe. I then used the belt sander to sand the outer diameter of each one down to just slide into the 4" pipe. Then I glued the bushings in the 4" pipe starting 12" from the end. I evenly spaced them to the top. Now the 3" pipe is a nice snug slide fit in the 4" pipe. This now will allow the pier to be adjusted from 3 foot tall, to 5 foot tall. I marked and drilled the holes for the adjustments. I made a wooden dowel pin to hold the pipe where needed.

Pentax Adapter Mod

2007-12-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

Personally I get fed up messing with the M42 adapter on my cameras. Plus there is the risk the little screw and clip will come loose and jam the works.

So I went and bought several Roxsen brand adapters. The first thing I did was remove the screw and clip.

Now how will it stay on safely?

I installed the adapter on to the lens. Placed it on the camera, and marked where the locking pin should engage. Took it back off and got out the Dremel tool. :) I love my Dremel. LOL

I used a 1/8" diamond tipped grinding bit and made a detent for the camera lock pin to go in to.

The lens now is just like a regular PK lens. No more messing about with adapters. And the lens can't accidently come off.

Macro Experiment

2007-12-13T07:08:00.000-08:00

Ok I tried the old Kodak lens as a macro. It actually seems to be a pretty fair lens for being 90+ years old. It would have been even better had I used a tripod. Even at 1/250 second, I tend to weave too much. :) The little acorn is 5/8ths of an inch long. I shot at iso 800, with an overhead halogen light. I will have to drag out the tripod for a fair chance at a clear macro.

Killing Time Project

2007-12-13T06:59:00.000-08:00

The ice is just not letting up outside. So I decided to try an idea I saw on a photo forum. I took the lens off of a Kodak 1A folder, and designed an extension method for mounting on my ist DS.

Basicly it is made from a couple pieces of PVC pipe that will fit one inside the other. I installed a PK mount from a junk lens, and the old lens was a press fit in the other pipe. One screw to hold whatever length I set. It turned out to be pretty easy to set for infinity, and other distances.

I even put all my macro extensions behind it for a macro shot.

BTW. The "T", time function was used on the old shutter to hold the shutter open. I used the ist DS in manual mode for all shooting.

And Now the Big Scope

2007-12-05T10:15:00.000-08:00

I decided that since the 400mm turned out rather well. I'd go for the 900mm. I purchased the 80mm X 900mm lens from Surplusshed, and the focuser from ScopeStuff. Again I used 4" PVC pipe for the main tube. The finder scope rings are made from 4" and 3" PVC. The finder scope is a 60mm X 700mm telescope from the fleamarket, equipped with a 12mm crosshair eyepiece.

I currently have it all together and I'm testing for problems. I have a T adapter attached to the focuser for my ist DS. I'll need to line the inside of the tube with black flocking to improve contrast. I'll be trying for a few astro shots, if the weather ever clears.

I'd like to put in a plug for the above mentioned merchants. Both have super service and shipping. It was a pleasure to do business with them.

http://www.surplusshed.com/

http://www.scopestuff.com/

Astro Lens

2007-11-19T07:33:00.000-08:00

It has done nothing but rain for 3 days. So I managed to get started on the lens.

I used an 80mm X 400mm telescope lens from a surplus site. I snagged a 2" focuser from ebay.

The PVC parts came from the local Lowes store.

The main tube is 12.250" long from 4" PVC pipe. The tailpiece is a 3" X 2" PVC reducer. I turned down the large end to slide into the main tube. The inside of the small end was turned to accept the focuser.

The lens has 3 fins that are to center and hold the lens in place by friction. The tube was a little too big. So I took 3 pieces 2" long of popsicle stick and glued them inside the tube, spacing them at 120 degrees to match the fins. The lens now fits perfect.

I used a 4" coupler as a hood on the front. All inside areas were painted flat black. I also painted the front half of the hood flat black also.

The camera adapter is made from PVC pipe also. I installed a ring to hold an eyepiece inside the adapter. This is for doing projection photography. A standard T mount allows connecting to the camera.

No PVC cement was used on the tube parts. I wanted to be able to disassemble the lens if needed. So I used the screws from computer power supply fans for fastening it together. These are designed to be used on plastic parts.

I used a wooden slide off of a dining table to fashion the sliding tripod mount. This allows the whole unit to be balanced on the tripod. Makes it much easier to keep the camera on target.

I managed to run out and do a real quick shot of the moon last night, during a break in the clouds. I need to use my bigger tripod. I had a lot of shake going on in the wind.

At It Again- Lens Tinkering

2007-11-13T13:22:00.000-08:00

I'm soon going to be building a F/5 400mm lens for my ist DS, to do astro work. But knowing how hard it is to track with big lenses, a finder was needed.

No I'm not just buying one. :)

I had a lens assembly from an old pair of small binoculars. I then scrounged an adjustable eyepiece assembly from another old pair. After figuring the focal length, I was able to cut the tube. Which is a piece of 1.25 PVC, 3.875" long. A little 5 minute epoxy, and I have the finder.

I then used some super glue and thin white thread to make cross hairs on the eyepiece.Now to build the adjustable mount. :)

Amongst the Stars- Comet Holmes/17P

2007-11-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

For once, even our night skies have been clear. I'd been reading about the comet that had suddenly brightened to naked eye visibility in the constellation Perseus. So I decided to sneak out on the back deck to enjoy a forbidden cigar. :)

I could barely see the comet with my old eyes. So time to get the binoculars out. It was very distinct.

Cigars take a while to enjoy. So I figured to make the most of that time. Brought out the tripod, camera and gear. Took a bit of experimenting with exposures to get the hang of it.

I ended up shooting in bulb mode, with a remote release. Shot photos from 5 seconds to one minute. Shooting at iso 800, I was surprised at the lack of noise in the photos from the ist DS.

I finally settled on the ist DS, 300/4 lens. The photo was taken at F4 for about 15 seconds.

The comet is a very odd one. But I am glad to have not missed this one.

Finally Up and Around

2007-11-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

After some rather bad medical adventures, I'm getting back to normal(?).

We've been having some beautiful sunny, cool weather. I decided to try out a new set of trails at a state park south of us.

Due to some recent work on my back, I could handle the walking better. It was wonderful to breathe that fall air. The smells are the best part of the walk. That and no $*&%$#% mosquitoes!

The park is Van Buren state park in Ohio. Hardly anyone uses the place. Why I don't know. It is a beautiful area. There was some talk of the state selling it to some condo developers. I'm still waiting to see what the outcome of that stupid idea was.

Well maybe now I can start keeping the old blog up to date. :)

I bet you were just holding your breath. LOL

Farewell Grand Dame

2007-08-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

Annabelle passed away Weds. evening, 8-15-07, about 5pm.

Her heart finally reached the point of failure. She had been on heart medicine for a year, for an enlarged heart. She was such a sweet and loving old girl. But she was only old in age, not in her mind. Until the last day, she had tried to be the young lady she thought she was.

We had removed her from a home where she had been neglected for some time. It was as if she had been waiting for us. She pulled at the leash to leave there. And she was determined to give us all the love the others would not take.

We had the privledge to love her for 2.5 years. I would have liked more time, but that never can be. So now another box will sit on the mantle,and another stone in the greyhound garden.

When I finally cross the bridge, my friends will be waiting.

Softbox

2007-08-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

I needed a softbox attachment for my Vivitar 285 flash. As usual, the ones out there were either too costly or too small.

Time for the foam core board. :)

I took two strips of foam core and molded it around the 285 snout. I used regular wood glue to glue it all.

I then cut my fan shaped pieces. I needed two that were 12" at the long end, and 4" at the short. The other two were 12" and 2.875". The length was 7.5".

Took a little time to glue it all together. Glue only dries so fast. :)

Once dry,I taped off the flash opening, then painted the outside a semi-gloss black.

I tried baking paper, didn't work. Nothing will stick to it. DUH!

So I tried tissue type wrapping paper. It can be doubled or more for more diffusion.

So far it seems to be working as planned.

Brig Niagara Visit

2007-07-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

Decided to take a trip down to the river in Toledo, to see the old warship.

She fought in the war of 1812 on Lake Erie. She has been fully restored. All of the original wood that could be saved was kept in her. Plus her cannons still fire.

I was expecting to be able to get some better shots. But as usual. Toledo doesn't take photo ops into consideration. They anchored her where you could not get a decent bow or side shot. The river side, had some guide boat for the dragon boat races anchored there.

But I got a few that shows her trim look.

Lens Hacking

2007-05-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine, CaptianSlack gave me a Soligor 400mm/f6.3 lens he picked up at a fleamarket.

It had a touch of fungus on the inside of the front element and a really odd mount. I could not find a photo of any mount like it. The fungus washed right off with no damage to the lens coating.

Time for a little brainstorming and Dremel work. :)

I removed the original mount and ground the tabs off. I then removed a PK mount from a bad Pentax lens. I needed a ring to take up the difference between them.

Enter the Yashica GSN aperture ring. LOL

A is the original mount ring. B is the GSN aperture ring. And C is the PK mount off a bad lens.

Small steel pins were inserted to hold everything tight and in line.

After some Dremel work and some test shooting on the DS, it is ready for shooting.

The test shoot was dead on after the final tweak.

Additional Note: I have been informed that the mount on the lens was a TX mount.

Friends Diner

2007-05-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

It is located in Woodville, Ohio. Which is known for being a speedtrap. The speed drops quickly from 55mph to 25mph.

When they first opened the place it was called Extreme Cream, and focused on ice cream.

Then came the truly great idea.

Speedtrap Diner & Dairy. :)

They did a makeover and added indoor seating. The menu is super, and very reasonably priced.

The meals all have some reference to speeding and speedtrap. :)

Then they were offered the future police car. A little paint and a red bubble, and it was placed on the roof.

Now the police chief thinks it's a cool deal, he eats there. Most of the town thinks it's cool.

But the mayor is not happy. He thinks the name is a bad reference for the town.

I don't know if he has been living under a rock or what. But people have been calling that town a speedtrap for many years.

So if you are ever traveling Route 20 and go through the town. Stop and see Sam and her husband, and have a good meal. The decor and food are tops.

Rabbits are Dumb

2007-05-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

I have 5 greyhounds that use the backyard quite frequently every day. They have caught a few rabbits that were not alert.

So what do these less than smart creatures do? They build their blooming nests right in the backyard. I never know they are there until the dogs start going crazy.

Well I was out testing some IR filters today. (previous post)

The dogs suddenly darted for the fence. The little one was too slow. :(

I started checking, and sure enough, a nest. So I again, build a barrier to protect the nest from the greyhounds. This is getting on my nerves.

There are now three little bunnies left. I just pray they have more brains than their mother. If they wander out of the new fenced area, they won't live to regret it.

Rabbits are DUMB!!!!

ist DS and IR Filters

2007-05-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

I had tested the DS using a TV remote to see how sensitive it was to IR light. It seemed good. So I purchased an IR filter from GoShotCamera on E-bay.

Well I had enough sun today to practice a bit. Results?

The filter works great with the DS and 28-80mm lens I was using. Seems to autofocus fine.

No way to frame when handholding though, can't see through the filter. :) Using a tripod one could frame then install the filter. So I figure I'll have to devise an external VF for handheld IR shooting. I'll have to try some water shots to see what effect the filter may have in strong light.

Eagle Day

2007-04-25T05:31:00.000-07:00

I've been off my pattern for a while.

I decided here a month or so a go to go visit the endangered animals exhibit at the zoo. And as usual the weather doesn't cooperate.

I ran into a friend, who is one of the caretakers. He let me go inside while he did his job.

Eagles usually won't attack. But they can sure make you think they're going to.:) He was just not accustomed to a stranger so close.

These eagles are the property of the Federal Wildlife Agency. The zoo just cares for them till they pass on. They have been injured, to where they can no longer live in the wild.

They are an awe inspiring sight up close. You'd think he could see right through you.

The Eyes Have IT

2007-03-19T07:21:00.000-07:00

Finally felt good enough to head for the woods. I wanted to see how the deer were doing. I had been told of one of the big bucks, being killed by a scum sucking poacher.

Turns out it was the 13 pointer! Poachers are lower than whale shit in the ocean bottom!!!

Well they actually seemed glad to see me. Now that the rut is over, things have calmed down.

Several of the bucks were there, minus antlers now.

I ended up taking a lot of photos of their eyes. They are so beautiful and expressive. If you look close. You can see the reflection of the trees, clouds, sky and sun in the photo of the single eye. :)

I'm still in awe of the trust they have around me. They just go about business as usual. After the initial excitement, they start laying down for a snooze or a re-chew.

Sure brightens up a day.

The Razor's Edge

2007-03-11T15:56:00.000-07:00

Managed to escape to the lake front again today. One of those teaser spring days.

Wanted mostly to search for more shots for my mystery series on Flickr.

Got to looking at the thousands of shells washed up during the winter. I found a really nice land snail shell. Beautiful color in the light.

Got home, poured a drink ( oh yeah ) and looked at all the goodies I had brought home.

I don't know why. But it just suddenly hit me, Apocalypse Now. :)

"I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor. That's my dream. That's my nightmare. Crawling, slithering, along the edge of a straight... razor... and surviving."

Mako Shark Camera

2007-02-28T09:11:00.000-08:00

I have been giving thought to making an underwater housing for one of my cameras. I've got this idea for some shots, like a creature looking out of the water towards shore.

No, I'm sober. :) And yes I can swim. :)

I bought this camera from Northwest Collector Camera the other day. It is called the Mako Shark. It uses the workings from a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. I'll need to replace the glass in front of the lens. Easy Peasy. It can use either color or B&W 120 film. It was made for 620. But you can use a 120 roll on the feed side and a 620 take up spool.

Could come in handy for some warm weather rain shots too. :)

I really need to stay off those camera sale sites. ;)

Maxwell Smart Quote

2007-02-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

I missed it by that much. :)

I had entered my first ever photo contest. Of course I had to make it a tough one. DUH!

I entered 6 photos in a contest at the National Center for Nature Photography. The likes of John Shaw and Tim Fitzharris adorn the walls.

Well I went to pick them up Sunday evening as it ended.

No cigar. :(

But I was told I missed the win by just a couple of points. So I don't feel too bad. I looked at what was displayed......Jumping Horny Toads!!!! There were some world class photos there from my area. Time to knuckle down and think more on what I'm shooting.

Anyhoo, the picture is of wild barley, taken with good light and a slight breeze.

I just called it Nature's Painting.

Another Friend Published

2007-02-20T06:11:00.000-08:00

My friend Oscar Reina from Spain has had the honor of having four of his photos published in a new online magazine, Magnachrom. The photos are part of an off season project at the beach.

Wish my winter beach looked like his. LOL

Oscar has quickly been able to squeeze the best out of his TLR's. He has even managed to wring some great shots from his battered Yashica D. ;) With his fast growing skills in the darkroom, I see some possible print sales looming on the horizon. I would recommend a visit to his Flickr pages. Watch for his photo of the tree on the hill. I have this as a print. Niiiiice.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/singlecoated/

The new online magazine is also worth a look in it's own right.

http://magnachrom.com/MCHome.php

Now Ready to Use

2007-02-13T05:12:00.000-08:00

I now have it ready to shoot. With the range of shutter speeds and the front movements of the lens, this will be a fun user. Now to wait for better weather.

Blizzard time around here. :( I knew the winter wouldn't stay away forever.

Modifying the Kodak Back

2007-02-13T05:01:00.000-08:00

From my past experiences in modifying the box cameras. I knew I would need to use the center numbers on the film for 6X11cm photos.

I figured out the correct position for the new hole. I peeled the covering back and drilled a hole all the way through the back and the film pressure plate. I then cleaned off all the sharp edges and painted black. Before gluing the covering back on, I glued 4 layers of red plastic from a Rolodex card. I then glued the covering on with contact cement. To be sure of no light leaks, I took a piece of velcro carpet and cut a hole in the center. This I placed around the new red window. I then took a piece of velcro hook and attached a old piece of camera covering to the back. This now sticks on and blocks all light.

Another Kodak Moment

2007-02-13T04:48:00.000-08:00

I was able to pick up a box of folders for a very good price. I decided to convert the Kodak Pocket 3 Special to 120 from 118.

I cut two .750" X 5" strips of aluminum flashing material, and glued them in at the top and bottom, after painting the back of them black. I then just took a black felt marker and knocked the shine off the film facing side.

Next I cut two pieces of wine cork to .450" long, and drilled a .187" hole through each. I cut two pieces of bamboo chopstick to make the spindles the 120 would spin on. Just glued these in the holes in the corks. When dry I glued the cork spacers onto the spindle arms in the camera.

Now for the takeup side. For that I used a 118 spool and some foamcore board. I cut circles of it to fit around the spool's center. Two layers to each side. I glued these in place an sanded down to match the diameter of the end flanges.

Next will be the back.

Scaring the Neighbors Again

2007-02-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

Since I'm forced to be idle during my recovery. I started thinking on a new setup for the DS.
I had made a camera gunstock for my K1000's when I could still get out in the shop.
I decided to see if the DS would fit. I fitted a 300/f4 lens with a 2X converter on it, and it fit perfectly on the gunstock. I removed the manual release of the K1000 and temporarily taped my push button remote release to the front standard. It falls right under the index finger. I tried some shots with the setup. Easy to aim and shoot. But the lens and converter didn't like each other. I removed the 2X and tried just the 300. It works very well. It is the equivalent of a 450mm lens.
This is definitely going to be a project to fine tune. I see uses for this setup. :)

Edward G. Pepper Lips or Learning Layers

2007-02-02T07:04:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a good friend in Spain, I'm now getting to delve deeper into Photoshop.
I unfortunately quit smoking cigars before this shot could be taken. So I was wanting to try and simulate it in PS. Not anything to run home to mom about. But it gives me an idea of the potential with practice.
Judging by my apparent lack of skills currently. I may want to keep a cheap cigar or two hanging around for stuff like this. LOL
But I still plan to pursue, to some folks horror, my fun with food series.
So if any one has a link to some good PS tips for morons, drop me a comment. :) ;)

Challenge in Photoshop

2007-01-19T13:10:00.000-08:00

For me anyway. :)

My mother found this 40 year old negative of my grandfather and father. It is one of very few where my father is smiling. The negative had not been protected during the intervening years. The center was about rubbed out. And originally the flash had blown out the middle portion of the picture anyway.

Now I'm not skilled in PS at all. I can get a picture to open in it, usually. :)
But I've been asking questions and reading that 3 inch thick anchor they call a manual.
I know this probably won't win me a prize, but I think it's good for a first time restore.
Feel free to leave suggestions as to ways to improve it. Other than throwing it away. ;)
Now for a trip to the eye doctor and a glass of scotch. LOL

My PhotoStream

2007-01-18T12:56:00.000-08:00

I have now started a Flickr account to post a lot of my pictures. I'll still be posting some here in my ramblings. But, I thought some may be interested in the others.
So if you wish stop by.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/greyhoundman/

Learning to See

2007-01-11T07:07:00.000-08:00

I basicly have thrown out the urge to chase that shot of the decade. I've gone back to plain observation of the world around me, both big and small. I have put much of my many years in woodsmanship back into use. Learning to look down and for the usually unnoticed details.
Of course living in the most unphotogenic area of Ohio helps push one to hunt. :)

I've been able to shoot more, and enjoy it more than I have for years. Switching to the digital ist DS has been a big help. Not because digital is supposedly better. I don't get into those dreary arguements. But because the camera has a very much better viewfinder. It is brighter and much easier to focus, for these old eyes. It allows me to use my glasses with no problem. I can take sharper photos, because I can see sharper. ;)

Any way, here is a shot that just struck me when I saw it. It only lasted for a minute or so till the wind tore it apart. It instantly looked like a fishing lure attached to a heavy line.

Face of the Water Spirit

2007-01-06T18:34:00.000-08:00

We've had nothing but heavy rain this week. I was finally able to get out to check some of my usual haunts. I stopped by the small falls at the old canal locks. The water was very high and fast flowing. The water had a slight tint, that really came out in the afternoon light. It just had that shoot a pic look. :)
Check out the face in the one photo. It seems to be expressing some real feeling in the angry water.

They love the Camera

2007-01-03T05:06:00.000-08:00

Almost all the deer seem very unafraid of the camera. They seem curious about the cyclops eye watching them. But there are a couple of the young ones that really seem to love the camera. They approach crazy close, and pose so nice. It helps that they are such beautiful creatures.
Curious Baby was in rare form posing. Almost kissing the lens. The little buck came in with his head in a submissive posture. But after a bit he actually started talking. ;) Actually I think he was just showing nerves. LOL

Wife meets the Girlfriends

2007-01-03T04:57:00.000-08:00

I wanted to go see the deer after the terrible rain we had the day before. The river over runs it's banks when it rains so hard. The wife asked to go along to see my girlfriends in the herd. :)
I finally found them on some higher ground away from the river. They knew me, but hung back at first. Finally "Curious Baby" came up to the wife and all was fine.
The wife then had a deer following her like a puppy. LOL Now she knows why I love to go and walk with them. And that the girls all have four legs. ;) Curious baby really gave some good poses for the camera. So did a little buck that the wife made friends with. I'll post the portraits in the next post.

Relaxing Visit with Friends

2006-12-30T16:01:00.000-08:00

We got some sunny skies late today. I decided to go visit with the deer again.
It's like they expect me anymore. As I walked the path to the woods, they all came out to meet me.
Mr. Studly is in the middle of rut. He was acting a bit crazy with the ladies.
I was sitting talking to him, teasing about smelling to high heaven. And what does he do?
Obviously he doesn't think he smells. LOL The look told me to leave that discussion alone.

Christmas Eve with Friends

2006-12-29T14:05:00.000-08:00

I took a break from caring for my ill Bugatti. I decided to check out my deer friends at the woods. Sure enough, they were in a large grassy clearing feeding and enjoying the sun.
They allowed me to join in their meanderings across the clearing. It is such a unique feeling to be allowed to share time with such beautiful creatures.
The little buck was quite friendly and calm. The doe was kind of perky and kept approaching very close. I even caught her winking at me. :)
One of the younger doe enjoyed a few slices of bread I had found in the trash can when I arrived.
It was a nice relaxing break from the strain of the last couple of weeks.

Note: Bugatti is getting better. I'll save the story till I calm down my temper.

How to make the neighbors talk

2006-12-01T17:42:00.000-08:00

The other morning I woke up to a very thick fog. Thanks to the air temperature it was freezing on surfaces. I spotted this dandelion seed head with ice on it.
Of course I had to run out and lay in the grass in the front yard.
Now, if you are looking out your front window and see a guy laying in the frozen grass. You will think one of two things. 1) He is drunk and has been there all night. 2) He is crazy and should take up drinking as a hobby. :)
Number 2 is probably the closest answer. LOL
Laying in the frozen grass was eye opening. ;)

ist DS, 400iso, 100mm macro

The Grand Dame

2006-11-27T13:41:00.001-08:00

I've taken to shooting a lot of pictures of Anna. She is so loving and calm.
We recently were informed by the vet, that she has an enlarged heart= congestive heart disease. She is now on meds to help the heart, by taking some of the pressure off it. She will be 13 in March. I only wish we could have got her sooner. She is such a royal lady. She had a super racing career, and we have tried to make her life one of love and care since we took her in.
She is still young in mind. And she loves to join in for the sing-a-longs. But now her walks are shorter and her barks a little softer.
I wish my greys were around as long as people.
Hopefully we will be having a loud sing-a-long party in March.

Masters of the Woods

2006-11-27T12:03:00.000-08:00

I went back to the woods again the next day. I was purposely looking for the large bucks that would normally stay out of sight. It was quite fun to be hunting them with just a camera. I have not had to use my woods skills in years. I managed to find three of the big ones. I will try shooting some more when the snow finally arrives. That should be a tough job hiding in the snow. :)
These three are definitely lords of the woods.