Variant 5 — Advanced 100/800 Fast Refractor
Norman Remer's Making a Refractor Telescope is widely considered the definitive modern guide on the subject. Published in 2006 by Willmann-Bell, its mission is to demystify the entire process of crafting a doublet lens, from blank glass to finished, mounted telescope.
: The book includes specialized software (originally on a CD-ROM) to help builders calculate the exact radii and thicknesses needed for their glass. making a refractor telescope norman remer pdf 12 new
: Sealed optical tubes prevent internal air currents from degrading image quality, meaning less waiting time for the telescope to acclimatize to the night air.
For those seeking guidance on a 12-inch refractor, the book serves as a critical conceptual and theoretical foundation. While its direct prescriptions stop at 8 inches, the design and figuring principles it explains are fully applicable to larger apertures. To pursue a 12-inch project, you would need to pair the knowledge from Remer's book with advanced optical design software or collaborate with an experienced optician, as the book itself does not include a turn-key prescription for this size. Variant 5 — Advanced 100/800 Fast Refractor Norman
You will need a pair of glass blanks (typically BK7 Crown glass and F2 Flint glass). You will also need a series of abrasives, ranging from coarse Silicon Carbide (for rough shaping) to fine Aluminum Oxide (for smoothing), and finally Cerium Oxide for polishing. Phase 2: Rough and Fine Grinding
Moving beyond traditional rouge to modern, faster-acting cerium oxide compounds for a superior, smoother finish. : Sealed optical tubes prevent internal air currents
While the original publisher, Willmann-Bell, was acquired by the American Astronomical Society, new and used copies of the first edition remain available through specialized retailers:
Using a pitch lap (a tool covered in optical pitch) and Cerium Oxide, you polish the glass until it is completely transparent. "Figuring" is the ultra-precise process of altering the lens shape by fractions of a wavelength of light to achieve a perfect spherical or aspherical curve. Phase 4: Optical Testing
Remer focuses on the , which uses two different types of glass (typically crown and flint) to cancel out chromatic aberration—the annoying "rainbow" fringes that occur when different wavelengths of light don't focus at the same point.
✅ of its era – fills a huge gap. ✅ Extremely detailed machining drawings – if you have a lathe, you can follow them. ✅ Covers lens testing (Ronchi, Foucault) as applied to refractors. ✅ No fluff – dense, technical, and practical. ✅ Timeless techniques – still relevant today.