Aluminizing The Mirror
Making a 4.25 Inch Dobsonian Reflector Telescope
For uses other than sun viewing, for
which you will need a sun filter, and moon viewing, you will need to have your
mirror coated with a reflective surface.
The modern coating material is aluminum. You can silver the mirror yourself, although I recommend
against it unless you are a chemist.
There are also more exotic coatings that promise a higher
reflectivity. Aluminum is about 90%
reflective so spending money involves quickly diminishing returns. There are many places you can find on the
web that you can ship your mirror to and have the process done. If you are in the Bay Area, you should
consider bringing it down to Bob Fies in San
Carlos. He will coat your mirror while
you wait if you wish, and engage you in a fascinating discussing of telescope
making, mirror coating, or whatever subject you want.