From: "McHatten, Shawn" 
To: atm{at}shore.net
Reply-To: "McHatten, Shawn" 


Hi Guys
        Maybe I'm getting excited over nothing but I think I've built a small
tool that does a super job of rough grind. I've been trying to rough out
the 16in with a number of different techniques for a while now.
Experimenting. One of the things I wanted to try was attach some kind of
tool to a random orbital sander. Don't laugh. People are using free hand
mini grinders :).
        Anyway it didn't work. Or not with the sander anyway. But when I
started using it by hand it seemed to be very aggressive. I'm trying for f6
which my calcs say should be about 5.33/32ths. I'm now just a hair under
1/8 and have only been hogging for about 3 hours with this tool. When I
started I had less than two thickness of paper for a sagitta. That's all I
could pull under the straight edge. I think I'm easily going to reach my
depth in less than 4 hours. Is that pretty good for a 16in mirror? Most
other sites I've read quote up to 10 with a pipe cap and 15 to 20 with a
traditional glass. I'm using 60 grit carbo BTW. TOT.
        The tool is not an aluminum disk as you may be thinking but two 5in X
3/4 circles of plywood glued together. Then 7/8 holes drilled to about
1.25in depth to accept 2in aluminum pipe. 19 in all with one in the center
and 2 more concentric rings.
        Anyway is this as fast as I think and has anyone else tried this makeup
before? It's a bit of a mix of a dozen different things I've read or had
suggested to me.
        Thanks for Richard S for the idea of using Al and Mel B, Tom M, Bob M
and Dan C for other ideas I incorporated. This tool is really light but I'd
love to see how it makes out on a machine. I had some trials in building it
so if anyone is interested in more details just ask.

Thanks
Shawn M

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