Making a Refractor Telescope: The Definitive Guide for Amateurs
Building a high-quality refractor telescope has long been considered an advanced feat reserved for master opticians. However, Norman Remer’s seminal book, "Making a Refractor Telescope: How to Design, Grind, Polish, Test, Correct and Mount a Doublet Lens," demystifies this complex craft for the amateur enthusiast. The Core Philosophy of Norman Remer
Remer’s work serves as a "coach" for amateur telescope makers (ATMs), guiding them through the transition from making mirrors (for reflectors) to crafting doublet lenses. He argues that making a lens utilizes the same fundamental tools and practices as mirror making—namely grinding and polishing spherical surfaces.
A key insight Remer provides is that a lens surface needs to be only one-fourth as accurate as a mirror surface to achieve comparable optical quality, making the process more accessible than many assume. Technical Components and Design
For those starting out, the book focuses on the achromatic doublet, which consists of two glass elements designed to correct for optical issues like color (chromatic aberration), coma, and spherical aberration.
Materials: Builders typically work with glass types like BK7 and KZFS1. The process involves using specific abrasives, pitch for polishing, and testing methods to ensure the curves are correct.
Design Tools: The original book often came with a CD-ROM containing Excel spreadsheet programs. These programs allow users to design a well-corrected lens without needing deep expertise in optical theory.
Aperture Prescriptions: For builders who prefer not to design from scratch, Remer provides detailed prescriptions for lenses ranging from 3 to 8 inches in aperture. The Construction Process
Building a refractor involves several meticulous steps that go beyond the glass itself:
Grinding and Polishing: Shaping the two elements of the doublet lens to exact spherical specifications.
Testing and Correction: Using optical tests to identify and fix errors in the lens figure.
The Optical Tube Assembly (OTA): Housing the lenses in a tube, often reinforced with materials like fiberglass for durability, and painting the interior flat black to minimize internal reflections. making a refractor telescope norman remer pdf 12 new
Mounting: Attaching the finished lens into a cell and mounting the entire assembly on a stable base, such as an Altazimuth (AZ) mount for simple left-right and up-down movement. Availability: Finding the Book and Resources
Norman Remer's book was originally published by Willmann-Bell in 2006. While it has periodically gone out of print, copies can still be found through various channels:
New and Used Copies: Specialized retailers like Agena Astro and First Light Optics have historically carried it.
Marketplaces: Used copies are often listed on AbeBooks or Amazon.
Digital Access: Community forums such as Cloudy Nights are excellent places to find advice from other builders who have used the book and may share resources or design spreadsheets.
The book you are looking for is Making a Refractor Telescope: How to Design, Grind, Polish, Test, Correct and Mount a Doublet Lens
by Norman Remer, originally published in 2006 by Willmann-Bell.
While the full PDF is not legally available for free download due to copyright, you can find the book and related resources through these official channels: 📖 Book Details & Purchase
Availability: You can purchase new or used copies from retailers like Amazon and AbeBooks.
Content: Spanning 408 pages, it covers the entire process of building an achromatic doublet lens from scratch.
Bonus: The hardbound edition typically includes a CD-ROM with Excel spreadsheets for refractor design programs. 🔍 Related Resources Making a Refractor Telescope: The Definitive Guide for
Digital Lending: The book is listed on Open Library, where you may be able to borrow a digital copy if available.
Community Discussion: For practical advice from others who have used Remer's methods, the Cloudy Nights ATM Forum is a highly active resource for amateur telescope makers.
General Guides: If you need a basic introduction to refractor mechanics, the American Museum of Natural History provides a simple PDF guide on building a basic refracting telescope using simple materials.
💡 Key Takeaway: Making a refractor lens is similar in practice to making a telescope mirror, though it requires finishing more surfaces (all of which are spherical). If you'd like, I can help you: Find suppliers for glass blanks or abrasives. Explain the difference between doublet and triplet lenses.
Look for refractor design software alternatives if you don't have the book's CD.
Making a Refractor Telescope: How to Design, Grind, Polish, Test, Correct and Mount a Doublet Lens
by Norman Remer is an essential guide for amateur astronomers who want to move beyond mirror-based telescopes. Published in 2006 by Willmann-Bell, Inc., this 391-page hardcover book serves as a "coach" for making high-quality doublet lenses. Core Content & Scope
The book demystifies the perceived difficulty of lens making by demonstrating that it uses many of the same tools and techniques as mirror grinding. Key topics covered include:
Lens Theory: Characteristics of optical glass, abrasives, and pitch.
Design & Fabrication: Step-by-step instructions for designing, grinding, and polishing a doublet lens.
Testing & Correction: Detailed methods for testing the lens's accuracy and making corrections. The Internet Archive (archive
Mechanical Construction: Guidance on mounting the finished lens and constructing the telescope.
CD-ROM Content: New copies typically include a CD-ROM with Excel spreadsheets for refractor design programs. Reader Feedback & Performance
Skill Level: While beginner-friendly in its "step-by-step" approach, experts at Stellafane suggest it may not be the ideal first book for absolute beginners without some prior optical knowledge.
Practicality: Reviewers on Cloudy Nights highlight that mirror-making skills translate well to this book, though lens making requires finishing more surfaces (all of which are spherical).
Design Specifics: Users have used the book to design custom achromats, such as 102mm or 130mm refractors, though some notes warn about the softness of specific glass types like SF1 when polishing.
Limitations: Some readers noted that while it is excellent for lens design and fabrication, they sought additional outside resources for advanced OTA (Optical Tube Assembly) construction details like baffle placement and complex mounts. Summary of Ratings Goodreads Goodreads Open Library Open Library
If you are looking for a copy, it is frequently found through specialized sellers like First Light Optics or secondhand marketplaces like AbeBooks. Books for building REFRACTORS - ATM, Optics and DIY Forum
This is an out-of-print, niche amateur document. It will not be on Amazon or commercial ebook sites. Try these specialized archives:
"Norman Remer" refractor. This is your best bet. Users have uploaded scans of old ATM (Amateur Telescope Making) booklets here.It is highly likely that the "12" in your search term is a typo or an auto-complete error. In the telescope-making community, Norman Remer is most famous for a different specific mirror size.
Trade-offs: