Flocking a Skyliner 200P Dobsonian
Notice the reflected light on the sides of the OTA.
One important note before you start flocking your OTA. Make sure it is nice and claen with no greasy marks inside. Also a very matt surface is not good for adhesion so either polish it up a bit with paper towel to remove some of the matt finish or wipe down with a paint prep cleaner (making sure none gets on the outside of the OTA as it could damage the finish.
Again notice the refected light off the side of the OTA. Light also reflects off the back and sides of the secondary mirror and also the chromed nuts holding the spider vane.
Remove any bolted on parts, the front end ring and the mirror from the OTA. Yes you can press the flocking material down over a protruding nut and bolt as you apply the flocking but this allmost always leaves large wrinkles in the flocking around the nut and bolt.
The first sheet is applied in the middle of the OTA. Line up one edge of the flocking sheet with the seam down the OTA. Peel just a few inches of the backing paper back and press the sheet down in position. Then peel back another few inches of the backing paper and gently press the flocking paper down. Contnue this process untill you have worked your way right around the OTA. In this case the sheet was long enough to go around the inside of the OTA in one piece and allow an inch of overlap at the join. For anything larger than an 8" OTA you will need two sheets or more. Just remember to allow about an inch of overlap at any joins.
Now that's the first and most difficult part of the job done. See just what a difference there is in refelcted light between the painted and flocked parts of the OTA.
The next sheet can be fitted at either end of the OTA, it doesn't matter which. Again peel back a few inches of the backing paper and line up the edge of the sheet with the seam down the OTA and press into place making sure that this sheet overlaps the sheet that you have allready applied by about an inch.
This time as you work your way around the inside of the OTA you will find that where it overlaps the other sheet it tends to wrinkle up slightly. This is because the interior diameter of the OTA has been reduced by the thickness of the flocking. It's not very much and if you rub down the seam allmost all the wrinkles should flatten out.
Before you apply this sheet of flocking check to see if the end ring or mirror cell/end ring is a loose enough fit into the OTA to allow it to fit inside the flocking. If not simply leave the flocking short enough to clear the end ring.
Take a razor blade or scalpel and trim away the excess material. Also now is a good time to cut out any openings or bolt holes covered by the flocking material.
Now the jobs almost done, just the other end to do now.
What a difference !
Spider, secondary mirror back and inside of end ring on OTA painted with Ultra-Matt Black paint. The ends of the chromed nuts for the spider vane have been covered with some heat shrink tubing.
You can put some flocking around the secondary mirror instead, but I find it easier just to paint it. The end ring can be flocked insdie if the end cover is a loose enough fit.
Compare the difference to the standard unflocked OTA.
The secondary mirror is now hard to see from the front of the OTA.
