Waite Research Mirrors For Telescopes

Name: Waite Research Mirrors For Telescopes
Address: 325 E Elliot Road Suite 25, Chandler, AZ, 85225, US
Telephone: +18006521547

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Waite Research Mirrors For Telescopes

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Maker of Premium Telescope Optics and Dobsonian Telescopes

📘 Three Critical Telescope Mirror Making Blunders (And How to Avoid Them).

Lessons I've learned from years of making mirrors. Download FREE copy: https://checkout.mailerlite.com/checkout/31273 Waite Research – Precision Optics for Astronomy, Industry & Science

At Waite Research, we design and fabricate premium optics for advanced applications. From custom telescope mirrors (6″ to 38.5″) to specialized short focal-length designs, our optics are built for performance. We proudly serve amateur astronomers, as well as industrial and scientific clients who rely on precision optics for their instruments. Every mirror we produce is crafted with accuracy and brightness in mind. With decades of experience and state-of-the-art fabrication techniques, Waite Research delivers optics that drive discovery, innovation, and exploration.

10/21/2026

Ever wanted to make your own telescope mirror? 🔭

There's nothing quite like your first look at Saturn through optics you shaped with your own hands. And it's a lot more doable than most people think.

Gordon's ebook, The No-Fail 6-Inch Telescope Mirror, walks you through one tested method, from a plain glass blank to a finished 6" f/10 mirror ready for coating. Before each stage there's a simple check, so you always know when you're done and when it's time to move on.

✔ Workshop photos, diagrams and checklists
✔ Clickable links to video demos from Gordon
✔ How to make your own grinding tool and pitch lap
✔ Troubleshooting help for the spots where beginners usually get stuck

It's a 90-page instant-download PDF for $27.
👉 tinyurl.com/No-Fail-Mirror

If you tried mirror making before and stalled at fine grinding or the pitch lap, this one's for you too.

10/16/2026

Getting ready for a grinding session on a 6-inch mirror blank using #80 grit silicon carbide. In this clip from our "No-Fail 6-Inch Telescope Mirror" ebook, I walk through the essential setup: wetting the ceramic tile tool and mirror, sprinkling the abrasive, and bringing them together to start shaping the glass.

Grinding your own primary mirror is one of the most rewarding parts of amateur astronomy, but getting the fundamentals right from stroke one makes all the difference.

Whether you want to grab the full step-by-step masterclass ebook for just $27, or prefer to commission a custom master-crafted mirror built to your exact specifications, we have you covered at Waite Research.

Get the "No-Fail 6-Inch Telescope Mirror" ebook over at https://checkout.mailerlite.com/checkout/32386 to avoid beginner mistakes and master your first optical build! For customers outside of the USA, check out the ebook links on our website.

10/10/2026

If You’ve Ever Wanted to Make a Telescope Mirror… 👉 Get my new ebook The No-Fail 6-Inch Telescope Mirror, $27, instant download: https://checkout.mailerlite.com/checkout/32386
Whether you’re making your first mirror or returning to the hobby after a few years, I’ll walk you through exactly how I do it. You don’t need an optics degree. You don’t need a machine shop. You need the right project, the right instructions, and someone to show you what matters. That’s exactly why I wrote The No-Fail 6-Inch Telescope Mirror book.

👀 Looking back at an earlier session here at the Waite Research optical shop in Chandler, Arizona, working on this 18-inch f/4 mirror. Here I was prepping the glass with #24 silicon carbide abrasive and adding water before centering up our 13.5-inch ceramic tile tool to continue establishing the desired curve.

Getting the geometry right is where every great telescope mirror starts.

For more info on our custom mirrors and ebooks, see our website link and phone number in our page information.

10/07/2026

Turn a Glass Blank Into Your Own Telescope Mirror. Gordon Waite’s new ebook, The No-Fail 6-Inch Telescope Mirror, shows you how to do exactly that.

📘 Digital PDF Ebook — $27 👉 Get your copy here. United States customers: https://checkout.mailerlite.com/checkout/32386
Customers outside the United States: https://tinyurl.com/nofailbook

Drawing on decades of professional mirror-making experience, Gordon walks you step by step through making a 6-inch F/10 mirror—from the first grinding strokes to a polished mirror ready for coating.
Inside you’ll find workshop photos, diagrams, troubleshooting tips, checklists, and clickable video demonstrations that make the process easier to follow.
Whether you’re making your first mirror or returning to the hobby, this book is designed to help you succeed.
Make the mirror. Build the telescope. See the sky through optics you made yourself.
📘 Digital PDF Ebook — $27
The link is above or visit waiteresearch.com

09/05/2026

Measuring the exact radius on this 18-inch f/4 mirror here at the Waite Research optical shop in Chandler, Arizona. I'm checking the numbers right after wrapping up fine grinding. We still have a lot of work ahead with polishing and figuring, but confirming this foundational geometry is a critical workshop milestone.

Shaping fast optics at this scale demands absolute patience and precision at the grinding stand; getting the curve right here lays the groundwork for a world-class optical system down the road.

Whether you are looking to commission a custom master-grade mirror for your next dream build or want to tackle grinding your own glass, we've got you covered.

Grab our free guide, "Three Critical Telescope Mirror Making Blunders Beginners Make—and How to Avoid Them," over at waiteresearch.com to sidestep the most common workshop pitfalls!

08/22/2026

Getting It Dialed In on the 18-Inch F/4

In the shop, wrapping up the final fine-grinding session on an 18-inch F/4 mirror, working through the last smoothing stages using 9-micron microgrit aluminum oxide. Those subtle blue tones on the edge? That is just the abrasive interacting with the tile tool.

Precision optics is a journey of patience and exact process, but you don't have to guess your way through it.

Want to master the craft without the costly trial-and-error? The No-Fail 6-Inch Telescope Mirror ebook just launched.

My goal is to do more than give you instructions. I want to help you understand the process well enough that you begin to think like a mirror maker.

The ebook is filled with workshop photographs, diagrams, checklists, troubleshooting tips, and clickable video demonstrations so you can actually watch me perform many of the techniques.

👉 Get The No-Fail 6-Inch Telescope Mirror for $27, https://waite-research-no-fail-6-inch-build.subscribepage.io/

Clear skies,
Gordon Waite

08/09/2026

Perfecting the Curve: Shaping an 18-inch F/4 Mirror 🔭

Getting that curve dialed in on a large 18-inch f/4 mirror is all about consistency. In this shop session, I’m using a tile tool I made with 1x1 pool tiles and dental plaster. This tool is paired with #120 silicon carbide abrasive to establish the desired radius on the glass blank.

The previous sessions I was using the steel nut tool with #24 grit to hog out the curve on the flat blank. I started the curve by hand before setting it up on the fixed-post mirror grinding machine.

After getting part of the depth needed with the steel tool, I switched to my tile tool using #24, #40, #60, #80 and then to the #120 grit.

Using the right combination of tool and grit at this stage is essential to ensure the curve is formed accurately before moving on to finer stages.

I’ve spent years refining these steps. I’ve put three lessons—the ones that actually move the needle—into my free guide: 3 Critical Telescope Mirror Making Blunders (And How to Avoid Them).

🔗 Grab your free copy at the link in my bio!

07/30/2026

Every telescope mirror maker remembers their first successful mirror. They also remember the mistakes.

After decades of making custom telescope mirrors and helping amateur telescope makers around the world, I've seen the same questions come up over and over. Most aren't about talent—they're about knowing the right technique at the right time.

That's why I wrote 📘The No-Fail 6-Inch Telescope Mirror ebook.

This hands-on guide walks you through the complete process of building a smooth, accurate 6-inch mirror with confidence. Along the way, I'll share the practical workshop techniques, troubleshooting tips, and lessons I've learned over decades in the shop.

Inside you'll learn:
🔹 How to choose the right materials and tools
🔹 Fine grinding and polishing techniques
🔹 How to recognize and correct common problems
🔹 When your mirror is ready for coating
🔹 Links to my YouTube demonstrations throughout the book

Whether you're making your first mirror or building your next one, my goal is simple: to help you create a telescope mirror you'll be proud to observe with.

📘 The ebook is now available for $27.

I'd love to help you build your next mirror.

👉 Get your copy today:
https://checkout.mailerlite.com/checkout/32386

07/29/2026

Save your glass—and your sanity. Skip the frustrating trial-and-error that sets most mirror makers back weeks. 📚Grab our FREE guide: "Three Critical Telescope Mirror Making Blunders Beginners Make—and How to Avoid Them". Free instant download 📚👇
tinyurl.com/33szmrja

Fixing a bad turned-down edge takes patience, the right technique, and time at the lap. 🛠️✨

In this clip, we’re demonstrating how to correct an edge using a full-size pitch polisher placed over the mirror with very short, controlled back-and-forth strokes while rotating the tool. It’s methodical work—often taking 15-minute sessions over several runs—but getting that edge right makes all the difference in your final figure.

Watch the breakdown above, grab your free guide, and drop a comment below. 🔭

07/25/2026

From Flat Blank to Curve: Hogging Out an 18-inch F4 Mirror 🔭✨

If you are dreaming of building your own fast primary, don’t miss my free ebook where I share the hard-earned lessons from decades at the turntable: Three Critical Telescope Mirror Making Blunders (And How to Avoid Them).

🔗 Grab your free Ebook at the link in our bio.

To make the curve on this 18-inch mirror blank, I'm doing some work by hand before setting up the fixed post on the mirror grinding machine to let the machinery do the heavy lifting. For the handwork, I am using an 8-inch steel nut tool and grinding with #24 silicon carbide.
Back to the grind,
Gordon

Address

325 E Elliot Road Suite 25
Chandler, AZ
85225

Telephone

+18006521547

Website

http://waiteresearch.com/

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