by: A.R. Lampis
The Mirror Lab furnace was finally opened to reveal a very beautiful looking 8.4m mirror. All preliminary inspections are positive. The face plate is pretty uniform with an average thickness of 1.65 ". There are very few small bubbles, the majority of which will be removed during the generating/polishing process. The structural integrity of the mirror looks very good. In the next few weeks the Mirror Lab personnel will proceed with extensive and careful inspections. The furnace wall sections will be removed as will the inconel bands encircling the mold and the walls of the mold. The mirror will then be carefully prepared for lifting and positioned in the cleaning station where the refractory material will be removed with high pressure water jets.
In summary, the remelting of the face plate appears to have been successful. Pictures will be posted as soon as they become available.
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