I originally flocked opposite the focuser and above the primary but wasn't satisfied with the results so ended up flocking the entire ota with Protostar Flockboard. Its a great easy to use product and the difference in contrast is noticeable. It works out a bit more expensive but for the ease of use imo its well worth it.

Really? Would it really be such a job to flock opposite the focuser before the OTA was assembled? I do know what you mean about drawing the line though... and the collimation screws on my Edge HD show just how far manufacturers will go to save a fraction of a penny (they were made of cream cheese, I think!)

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I agree but where do you draw the line within the price range, Flocking is not a quick job, the material cost will be cheap but the labour cost and slow down in production has to be considered.

Flocking definitely does work. As mentioned the most important bits with a newt/dob are near the focuser and the primary mirror.

No harm will be done by flocking the whole tube but it will be a case of diminishing returns for a lot of additional work.

Cut a piece of flocking paper to the length of about the tube length, but about 2 inches shy of where the primary mirror should go.

Expose a little of the adhesive side, abut three inches and stick to the top end of the tube. Rub down, then keep exposing the adhesive little by little until you have adhered the strip to the inside of the tube. Make sure air bubbles are removed as you go, it needs to be applied as smoothly as possible.

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But considering it's spray glue, then static charge gun applied, I'd assume a better coverage and final effect would be the end result.

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This is an extreme example as it is white PVC pipe, but when I built my first reflector, I took pictures of the "before" and "after" - pretty clear how much the flocking helps. Certainly most telescope tubes are painted flat black, not gloss white, but they still reflect a fair amount of incidental light.

When dry, reattach the spider vanes, secondary & primary mirror. It's a good idea to ensure the tube is laying horizontally, as you do not want anything crashing down on the primary mirror!

My guess is that the tube is cold rolled, so I'm sure it could be applied to the inside of the tube and then the tube rolled. OK you may have a slight gap where the seam is welded / crimped, but it wouldn't slow production down and shouldn't add much to the overall cost

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Check the edges of the flocking paper again, as you do not want the paper to come loose after you have reassembled the scope.

The only thing I would add to Kim's post is that it is not necessary to flock the whole of the inside of the tube on a reflector - the key is to concentrate on the region opposite the focuser and around the primary mirror. In fact, remove you eyepiece and look into the empty focuser - every surface (except the mirrors!!!) that you can see indicates an area that needs flocking.

With an 8 inch tube, cut the paper in half, so you have two pieces as long as the tube. It is easier to adhere the paper when it is in thinner strips of about half the width of the paper.

Absolutely worth doing - it is one on my Christmas projects this year, in fact the 'scope is stripped down in readiness already!

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You may want to apply a few coats of this stuff around the edges of your secondary mirror. Let it dry completely before reattaching (this should be the penultimate job to the final task of reattaching the primary mirror).

Note how much brighter the floor is outside the tube on the "flocked" picture, since the camera had to take a longer exposure due to the darkness created by the flocking inside the tube:

I have been reading about people taking their scopes apart to add flocking - it seems quite a big job just to stick the stuff inside - is the effort worth the results?

Don, my understanding for refractors is: It depends. Good refractors with a lot of internal light baffles (increasingly smaller concentric circles inside the tube) will not really require much in the way of flocking - perhaps the focuser and the dew shield, but not much more than that. Poorly baffled refractors could perhaps benefit from flocking behind the lens.

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What it does is reduce the amount of stray light that bounces around inside the tube. The difference is quite astounding. You'll find you get much greater contrast and clarity at the eyepeice which is very useful particularly if you regularly view from a light poluted site.

What I don't understand is why the scope manufacturers don't flock the scope as standard. It would surely cost pennies..

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Placing the tube on a table covered with a towel, wipe the inside of the tube with a damp cloth, to remove any dust. Wait for it to dry (shouldn't take long as the cloth should be damp)

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I no longer use the self adhesive flocking though. The flockboard material that's on a plastic backing is a lot easier to fit and makes for a neater job as you simply cut it to size and slide it down the tube where it holds itself in place. The genuine Protostar Flockboard is admittedly expensive, but you could make your own version by using a cheaper self adhesive flocking and sticking it onto some black 0.75mm thick plasticard which is fairly cheap on eBay in A3 or larger sheets. Just tape a few plasticard sheets together to make a large enough backing sheet to fit around the inside of the tube.

Repeat with other pieces until the entire inside of the tube is covered (with exception to the 2 inch unflocked bit where the primary mirror should go).

Of course, this all depends on the ambient lighting around your observing location; more ambient light means flocking will help more.

For SCT's, the answer is yes - BUT - do learn how to mark the corrector lens on the tube before removing. It does need to be put back on in exactly the same location. But I have read numerous reports of flocking substantially improving the view in SCT's.

How do you get the flocking material down the bottom of an eight inch solid tube dob? Do you have to remove the primary? If so, is this easy to do?