This telescope was possibly my first major design and construction endeavor. After about three months of research, I started rough-grinding the mirror at the Chabot Observatory Telescope Makers' Workshop in sixth grade (2001). After spending at least 4-6 hours a week on the mirror, final polishing was completed nearly two years later (2003). The final mirror is a 10" diameter, 51" focal length mirror, polished so the maximum deviation from parabolic is 1/10 of a wavelength of light, as measured by a focault tester using green light.
I also made the body of the telescope, using sonotube (the cardboard tube they use for pouring concrete columns) for the actual tube. I had to buy the secondary mirror, spider, and focuser, however. One of those projects I keep meaning to do is to make a custom focuser. One of these days...