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Paper short abstract:

In this paper we discuss the do-it-yourself practices in the context of astronomy and everyday life at the observatory in Tuorla, Finland. We understand the tradition of craftsmanship as a living heritage process which has taken specific shapes at the observatory over the decades.

Paper long abstract:

Tuorla Observatory (1950–2018) was a well-known astronomical and geodetic research centre of the University of Turku in Piikkiö, Finland. In the recent years the observatory has changed into a public science centre and the observatory museum will open up in the beginning of the summer 2023. The documentation of the observatory and its history, its buildings and equipment as well as stories and memories, has been going on since 2018. During the documentation process, we have noticed that among the researchers at the observatory there has been a tradition of craftsmanship that has lasted for decades. Researchers themselves have invented and built the equipment they have used. There was always a lack of resources and researchers had to come up with creative and inexpensive solutions. All the available materials were recycled. Especially grinding the optics has been a world-renowned skill in Tuorla.

In this paper we will discuss the context and meanings of the do-it-yourself practices at the Observatory of Tuorla. What kind of knowledge there is hidden in silent objects? How is it possible to understand and interpret the tacit knowledge of the craftmanship? The art of doing yourself is a process of trial, failure and unusual success cycles. In the context of “hard science” this tradition of craftsmanship takes on new, interesting perspectives and interpretations.