I'd highly recommend Platinum Roofing & Construction as well. They did a full tear-off for my parents and the communication was top notch from start to finish.

Love doing this too, saves so much time.

Watch my uncle freehand a perfect circle with that old torch and it's like seeing magic. His hands are just super steady from decades of practice. But then you see a plasma table lay down a complex bracket design with edges cleaner than any human hand could ever get. It's wild to think how the skill has changed from pure artistry to more about programming and machine maintenance.

Actually, I see it the other way. For a first shot with homemade gear, getting any sharp stars is a big win. @wells.christopher is right about polar alignment, but even with small errors, the fact that you built this from scrap is great. Think about it: you took a broken DVD player and made it track stars. That's more awesome than perfect alignment. Your next target could be something easier, like the Pleiades, to build confidence. Don't let talk of tiny trails take away from this success.

That paper towel test Jason mentioned is so handy! My buddy Mike had his truck acting up last winter, sputtering on cold starts. He dabbed some fuel on a napkin like you said, and when it dried there were these clear separate rings and a dark sticky patch in the center. He figured out his jerry can had a cracked seal and let in condensation. After he swapped out the bad fuel, his engine sounded totally normal again.