Another DIY solar filter thread!

[MjrTom]

Hello All,

Following on from a friends recent post on the forum I decided to share with you guys my DIY solar filters for my refractors.

I made my filters by finding plastic tub lids that were the correct diameter then cutting the centre out with a craft knife.

I made two 200gsm weight card discs using things like bean cans, coffee jar lids etc to get the right size (a compass would have been much easier)

I cut two identical discs and mounted the solar filter between these two discs using small squares of double sided tape.

This solar filter housing was then stuck to the plastic housing I made earlier.

To finish off I used some obligatory camping mat foam to act as a method of affixing the filters to the telescope.

For the 4 inch telescope it mounts directly onto the lens housing in a similar method to the lens cap.

For the ED80 it slots over the dew hood.

Each filter is fitted into a cardboard box I had from the delivery of my BGO's earlier in the year.

Hope it inspires someone else to try the same!

[Merlin66]

Very nice!

You make it look easy.

[MjrTom]

Very nice!

You make it look easy.

Thanks buddy

It was your images, amongst others on this forum that got me interested in white light solar observing

[Moonshane]

Very cool Mark! if it's feasible I'd also recommend a couple of lengths of elastic of some kind threaded through a hold punch hole to act as safety bunjees.

your foil is quite a bit straighter than mine although I am not sure it makes a big difference?

[bullettooth]

erm need a little help understanding these...is that just the solar filter foil, brown-ish colour, in the middle you can see with a ring of card around it to fix it in place? or is it card board with the filter foil sandwiched between so you cant see the filter foil???

[Merlin66]

Yes, the brown is the reflection from the Baader Solar Filter material.

The ring and lid make the cover to hold it in place on the telescope.

[bullettooth]

Yes, the brown is the reflection from the Baader Solar Filter material.

The ring and lid make the cover to hold it in place on the telescope.

ahh i get it now. thank you!

what would you expect to see through this and would i be able to make one for my scope? or would you not recommend a complete novice like me to not go looking at the sun?

[MjrTom]

Very cool Mark! if it's feasible I'd also recommend a couple of lengths of elastic of some kind threaded through a hold punch hole to act as safety bunjees.

your foil is quite a bit straighter than mine although I am not sure it makes a big difference?

Thanks Shane, The foam actually holds it in place very tightly so there is no risk of it blowing off or being knocked off. Its a really tight fit.

Yes, the brown is the reflection from the Baader Solar Filter material.

The ring and lid make the cover to hold it in place on the telescope.

yes correct.

If you take two circular rings of identical size and what you do is put double sided tape on it an you lay this ring onto the film.

Next I roughly cut the film from the A4 sheet then flipped it over and applied the second ring to the other side.

If done on a flat surface with no force used the film does not crease.

I then took this ring with solar film sandwiched in between and trimmed the excess from around the edges.

I then applied a little double sided tape to the edge of the plastic holder I fashioned earlier and attach the filter housing to that.

Lastly i measured how much space there was between the plastic ring and the edge of the dew shield which was approx 3mm all round so I cut foam to approx 5mm in thickness allowing the sponginess of the foam to hold it firmly in place.

As they say "jobs a gooden!"

Hope that explains things a bit better than my first post.

[bullettooth]

Hope that explains things a bit better than my first post.

yeah thanks. your original description was great i was just a bit confused about the reflectiveness/transparancy of the filter film. so wasnt too sure what i was looking at.

thanks for clearing it up. i understand it totally now. good job you have done there. well done

[MjrTom]

Thanks

Its a great activity to try on those cloudy nights.

To make both took me about 3 hours total.

Cutting the plastic housing was the most difficult part of it.

[Merlin66]

You should have no fear about observing the Sun with the proper filter.

The Baader Solar Film is as good as it gets...100% safe.

[MjrTom]

You should have no fear about observing the Sun with the proper filter.

The Baader Solar Film is as good as it gets...100% safe.

I agree

I tend to use my clickstop zoom with the ED80 and my 24mm panoptic on the bigger refractor.

This gives a full disc image size.

Earlier in the year when the sun was higher I could use a bit more power to zoom in on the sunspots themselves.

This time of the year it barely clears the rooftops surrounding my garden.

[bullettooth]

Great stuff. i might just give it a go! thanks for responding.

hope you enjoy viewing the sun

[Demonperformer]

I'm totally losing the plot ... I read the words "solar filter" in the title as "filter wheel"! I promise that, when they come for me, I won't resist.

[Gina]

I'm always doing that sort of thing Welcome to the club

[MjrTom]

Lol I am the club captain!

[nightfisher]

Very good job mark, i should really get one made for my tal

[MjrTom]

Thanks guys!

Here are a few images of the 50mm finder scope with a DIY solar filter.

This is fashioned from a Johnsons cotton bud pack (100 unit size)

I carefully popped the cardboard base out of the pack and cut a 40mm wide circle in the middle.

I then took this and used it as a template to cut a matching disc from some black 300gsm card.

Once I had two discs I applied small squares of double sided tape to the cardboard and laid it down on the Baader ND5 solar film and made a rough cut to separate it from the rest of the sheet of solar film.

Next with the other disc of card I attached more doubles sided tape and applied this to the disc with attached solar film from earlier.

Next I trimmed a small amount off the edge of the sandwiched solar filter to allow it to fit better in the tube.

I lined the tube with flocking paper to make a snug fit for the disc within the tube.

The plastic lid of the cotton bud tub makes a re great filter cover to prevent any damage to the solar film.

Anyway hope it gives others some ideas of what can be achieved.