My DIY Solar Filter

[StuW]

Having received my Baader Astrosolar Film from FLO I set about making the mount for it and took photo's as I went along to aid others in the same venture.

Items needed:

• Sturdy Cardboard (I used the support card from the envelope FLO sent the film in)
  
• Thin Cardboard
  
• Opaque Tape
  
• Compass (The drawing a circle kind!)
  
• Scissors
  
• Stanley / Craft knife
  
• Glue (Prit Stick or similar is best)
  
• Soft Tissue or EXTREMELY clean flat work area
  

First I measured my ED80's Lens hood diameter (11.7mm) and used the compass to draw 2x2 circles (the inner one being 80mm, the diameter of the objective lens). I then drew another circle round only 1 of the circles of approx 15mm to make supporting tabs from.

Cutting the circles out, removing the middles with the stanley and then cutting small V's round the larger circle to create the tabs gives us this.

By lightly scoring between the tabs and then bending them gives us this.

Next we need to create the tube to slip over the lens hood. Using the thin card (thin card is used for the flexibility) cut strips of about 60mm / 2". I used A4 card and guillotine. With the first round of strips (the ones that touch the lens hood) only put glue on the ends of the card where they overlap and wrap them around the lens hood to crate a ring / tube. Keep layering up the strips by gluing the whole strip and wrapping them around evenly until you have a fairly sturdy tube.

If you are using a Prit Stick, the glue should dry fairly instantly otherwise wait for the tube to dry.

Now take the tube and put a decent layer of glue round the inside edge of the tube and push the tabbed ring into it and level with one edge. I found it easiest to put the glued edge to the bottom and push the ring down inside until it was flat with the table.

Turning over gives us the basic mount.

Next comes the fiddly bit, we need to cut a square of Solar Film to fit the remaining ring.

Be EXTREMELY careful with this as you don't want any holes or scratches on the film so do this on a VERY clean table or as suggested by Baader, a layer of tissue.

Put glue around the ring and place onto the Solar Film, apply slight pressure all round.

Trim the overhanging bits and use a soft tissue to lightly smooth out any lumps or bumps (not touching the middle cutout).

Next put a similar amount of glue around the inside side of the ring already in the tube and carefully push the Solar Film'd ring, film side down into the tube, sandwiching between the rings.

Turning over reveals our nearly completed mount.

Check for fitting on your scope.

Now, as you may have noticed we may have small holes where the rings meet the tube so we use the opaque tape to cover them over and also provide more overall support to the structure itself.

Enjoy!

[RikM]

Nice neat work

[Stargazer Jack]

Looks very nice and steady, well done

[faulksy]

have you tried it yet, nice job fella

[StuW]

Thanks for all the comments. Not yet Faulksy, on an early shift tomorrow so taking it easy, but got 2 days off mon and tues so will report back soon hopefully.

[Rattler]

Good job there bud.

[StuW]

Being used in anger.. at least they would if the clouds would get lost!

[Bizibilder]

That should do the trick - nicely made.

[satcomsta]

Nicely well done. Neat project.

[roscoe]

exellent,thanks for the template,ordering solar sheet now!hopefully enough left over to do binoculars also.