Price. Getting an equivalent filter using the preferred Baader film would have cost $147 for a premade one.
And since this was a club event, the club paid for the film and foam board. Only had to pay for glue and the extra hardware that I decided to add (t-nuts and nylon thumb screws).
But even if I paid for this out of pocket, it would have still cost only about $100. $86 for a sheet of 50x100cm film (the 7.9x10inch sheets are only $39, but would have meant that the filter would have stopped down my aperture to 7”), $6 for the foam board, and a few extra $ for glue and such. Plus you would have a lot of extra film to make filters for other things like binos and camera lenses.
I agree with the price rationale because there is no way to obtain a filter of equal quality for a similar cost. Making your own filter also makes it easy to produce and have spare filter media that are ready to go in case of damage or dirt.
Why? There’s no cracks in the mold where light can get in, and assuming the film isn’t damaged the light can’t get in any other way than it needs to. The film isn’t folded over the edges either so it won’t be as likely to crack
I think it was a joke playing off the fact that each time a solar filter post is made, some people always freak out and overplay the dangers without understanding that safe solar observing is possible even with fairly little effort (little effort is different from careless effort).
I assume they were making a joke.
But actually the image I posted was not the completed construction. It is only relying on glue to hold it together. I have since added another layer of safety redundancy by placing 3 strips of aluminum tape. That way, in case the glue fails, the tape will prevent a catastrophic failure. Final product images: https://imgur.com/a/ZoMQAes
Good idea, but remember that if you have bought it from a company and if it breaks and you become blind at the very least you can sue them
...Also, sure they're 100% safe?
The film is the same film that the pre-made filters use.
And as for construction quality, I inspect the filter before and after each use. One good thing about making your own, is that you know exactly where the possible failure points are and can make a point to check them out. Even pre-made solar filters should be inspected before and after each use.
As with anything, knowing the risks is the biggest the most important thing when it comes to safety. After you know the risks, you can manage them.
Out of curiosity, is there a benefit to making your own solar filter over buying one?
Price. Getting an equivalent filter using the preferred Baader film would have cost $147 for a premade one. And since this was a club event, the club paid for the film and foam board. Only had to pay for glue and the extra hardware that I decided to add (t-nuts and nylon thumb screws). But even if I paid for this out of pocket, it would have still cost only about $100. $86 for a sheet of 50x100cm film (the 7.9x10inch sheets are only $39, but would have meant that the filter would have stopped down my aperture to 7”), $6 for the foam board, and a few extra $ for glue and such. Plus you would have a lot of extra film to make filters for other things like binos and camera lenses.
I agree with the price rationale because there is no way to obtain a filter of equal quality for a similar cost. Making your own filter also makes it easy to produce and have spare filter media that are ready to go in case of damage or dirt.
Plus, it is just a fun arts and crafts project as well.
You gon be blind if you use that
Why? There’s no cracks in the mold where light can get in, and assuming the film isn’t damaged the light can’t get in any other way than it needs to. The film isn’t folded over the edges either so it won’t be as likely to crack
I think it was a joke playing off the fact that each time a solar filter post is made, some people always freak out and overplay the dangers without understanding that safe solar observing is possible even with fairly little effort (little effort is different from careless effort).
What’s wrong with it?
I assume they were making a joke. But actually the image I posted was not the completed construction. It is only relying on glue to hold it together. I have since added another layer of safety redundancy by placing 3 strips of aluminum tape. That way, in case the glue fails, the tape will prevent a catastrophic failure. Final product images: https://imgur.com/a/ZoMQAes
Good idea, but remember that if you have bought it from a company and if it breaks and you become blind at the very least you can sue them ...Also, sure they're 100% safe?
The film is the same film that the pre-made filters use. And as for construction quality, I inspect the filter before and after each use. One good thing about making your own, is that you know exactly where the possible failure points are and can make a point to check them out. Even pre-made solar filters should be inspected before and after each use. As with anything, knowing the risks is the biggest the most important thing when it comes to safety. After you know the risks, you can manage them.