Underwater Viewer scope How To

[TenOunce Tone]

Ok I was in the Man Lab and saw a CD Container sitting on the bench, as there are a few going through the process of building an underwater viewer scope, I had a think and come up whti this way to help cut the viewing window.

In the first pic you will see the viewer parts. Note the 100 mm pvc pipe is not in pic, we all know what that looks like.
Anyway, the grey item with the black grid is the water drain that fits over the top, the other grey item is the base of a CD spindle, the clipboard is the $1.99 clear plastic clipboard from Office works.

in the second picture you will notice the CD Spindle sitting in the top of the PVC Drain, perfect fit, there is about 1 or 2 mm gap all round.

Pic three is the CD Spindle on top of the clipboard, mark around the spindle with marker of your choice, try to use something with a thin line. cut along the line with your cutter of choice, I will be using my Dremel, you can use a bandsaw, or anything that will cut the circle, just take it easy when cutting and keep the plastic supported so it dont vibrate or wobble too much and you should be right.

I guess the rest is silicon the window into the drain attach to your chosen length of pipe and away you go.

Total cost so far is piece of 100mm pipe $9.00, Drain cover $3.50 or so. Clipboard $1.99, CD Spindle, $0.00 had it from years ago..

Also if you cant find some plastic, you could cut the top out of the CD Spindle and glue that in, not a flat surface but it would work I guess.

Update to follow on assembled product.

Cheers, Tone

 

[Guest]

A good squirt of windex on that Perspex will let it cut nice with a jig saw

 

[kleinman98]

Brilliant idea tenounce

 

[Guest]

Can't wait to see it finished as iv been looking at building one for a while!

 

[Marked]

If using a jigsaw, you might like taping some card or plastic to it's base to prevent the metal base scratching the clear plastic - the other way is to tape something to the plastic itself - if using some card, you could draw the circle on the card instead of the plastic (as long as it is firmly located and won't move during the cutting process)

 

[TenOunce Tone]

Ok I got back to the scope build today and cut out the lens.

I made up a jig to hold the drain piece so I could use it to support the plastic as I cut it out using my Dremel. All i did was put the drain top down on a piece of wood and tapped 3 nails in around the edge to hold it in place, i lined up the edge so it would not interfere with the cutting blade of the Dremel, after I made the cut, i picked of the melted bits and gave the edges a bit of a sand to smooth it out.

Once I cut the lens out, I decided to cut out a the center of the screen, to provide a bit of support and maybe stop the lens hitting the bottom. If you do this, leave the corners squares in, I did not do this and the screen snapped at the weak areas near the corners.

I plan on fixing the screen grid to the tube with some of the screws in the shot.

What I am also planning on doing ( I found I did not have any Silicon when I went to do this) is run a couple of beads of silicon around the inside of the drain, allow this to dry and then place in the lens and screw the black screen back in place, I hope this will create a bit of a gasket effect so I can easily replace the lens if it gets damaged or to scratched up from hitting the bottom.

For a handle, I will just buy a robust cheap handle and screw on. (no more than 2 dollars.. )

The last couple of things to do is cut the pipe to length, spray the inside with some paint and then attach the handle.

I will post more pics when I do the silicon and test it in the "Panning Pond" out the back.

Cheers, Tone

 

[Beagleboy]

Tone, I have fitted the glass inside of the drain fitting. Just put the pipe that you will insert in to the fitting on top of the glass mark the diameter as the pipe fits snuggly in to the fitting. With you dremmel it would be a piece of cake to cut precisely. My son cut it free hand.
Then you put litle bit of silicon on the inside of the drain fitting where the glass will sit, pop the glass inside and let the silicon dry. Than paint the pipe inside with matt black, let it dry and push it on top of the fitting. Dont glue it so you can change the glass if it gets scratched.
See pictures below.

 

[TenOunce Tone]

Looks good Beagle, I have a bit more forgiveness in the dimesions of the glass, dont have to be so precise with the method I am using. there is plenty of room for those little slips..

All about alternatives and some people that are making one of these may not have a dremel, just showing options and what I did.

Cheers

Tone

 

[Beagleboy]

Looks good Beagle, I have a bit more forgiveness in the dimesions of the glass, dont have to be so precise with the method I am using. there is plenty of room for those little slips..

All about alternatives and some people that are making one of these may not have a dremel, just showing options and what I did.

Cheers

Tone

That is true that not every one has a dremmel. Those things are good for little precission jobs like this, hey?
The sharing of ideas is what i really like about this forum. Every time I see some contraption that some one made gets me thinking how to improve it. I cant help it.
Your build is looking good mate. Thanks for taking the time to write this tutorial.

 

[TenOunce Tone]

G'day again,

The last installment in my "How To"

Well I was pondering the whole silicon seal for the lens when I found a rubber seal out of a PVC Pipe cap, I thought that it might fit and sure enough it did, so in the end it went.

After putting the lens on top of the seal and then screwing down the grid I put in some water and what do you know, know leakage..

You can see the seal in the pic below, it is the black line near the view port.

I cut the tube down to 2 feet in length, seemed a good length from what I had seen on line etc.. I then set to work spraying the inside of the tube, I sprayed down one end for a bit, rotating the can as I went and then flipped the tube over and sprayed from the other end, touched up the ends and let it dry..

This is the assembled job, I did not glue the end onto the pipe, seems to work without the glue, and like Beagleboy, I can change the end if I think of a better way to do it.

The last pic is of a bucket of water in my laundry sink through the scope, I did not get to fill up the panning pond today, but I will take a pic when I go through the couple of buckets of gravel I have..

I did not go for a handle, didnt have one laying around and a trip to bunnings will have to wait..

If anyone making one of these using this method ants a hand cutting the plastic, let me know via pm and I will see what I can do.

Cheers Tony

 

[Bushranger]

You guys make amazing stuff. I don't care if I need it..I just want to make one for the hell of it. Wish I had your workshop though Tone. And your engineering ability!

 

[Guest]

Looking good!