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Fieldcraft Homemade Red Lens

bmathistsu

Private
Minuteman
Nov 6, 2009
29
0
44
TX
Hey guys...always been looking on here now i am just starting to post on here. Love the forums. Ive tried to search but cannot find how to make red lenses. im not into the sharpie or red plastic cellafain, or how ever u spell it. tryed quake industries also just not onebig enough.

Got a super tac light mounted on my ar and switch it to bolt gun when night hunting. Awsome light just wish i could come up with a red lense.

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance
 
Re: Homemade Red Lens

I use gels in my photography follies. Take care to protect them as some are quite thin which makes them sensitive to prolonge temperature exposure. Direct sunlight is very bad on most photography gels...think Srinky Dink commercials and you'll understand. But that's a prolonged exposure.

Remember, tactical lights are a focused beam and have intense heat at the head...so you'll need to be very careful as you can truly start a fire with your light and the gel.

Cold does the exact opposite (naturally). They become crack prone and very fragile.

Great idea. Wonder if you could mount some diffuser gels to a scope insert honeycomb...hmmm....
 
Re: Homemade Red Lens

yes. make sure they are theater lighting gels as these are rated to high temps. those lights will burn your skin in a sec, so if your flashlight does not get that hot then you are ok.

as far as the diffuser gel...that make just make your scope frosted. i dont think that would be a good idea.

now polarizing film...that may work
 
Re: Homemade Red Lens

I have seen people use RIT dye to change the color of a lens. a guy got into a bit of trouble changing his amber rotating light to red using it. you might be able to take a clear lens and make it red although i don't know how deep of a color you can create. my guess is that the longer you allow it to soak, the deeper the color saturation.
 
Re: Homemade Red Lens

you can find a surplus elbow flashlight ($5) with a selection of color lenses or find a light filter kit. if the lens is too big, just cut to fit. secure it with mil. tape or come up with an improvised cap to make it removable.

the other suggestions given can work, but this will provide a more durable solution.
 
Re: Homemade Red Lens

i've used, as a temporary thing, red saran wrap. usually only available around christmas and valentine's day.

i have also put a "see thru" flip up scope lens cover on the end of the light, then colored the clear on the cover with a red sharpie or covered it with the saran wrap. flip it up, you are back to white.

works well enough for coyotes.
 
Re: Homemade Red Lens

They have made red filters for b&w photography for ages.
They inexpensive and come in buckets of different sizes.

What is the diameter of the lens element in your light?

The filter rings come right apart.

eBay


John


grin.gif
 
Re: Homemade Red Lens

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TOP PREDATOR</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i've used, as a temporary thing, red saran wrap. usually only available around christmas and valentine's day.</div></div>

I have been using the same stuff since 1979 for my fox light and it works great. Flower stores have it year round here. The best part of using this stuff is you can add how ever many layers you need to get your light dialed in perfect. Nothing better than seeing nothing but two burning ambers closing in on you on a pitch black night.
 
Re: Homemade Red Lens

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: oldgrayone</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TOP PREDATOR</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i've used, as a temporary thing, red saran wrap. usually only available around christmas and valentine's day.</div></div>

The best part of using this stuff is you can add how ever many layers you need to get your light dialed in perfect. </div></div>

that's a good point. being able to modify the intensity through layers would be pretty handy on a fixed power beam.