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Kaleidoscopes are fun to look through. They fragment what we see, multiply the fragments, and put them together again in amazingly complex variations based on the triangle.
This kaleidoscope is made out of three long rectangular pieces of mirror which are taped together with electrical tape. That, in itself, makes a working kaleidoscope. I added a clear piece of glass at either end of mine, holding the end pieces in place with silicone rubber. The glass ends keep the inside of the kaleidoscope dust-free,
Look through it and enjoy what you see. Stick a camera at one end, instead of your eye, and take some great pictures!
This kaleidoscope is made out of three long rectangular pieces of mirror which are taped together with electrical tape. That, in itself, makes a working kaleidoscope. I added a clear piece of glass at either end of mine, holding the end pieces in place with silicone rubber. The glass ends keep the inside of the kaleidoscope dust-free,
Look through it and enjoy what you see. Stick a camera at one end, instead of your eye, and take some great pictures!
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Signing UpStep 1Cut the Mirrors
Cutting glass is inherently a little risky. Be careful to not cut yourself, and it is always a good idea to wear eye protection, also.
There is an art to cutting glass, but it is not especially difficult to learn. Mark your cuts with an erasable marker, or grease pencil. You can clean grease pencil marks later with a little lacquer thinner. You need a glass cutter, which is like a sharp wheel on a handle, to score the cut lines in the glass, and a straight edge to guide the cutter. After scoring the glass, you also need the edge of a table, where you can hold one side of the cut line firmly while pushing down on the other in order to snap the glass at the line. Press down quickly, firmly, and decisively.
The sharp wheel on the glass cutter scores a line in the glass. When you press to break the glass, the crack line tends to follow the line scored in the glass.
Mirrors come in different thicknesses of glass. Thin glass is easier to cut than thick glass, especially if you are cutting small pieces. I scored the lines on the front side of the mirror, not on the silvered back side. Hold the glass with the scored line facing up when you press down over the edge of the table to snap it.
After you cut the mirror pieces, use a little sand paper to smooth the edges so you don't cut yourself later.
My kaleidoscope is made out of three pieces of 1/16 inch thick mirror material, about 2 inches wide and 11 inches long.
There is an art to cutting glass, but it is not especially difficult to learn. Mark your cuts with an erasable marker, or grease pencil. You can clean grease pencil marks later with a little lacquer thinner. You need a glass cutter, which is like a sharp wheel on a handle, to score the cut lines in the glass, and a straight edge to guide the cutter. After scoring the glass, you also need the edge of a table, where you can hold one side of the cut line firmly while pushing down on the other in order to snap the glass at the line. Press down quickly, firmly, and decisively.
The sharp wheel on the glass cutter scores a line in the glass. When you press to break the glass, the crack line tends to follow the line scored in the glass.
Mirrors come in different thicknesses of glass. Thin glass is easier to cut than thick glass, especially if you are cutting small pieces. I scored the lines on the front side of the mirror, not on the silvered back side. Hold the glass with the scored line facing up when you press down over the edge of the table to snap it.
After you cut the mirror pieces, use a little sand paper to smooth the edges so you don't cut yourself later.
My kaleidoscope is made out of three pieces of 1/16 inch thick mirror material, about 2 inches wide and 11 inches long.
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Aug 19, 2009. 12:35 PM
lemonie
says:
lemonie
says:
I'm impressed that you got good photos of the effect out of this. L
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