Constructing an Eclipse Viewing Box

     I've got my eclipse viewing box all set up and ready to go. Actually, I made two, but the second one isn't nearly as complicated. I tested it out today around 5 pm so the angle of the sun was not very steep. It's about 6 feet long but I haven't measured it yet.

     It is fully enclosed now. My husband painted it flat black on the inside when it was open. I attached piece of white card stock in one end for the screen with double sided tape.

     I drew an X roughly from the corners on the opposite end. I cut out a small square in the center. I used a leftover piece of card stock, bigger than the hole, to cut a smaller square out of . I taped it to the end of the box with the top open, like an envelope, to hold my piece of aluminum with the pin hole.

     I cut an aluminum soda can apart and into three rectangles. They aren't precise but I covered the edges with some masking tape so they are not sharp and I hadn't had the duct tape handy yet. I pierced a single hole in two of them and several pinholes in a circle in the third. The back side was sanded smooth. I added a folded over piece of duct tape to the end to act as a handle. These are to be slipped between the box and card stock to project the image of the sun.

     I tried to cut a viewing window very high on the box but then realized it's almost impossible to get a good angle to see the  bottom. Fortunately, I tried this when the box was still open. I was able to close it back up. I purchased some black duct tape and covered the hole. It should now block out any light coming through the cuts. I cut a new viewing window closer to the bottom.

     The white line shows where the lid is still attached. It is so black inside the box that you couldn't make out the hinge of the flap. The cut protruding down was made so my cell phone could be slipped inside to take pictures. I then used a hot glue gun to close up the box securely.
    
     The second box I made was totally quick and easy and it still works well. I got the perfect sized  box delivered yesterday and I quickly put in a piece of white card stock on one side, with double sided tape, and cut a rectangle in the other.

     I duct taped one of the rectangles of aluminum can with a pin hole to the side with the hole.

    You just hold it over your head and aim it until the sun goes through the hole and projects an image on the screen. This one may be going with my husband to work if he wants it.

     This was great fun and I learned a lot from this simple project. Next post is my trial run.