Make your own ARD (Atni Reflective Device)

[Otto347]

In this post ill take you through the steps to make your own ARD for much less than a pre made unit costs and it will look just as good.

 

First off you need the material, I found a seller on ebay that offers it in small squares for under $5 shipped to your door. It was enough to do my 50mm lens.

 

Materials list:

-Honeycomb material

-Masking tape

-Exacto knife or similar hobby knife

-Sharpie marker or similar

(The next few items aren't a necessity, they just speed up the process)

-Band saw (Scroll saw would be ideal)

-Belt sander

-Dremel tool

 

Do an ebay search for "diy honeycomb grid" you will see he has 4 different light diffuser honeycombs that are separated by degree of light diffusion and thickness.

 

It would be a good idea to see how much room you have on your optic between the outer ring and the lens before purchasing this material so you dont have to buy it twice :a-wink:

 

Here is the 16° Honeycomb I am using on my Leapers 3-9x50 mil dot scope.

 

 

First thing to do is unscrew the lens ring on the front of your optic and just make sure you have enough space on your honeycomb or if you could possibly get another ARD out of it for a buddy. In my case the 50mm was only getting cut once.

 

 

Next get a soft towel or clean work space to start

 

 

I started by placing masking tape on the honeycomb so I had a surface I could use my sharpie on. If youre using a bandsaw its also a good idea to put tape on both sides to protect the honeycomb while you cut it.

 

 

Trim off any excess tape

 

 

Place your optic ring on the honeycomb and grab your marker.

 

 

Trace out the ring on the inside, making sure to angle the marker so you get right up against the rim of the ring.

 

[Otto347]

WaLa! Nearly perfect template to begin cutting with.

 

 

Now if you're using a band saw trim around your traced ring but make sure to leave about a 16th of an inch around the outside of the ring for better fitting later.

 

 

Take your time and cut small pieces off, the honeycomb is kinda fragile so you want to cut slow long curves. After a few minutes you should have something close to this.

 

 

Now go over to your belt sander and get your line around your trace ring nice and uniform.

 

 

Once you have it as close to round as you can test fit it in your ring. Here it wasnt quite small enough so back to the belt sander. Remember try and keep your honeycomb nice and round so you get a good fit inside your scope ring.

 

 

A few more tries and the honeycomb slid right in. You want the fit snug but you also don't want to force it in. If your piece is a little loose don't worry, wrap a piece of masking tape around it until it fits snug.

 

 

This next step is optional, I had some semi melted pieces on the edges from the belt sander.

 

 

Just take your hobby knife and trim off the pieces.

 

 

Take your tape off and fit it into your scope ring and you're done!

 

 

Install on your optic and gloat at how inexpensive and awesome looking this DIY project was. Anyone wondering about how much this hinders the view out of the scope, its really hard to tell if the ARD is on the scope at all. You still have a clear view of everything in the scope.

 

 

 

If you don't have a band saw don't worry, just grab your hobby knife and cut the masking tape about a 16th of an inch off of the outside of your trace line. Then slowly and carefully cut the walls of the honeycomb around your trace line. Follow the same steps as with the belt sander, cut a little and test fit. Just be patient and before you know it you'll be done.

 

If you have any other questions ask away!

[wolfgeorge]

That's very good and most of all cheap!!

 

George

[spetsnazdave87]

Very nice little guide for those on a budget. Nice one!

 

 

Though I think its 'voila'

[Otto347]

Very nice little guide for those on a budget. Nice one!

 

 

Though I think its 'voila'

Lol youre probably right

[Libris]

Excellent idea.

 

I've ordered the sample pack for just over a tenner posted ($16ish).

 

Seems great value and a nice challenge if you don't have a band saw!