On Monday, January 13, 2014 12:02:06 PM UTC-5, haitic...@gmail.com wrote:   
   > As a thought experiment, consider that an average Si PD detector is   
   somewhere around 2mmx2mm, as I remember. So the question arises in my mind,   
   has anyone cut the rather expensive filters into sizes needed for the   
   detectors? I looked around, and    
   Tungsten carbide scribe goes for $8 (seems to work better than the diamond   
   variety.)    
   >    
   > This could be done by hand, but a "scribing engine" worth consideration. I'm   
   still thinking about it, but ideal is to have tensioner spring, guide for   
   sliding, and way to immobilize the filter.    
   >    
   > What is needed for immobilization is a glue to temporarily fix the filter.   
   The dopping wax used by diamond polishers, the old standby Duco cement, or   
   Sodium Silicate, a water soluble glue. You probably dont want to melt wax, or   
   expose filter to water,    
   so that leaves Duco released with acetone. I'm even nervous with acetone,   
   since it has a hydrophilic double nature capable of penetrating inorganic   
   films. I'd feel better with a strictly hydrophobic solvent like toluene,   
   methylene chloride, or hexane.    
   >    
   > Possibly someone will post that the filter manufacturers like OCLI are doing   
   this already, but given that detectors are generally small area, it's a bit   
   surprising to me that the filters are so large.    
   >    
   > JB   
      
   I think this is a bad idea,  Interference filters (IF) typically have internal   
   layers that don't like water, and hence a coating around the perimeter.     
   So it depends on the IF, only my supplier knows for sure.       
      
   George H.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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