DIY Night Vision Rifle Scope

Shooting a rifle accurately at a target requires being able to see it. You can make a do-it-yourself (DIY) night vision rifle scope that will let you see what you are shooting at when the lights are out. You will need a few supplies from a hobby store and some experience in using a soldering iron. Get adult supervision if you are underage, since a utility knife must be used to make your DIY night vision rifle scope.

Things You'll Need

• Newspaper
• Empty toilet paper tube
• Utility knife
• Pencil
• Congo blue filter sheet
• Primary red filter sheet
• Hot glue gun
• Glue stick
• Soldering iron
• Solder
• Infrared LED
• Button battery

Instructions

1. Place a sheet of newspaper on a table to protect the surface. Place the Congo blue filter sheet on the newspaper.

2. Stand an empty toilet paper tube on the Congo blue filter sheet. Draw an outline in pencil around the bottom of the empty toilet paper tube, on the Congo blue filter sheet. Remove the empty toilet paper tube from the Congo blue filter sheet.

3. Cut out the outline with a utility knife. Repeat this entire procedure with the empty toilet paper tube and the Primary red filter sheet.

4. Stand the empty toilet paper tube on the newspaper. Heat up a glue gun. Apply hot glue around the rim of the Primary red circle cutout. Place the Primary red circle cutout on the top end of the empty toilet paper tube. Let the hot glue set for five minutes.

5. Apply hot glue around the rim of the Primary red circle cutout. Place the Congo blue circle cutout onto the Primary red circle cutout. Let the hot glue set for five minutes.

6. Cut the empty toilet paper tube in half with the blade of the utility knife. Discard the half of the empty toilet paper tube that does not have the filters glued onto it.

7. Heat up the soldering iron. Place an infrared LED on the newspaper, with the two pins attached to its bottom facing right. Place a button battery on the newspaper next to the two pins, with the Plus (+) contact facing up.

8. Solder the end of the shorter of the two pins to the top of the button battery. Let the solder cool for one minute. Unplug the soldering iron.

9. Place the empty toilet paper tube horizontally on the newspaper, with the end that has the filters on it facing to the right. Apply hot glue to a side of the infrared LED. Place the side of the infrared LED that has the hot glue on it against the top left end of the empty toilet paper tube, with the two pins attached to the LED’s bottom facing to the right. Let the hot glue set for five minutes.

10. Apply hot glue to the bottom right corner of the button battery attached to the infrared LED. Push down on the button battery to secure it to the top of the empty toilet paper tube.

11. Place the DIY night vision scope you have just made on the top of your rifle with the end that has the filters facing you. Secure the DIY night vision scope to the top of the rifle with strips of duct tape. To power the infrared LED, push the longer pin attached to the infrared LED beneath the button battery . Look through your DIY night vision scope to see in the dark.

Tips & Warnings

• Let your eyes become accustomed to the darkness before using your DIY night vision scope.

• Using your DIY night vision scope sparingly will enable the battery to last longer.

References

• YouTube: Do It Yourself, "Spy" NightVision Sunglasses

Resources

• bobtuley: GUn Safety-Know The Four Rules