Build a Snowflake catcher. Here's how!

[bvar22]

F Gordon is right.

The SnowFlake Catcher is a piece of glass that allows for bottom lighting of anything placed on the glass.
It has other purposes, and you can find commercial "Bottom Lighting" (Light Tables, X-Ray viewers) devices on the net beginning at about $100.
The one described below has several options for adjustment that you might not find on the commercial ones.


The SnowFlake Catcher was originally Dreamed Up to capture "Frost Crystals" that form on windows when the temp drops into the teens.
I love those crystal patterns, and they regularly formed on the single pane window glass of my houseboat during the Winter.



The apartment where I now live has double paned windows which prevents the formation of these beautiful patterns.
Hopefully, with this "SnowFlake Catcher" mounted vertically in the outside screen runners, I will be able to capture some frost crystals. The internal lighting options and black bottom should provide a good chance of photographing these crystals.

The Snowflake Catcher is a piece of ordinary window glass (16" X 20") that is sandwiched inside a frame of 1" X 4" pine boards.
(The hardwood (unpainted) wing pieces are for vertically mounting in the window frame. They fit into the screen runner slots, and the side with the wing nuts expands to firmly wedge the whole contraption securely into place. They wouldn't be needed for Catching Snowflakes or any other table top bottom lighting.)




The florescent lights are available from Menards.
I used:
*two 17" 7 watt slim florescent lights on the long sides,
*two 13" 13 watt florescent light on the short sides.

These lights can all be connected Daisey Chain with the wiring provided.
They can also be turned ON/OFF with switches on the lights. Eventually, I will mount individual switches so that any combination of lights can be used.
The lights are easily mounted with the two wood screws provided, and are each 1-1/2" tall when mounted.
The lights are held in by clips, and one or all can be easily removed if some other type of lighting is to be used.




The back is 1/4" plywood painted flat white (to reflect heat) on the outside, and flat black on the inside. It is mounted on 2" X 2" pine studs slightly longer than 1-1/2" (for light fixture clearance) screwed to the frame at the corners.
In the above picture, the back is leaning against the wall. The unpainted strips are the "backsides" of baffles that prevent the lights from shining directly on the bottom piece creating hot spots. The "frontsides" are painted flat black and do not show up in the picture (unless you look close). They are made from 1/2" 90degree molding that is glued to the back piece. When the back is placed on the box, they cover the bulbs from direct line of sight from inside the box. I am going to replace them with 3/4" molding for more effective hot spot prevention.

The background color can be changed by simply placing a colored piece of poster paper on the back.



This pic shows the thingie I used last night for the snowflakes. It spaces my lens the correct distance from the glass and allows placement anywhere on the glass. It is only good for perpendicular shots. I have had some success bracing the camera on the glass itself, or building little supports with paperback books and the flotsam that accrues on my desktop for shots on an angle.
I am contemplating cutting little sections out of the frame for shots absolutely parallel to the glass.

For the snowflake pictures last night, the best ones were using only one 7watt florescent bulb (the others turned off.)
I was also using a small narrow beam pencil light for top lighting.
The exposures for the snowflakes were very sensitive, easy to overexpose.
The internal light meter on the camera was of no use. It was mostly trial and error.
I also had a black light hooked up, hoping for some florescence, but snow apparently doesn't fluoresce. :dunce:

Suggestions for Catching Snowflakes.
*Dress warmly

*Leave your catcher outside for a couple of hours so that it gets cold and won't melt the flakes.

*Night is better for control of the lighting.


These last 2 pics was taken using The Catcher as a table top Bottom Lighter.







If you build one of these, you will be dismayed to discover how much DUST is floating around your house.
It is near impossible to keep the glass clean. If you try to use a paint brush or soft cloth to dust the glass, it becomes charged with static electricity....attracting MORE dust!
The Scratch Remover Tool in PSPX is MAGIC at removing dust from pics! :)


It is forecast to drop to single digits tonight.
The Catcher will be mounted in an unheated hallway window. A balloon will be used to introduce humidity to the confined area between the double paned glass and the external glass which is exposed to the outside temperature.
Hopefully, I will post some Frost Crystal pics tomorrow!


Happy Macros Everybody!
:party:

[Boo_Radley]

1. Nice.

I made a tracing table, but all I did was go to Office Depot and buy a clear acrylic telephone stand and a small, cheap, flexible halogen lamp, and I bend the lamp all the way back so it's shining up, stick it under the telephone stand, and trace on top of it. It's no good for trying to bottom light stuff like that, though. As a matter of fact, it's not even real great as a tracing table, because it's too bright.

I think I'm going to build one of those for bottom lighting things in the future. Thanks for the step by step.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

2. I knew you were sick. This is serious. Uhh Series, I mean

Get help.
Get a job taking pictures. It will destroy the hobby. Do it fast before it is too late.

[Immad2]

3. Thank you, bvar22, for the info and pictures. Now I know what a Snowflake

Catcher is . It looks like it could be used for a great deal more than catching snowflakes so I will probably make one. Thanks again.

[CC]

4. Thanks for sharing how

to make the snowflake catcher. When I have had more that 3 hours sleep I'll have to read it and try making one. Great pics too. Can't wait to see frost crystals.

[F.Gordon]

5. I was right?

:dunce:

Quick... everyone.. this is the final sign of the Rapture. The end days are nar'.
:yoiks:

That's one hell of a DIY project. I think we should just skip the voting and make you the "winner" just for taking the time to construct that sucker. I have a couple of those kind of lights around here. Now if I can only find them and I'll have to get Ms F' to help me build it. Since I'm helping her sand down the stair banisters and paint them this "colonial" color I think it's only fair that she help me on this.

Thanks for sharin' this... sorta kinda :eyes:
:hi:

[mogster]

6. Amazing!

Thanks for posting this, bvar22 :-)