[Mrs Vampire]

I live and I learn.

Casting them costs about eight bucks a piece. The optical quality can be made near perfect if one is prepared to grind them back to a dead flat surface and polish them. I have done one and it has taken around two hours to get it right.

I am using crystal clear Polyester Styrene casting resin and Silicone casting mold.

I have abandoned that technique in favor of getting the local Perspex supplier to make me an acrylic extrusion that is optically perfect . Cost for enough to make six is sixty bucks. I only have to slice them into appropriate lengths with the little rebate at the end.

I opted for acrylic mirrors which I am assured can be bonded perfectly clear using acrylic glue'''the trick is to get the bubbles out as you glue it. I will experiment with that. The alternative is to bond then from the sides using silicone rubber.

The centre prism for the Fwd protector scopes has proven to be time consuming but straight forward. I have sliced a 15mm Acrylic sheer with a 25 deg bevel along one edge and the opposite angle on the other side. I used a Dremel tool routing tip and shaping bench to make the 1/8 x 1/4 rebate along the rear edge. works fine so long as overheating is avoided.

Perfect clarity with acrylic sheet is had by flattening and flame melting the surface....something I am happy to leave to an expert given the cost per unit.
Not counting my stuffing around I estimate around $15 a unit for the pistol port scopes and $60 for all the mirrors and windows front cover leather pads and bearing blocks for the front scopes including the direct vision side window.