Is it possible to put some kind of optical attenuator infront of a thermal camera to rescale the temperature and then calibrate it to a known process in a useful way?
What I wanted to do is use a torch and indicator pencils to try to see when aluminum is preheated enough to start welding, or for metal bending, etc. I know numbers will be baloney but you can look for what you know. I can visually correlate the color those range modes show with the correct temperature doing side by side mode with a indicator pencil (if you don't know, its a special wax-like pencil that melts at the correct temperature, you strike it like a match when you think its good until it melts while sweeping a torch)
I want to do this on a seek thermal camera. I expect a finicky solution but is it possible to ballpark this thing with a clip on lens and some kind of stack of attenuator sheets that I can put in front of the camera one by one? I have no problem building a thing in front of it with a 3d printer that I can load up lens elements on the go.. but I am not sure where to start here. I was imagining like a hopper you drop em into while its angled slightly up so they slide into a tube in front of the lens.
Could I do something to ZnSe windows with coatings or whatever that are 'dirty' and resistive, then make a few to find the right combo? I thought to make a hopper infront of the camera I can put them into while I find the correct setting. Also, for lower temperatures, you can use a soldering iron to get an idea of whats going on. I thought maybe.. clear coat?
https://markal.com/collections/temperature-indicating-sticksThen I can label the attenuators and put the appropriate ones for the process im interested in.
Also, is there a danger to looking at a torch from a few feet away with the thermal imager (acetylene). Candles don't seem to do anything bad.
It does not need to be super duper, it seems like it should be able to ballpark grease melting at least?
Then when you figure it out you can put a disk infront of the camera that rotates into place like a revolver cylinder so the right optics are switched in for the correct temperature range. Also, no thorlabs or other expenisve things.