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→Damage from Clamp
==Damage from Clamp==
==Damage from Clamp==
The pictures below all reveal a band of damage near the clamped end of the spooled light guide. This discovery is important: if a weak foam-lined clamp (chip-clip style) can cause this damage, then one must wonder about other potential mishandling. I have observed hook-and-loop ties used to store fiber bundles, fibers laid across tables, fibers laid over sandpaper (quickly moved when pointed out), and fibers rubbing against other fibers. I hypothesize that the sharp edges of the square guides are most prone to damage, but that all procedures for manipulating fibers are leaving marks. Pictures of the chip-clip and the hook-and-loop fasteners to come.
The pictures below all reveal a band of damage near the clamped end of the spooled light guide. The damage goes all the way around the fiber and is only found at this point. I used extreme care when cutting the fiber and transporting them, and I do not believe these marks are from me. The implication of these images is important: if a weak foam-lined clamp (chip-clip style) can cause this damage, then one must wonder about other potential mishandling. I have observed hook-and-loop ties used to store fiber bundles, fibers laid across tables, fibers laid over sandpaper (quickly moved when pointed out), and fibers rubbing against other fibers. all of these scenarios are equally or more abrasive than the chip clip. I hypothesize that the materials coming into direct contact with the fibers are leaving the most damage, but that many, if not all, procedures for manipulating fibers are leaving marks. Pictures of the chip-clip and the hook-and-loop fasteners to come.
<gallery>
<gallery>
File: Fast Shutter Clamp Damage DSC 0368.JPG|Figure 7
File: Fast Shutter Clamp Damage DSC 0368.JPG|Figure 7 Damage to new light guide appears as a band around the end that was clamped during storage.
File:Cropped DSC 0059.JPG|Figure 8
File:Cropped DSC 0059.JPG|Figure 8 Close up of damage near clamping site.
File:Cropped detail clamp damage DSC 0061.JPG|Figure 9
File:Cropped detail clamp damage DSC 0061.JPG|Figure 9 Lower intensity laser allows the most severe scratches to be highlighted.
</gallery>
</gallery>
In Figure 7, I shined a laser through the new light guide and used a paper bowl to block ambient light from the laser. To the left of the bowl, one sees bright spots on an otherwise dimly lit fiber. This corresponds to the position of the clamp.
Examining Figure 8 reveals several marks along the right half of the fiber. The leftmost striation is most well-defined, and beyond that the fiber does not spill light. I hypothesize that the clip may have been re-positioned, leaving other scratches, but the leftmost band was the farthest down the fiber that the clip was placed. Some of the poorly defined light loss from the right might simply be due to the position of the laser.
Figure 9 offers an alternate view with less ambient light.
It should be noted that the amount of light in the images varied because the laser intensity varied greatly. It would gradually get dimmer with time, until I removed the batteries and then put them back in. Interrupting contact with the batteries made the laser bright again.
==Other Surface Imperfections==
==Other Surface Imperfections==