I have been on a bit of a quest to observe the sun effortlessly, without discomfort, and with my own eyes.  There are plenty of great photos and videos of the sun in different wavelengths, but experiencing the sun without any digitization or intervening detectors has been a goal of mine.

I can finally report the combination of filters that allow anyone to comfortably view the sun.

• Sunglasses
• Quartz Working Welding Shades, shade #8
• 12 ND Gel Sheet 299 (Neutral Density), x2

For these glasses, the neutral density filters were attached to the inside of the welding shades using hot glue.  Make sure to check the day’s sunspots when you go solar viewing.  If there are big enough sunspots, you can see them!

My favorite source of sunspot infomation: solarham.net