There have been numerous threads on the subject of these dangerous filters, sounds like you were lucky not to sustain permanent damage. The cheapest way to get a useable filter for solar viewing is to buy some solar film and make a filter for the front of the Telescope. There are 2 types of film available, one from Baader, which gives a whitish image and one from Thousand Oaks which gives (IMO) a more natural orange colour. Steve at
myastroshop has some ready made ones with baader film for $40 to $50 which will be cheaper than buying a piece of film.