diff --git a/canny_edge_machine.cpp b/canny_edge_machine.cpp
index 2cd0506..00cd60f 100644
--- a/canny_edge_machine.cpp
+++ b/canny_edge_machine.cpp
@@ -81,12 +81,12 @@ class CannyEdgeMachine {
       }
     };
     
-    void doGaussBlur(void) {
-      int filter_width = this->filter_size;
-      double sigma = this->filter_sigma;
-      // build the gauss filter
+    /**
+     * Do not forget to free the filter generated by this method!
+     */
+    double* generateGaussFilter(int filter_width, double sigma, double& sum_weights) {
       double* filter = (double*) malloc(sizeof(double) * filter_width * filter_width);
-      double sum_weights = 0;
+      sum_weights = 0;
       std::cout << "Using gauss filter: " << std::endl;
       for(int x=0; x<filter_width; x++) {
 	int i = x - (filter_width/2);
@@ -99,6 +99,15 @@ class CannyEdgeMachine {
         std::cout << std::endl;
       }
       std::cout << std::endl << "Sum weights: " << sum_weights << std::endl;
+      return filter;
+    };
+    
+    void doGaussBlur(void) {
+      int filter_width = this->filter_size;
+      // build the gauss filter
+      double sum_weights = 0.0;
+      double* filter = this->generateGaussFilter(this->filter_size, this->filter_sigma, sum_weights);
+      std::cout << sum_weights << std::endl;
       // apply gauss filter
       int filter_offset = (filter_width+1)/2;
       for(int x=(0+filter_offset); x<(this->width-filter_offset); x++) {