- Joined
- Jan 2, 2014
- Messages
- 9,295
Hi All,
I get spoiled at work because they have quality microscopes at the rework benches for soldering surface-mount components. Our typical resistors are "0402" size, that's 40 thou. by 20 thou. (1.0 mm × 0.5 mm). They are also great for finding and removing the inevitable metal slivers!
I recently stumbled across the exact same model at my local used-tool dealer; so I bought it!
It came with a small stand, but when I mentioned I wanted one with a longer arm he threw in a heavy, long-arm stand.
So the project is to make this microscope:
fit this stand:
That big stand weighs more then the old stand and microscope put together.
I needed enough clearance so that the knobs on the vertical dovetail of the microscope did not hit the knob on the stand. Also, I wanted to maintain a large height adjustment range to accommodate all kinds of items under the 'scope.
I sketched up a few ideas:
...and decided on the last one.
I decided to make it in two pieces rather than waste a bunch of material turning the 20mm section out of the >45mm diameter bar. I used a press fit to hold the 20mm shaft into the other section. Here's a shot of the part I made along with the raw stock it came from.....
Unfortunately, I was having sooooo much fun machining that I forgot to take many pictures during the actual work. However here's one shot of the big end still on the lathe. I turned it in the chuck with a tail-stock live centre. This picture was before it was drilled and bored for the press-fit.
Here it is installed between the heavy base and the microscope::
I had one small interference problem with one of the original SHCS for the rack when the vertical dovetail was cranked way up:
I just swapped that SHCS to a Philips head screw and got some clearance:
Still to do:
-I want to drill and tap the bottom small end so I can use a SHCS and washer so the 'scope cannot fall off the bottom end.
-I need to make some camera mounts and tubes to fit a camera to the third port
-brino
I get spoiled at work because they have quality microscopes at the rework benches for soldering surface-mount components. Our typical resistors are "0402" size, that's 40 thou. by 20 thou. (1.0 mm × 0.5 mm). They are also great for finding and removing the inevitable metal slivers!
I recently stumbled across the exact same model at my local used-tool dealer; so I bought it!
It came with a small stand, but when I mentioned I wanted one with a longer arm he threw in a heavy, long-arm stand.
So the project is to make this microscope:
fit this stand:
That big stand weighs more then the old stand and microscope put together.
I needed enough clearance so that the knobs on the vertical dovetail of the microscope did not hit the knob on the stand. Also, I wanted to maintain a large height adjustment range to accommodate all kinds of items under the 'scope.
I sketched up a few ideas:
...and decided on the last one.
I decided to make it in two pieces rather than waste a bunch of material turning the 20mm section out of the >45mm diameter bar. I used a press fit to hold the 20mm shaft into the other section. Here's a shot of the part I made along with the raw stock it came from.....
Unfortunately, I was having sooooo much fun machining that I forgot to take many pictures during the actual work. However here's one shot of the big end still on the lathe. I turned it in the chuck with a tail-stock live centre. This picture was before it was drilled and bored for the press-fit.
Here it is installed between the heavy base and the microscope::
I had one small interference problem with one of the original SHCS for the rack when the vertical dovetail was cranked way up:
I just swapped that SHCS to a Philips head screw and got some clearance:
Still to do:
-I want to drill and tap the bottom small end so I can use a SHCS and washer so the 'scope cannot fall off the bottom end.
-I need to make some camera mounts and tubes to fit a camera to the third port
-brino
