Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

pointless IMO, everythings big & clear & its not designed to be used with an imaging device (others are) so it wouldn't be a fair representation of what you'd actually be seeing if you used one. I've been using this now for a few months & if it broke tomorrow I'd replace it like for like, it ticks all the boxes for my needs.

  • Like 1
  • 1 month later...
Posted

I turn the base 180 degrees and put something on it to weigh it down, this gives a bigger working area.

With the light I have it much higher near the bottom lenses so it can't get close to the hand.

I also use the 5x eye pieces from them, it means I can view a whole movement in one without only seeing part of it.

  • Like 1
Posted

There is good advise here! I placed it in my wish list already! Thank you Lee for the review (maybe good stuff for your blog?) and the rest of the gang for the nice input/solutions. Now I gotta have it!!!!

  • Like 1
  • 1 month later...
Posted

What magnification do you use on the microscope to repair work, 10x, 20x or more, for general repair work, e.g. strip down, oiling and reassembly work. 
Thanks

Ferdinand

Posted

I purchased one of amscope's zoom microscopes from eBay and absolutely love it. Mine is the trinocular 3.5x-90x zoom scope. It comes with two additional lenses: one is .5x and the other is 2x. Without adding any lenses it zooms from 7x-45x. I prefer this setting because it offers the greatest flexibility while still allowing room underneath to work. The 2x lens is nice because it allows for greater magnification but you need a great light source and lose a lot of depth of field. And speakin of lighting, I would get the best light you can afford. I have the 144 led light and am happy most of the time with it. There are a few occasions where I need more light so I may eventually look into adding another one. They sell a great product and have excellent customer service. Best of luck!

Posted

@omgiv: the trinocular has a 3Mp camera.

 

Me want photos!!! :) ...please!

 

Same movement with different zoom levels

 

 

 

Thank you!

Bogdan

Posted

For the Brunel scope they sell a camera adaptor to fit any 35mm SLR camera to one of the eyetubes but you also need something called a T2 ring to convert to your make of camera so that is 30.83 plus VAT and postage. The T2 ring converts the photography adaptor to the lens fitting of your camera if it has such a capability.  I do not profess to know the ins and outs of this sort of photography but I have seen the "T2" ring mentioned elsewhere for photography through a microscope. 

 

Unfortunately for me my cameras are the digital type where the lens automatically comes out when they are turned on as I am a point and click type and none of these adapters seem to work on a bog standard digital camera.  I will muddle by using my iphone for the odd pic which is very fiddly and frustrating but just about works if I am determined enough.  Keeping the hands steady with the phone camera the correct distance from the eyepiece is the trick, the rubber eyepieces are helpful in that respect but it is a bit of a carry on.

 

Cheers, Vic

  • 4 months later...
Posted

Hi folks, as I'm getting more into this hobby & after reading a few members use stereo microscopes for assembly & inspection work. Ive decided to raid the holiday fund & make a purchase.

Can anyone recommend one if I've got a budget of approximately £300 also I assume it needs to start at 5 x magnification.

Thanks in advance ☺

Posted

You may be able to pick up a stereo dissecting microscope, with a reputable brand and excellent lenses, on eBay, like this one:

 

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/271740822245?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

Then there's this sort of thing, brand new, and Chinese, but I've seen these being used in labs around the medical school, and they seem OK. One big plus is that they have a cold-light LED ring. And there's no need to change lenses - it's a zoom control:

 

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/7X-45X-Industry-PCB-Inspection-Dissecting-Zoom-Power-Stereo-Microscope-LED-Lamp-/111349298384?pt=AU_Business_Industrial_Medical_Scientific_Equipment2&hash=item19ecef74d0

 

Or if you win the lotto, then one of these would be great - this is very similar to the head of the operating microscopes I use in surgery. The prices on this one are in Aussie dollars:

 

http://www.edmundoptics.com.au/microscopy/stereo-microscopes/olympus-sz51-sz61-zoom-stereo-microscopes/3628

Posted
Hey thanks Geo, I've read the reviews & I'll be placing my order this weekend. Looks like a nice piece of kit & I'll have change left over from £300.
Posted

You may be able to pick up a stereo dissecting microscope, with a reputable brand and excellent lenses, on eBay, like this one:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/271740822245?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Then there's this sort of thing, brand new, and Chinese, but I've seen these being used in labs around the medical school, and they seem OK. One big plus is that they have a cold-light LED ring. And there's no need to change lenses - it's a zoom control:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/7X-45X-Industry-PCB-Inspection-Dissecting-Zoom-Power-Stereo-Microscope-LED-Lamp-/111349298384?pt=AU_Business_Industrial_Medical_Scientific_Equipment2&hash=item19ecef74d0

Or if you win the lotto, then one of these would be great - this is very similar to the head of the operating microscopes I use in surgery. The prices on this one are in Aussie dollars:

http://www.edmundoptics.com.au/microscopy/stereo-microscopes/olympus-sz51-sz61-zoom-stereo-microscopes/3628

Thanks for taking the time to point me in right direction. I studied the ones you suggested & although I really liked the one with the zoom feature I've decided after reading a review by Lee on the Brunel am1 long arm microscope. I'm going to go with the Brunel. I think the long arm will give me the ability to work comfortably under the scope without keep knocking it & disturbing the movement etc.

Again many thanks

  • Like 1
Posted

You're very welcome :)

 

I know you've made your decision, which is good. But I'd just point out that my own preference - and that's all it is - is for a zoom setup rather than having to change lenses. That way, you have infinite control of the degree of zoom between lowest and highest, and can adjust so that whatever you're looking at just fills the view.

 

After I posted the above, I checked at work, found an Olympus very similar to the eBay one I posted that sold for $142, and had a play with it using an anatomical specimen. Brilliant image, loads of working room, etc. I just removed the two little spring clips which just lift out. 

 

Then I tried one of the LapSun ones with the cold light LED ring. They are used in one of the neuroscience labs - they use them when they're operating on lab mice and rats.  For an inexpensive Chinese microscope, I was very pleasantly surprised. Seriously thinking of getting one now, to be honest. :)

 

But whatever works for you is great, and reading Lee's reviews of the Brunel one was very interesting. You could even have the base clamped onto the desktop or screwed down, to stop it tipping forwards, if the counterweight wasn't sufficient. Enjoy the world of miniature :)

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • This was what I was afraid of. The movement is not one of the generic black square modules. Remove the movement from the clock and try prying it open very carefully, without breaking the plastic tabs. The plastic might be brittle from age. Clean the wheels and check the battery contacts for corrosion. Check the PCB for bad solder joints. Take plenty of photos along the way.
    • One of the problems with trying to Photograph Phils things are that his enjoyment was building these things so they tended to E falls on what will see if I can find some earlier pictures or any pictures I wasn't even sure because I was looking for that specific picture for somebody else and even it got the last version and that would have been the last version. You will note that he put the indexing on something that he could unscrew it or whatever and it can slide back out of the way so the rest of the lathe can be used as a lathe. With the lathe cut are actually coming down from the top I was there once where he demonstrated how to cut a pivot with the setup it was really beautiful. Older set up if I remember it's not a worm gear assembly in the thing in between the stepping motor and the holding block I believe this particular one was like a 100 to 1 gear ratio. Earlier version with watchmaker's lathe. Even looks like he is the watchmakers bed and then switch to something he made. Then I do have other pictures and things of the rotary stage in use. In the raw so if you tube videos here is an example of one were somebody's mounting a three jaw chuck. At one time there were available on eBay they were not cheap but if you're patient like I was I found one cheap on eBay. After you watch the video it look at his other videos he is a whole bunch of other examples of the same rotary stage. That I do know there are other pictures examples and possibly videos you just have to track them down. One of the minor issues of finding this particular tech sheet for the unit is I believe it was a custom manufacturer and the company change their name but I remember the new name here's a link to the company https://www.ondrivesus.com/rino-mechanical-components                
    • Escapement adjusting always interesting and depending upon the reference always confusing. Okay maybe it's not always confusing but it does lead to confusion. I have a PDF below it's actually a whole bunch of separate stuff including a hand out that came from a lecture that's on you tube. Then from that we get this image Consequences of doing things especially if you do things out of order or you do things for the wrong reason. Oh and even if the watches working I made the mistake one so showing my boss how tweaking the banking pins on a full plate on the timing machine made the amplitude get better and now he thinks that's what they're for and I don't think a fully grasped exactly what horn clearance means. Consequence of doing things. Notice what it says about opening and closing the banking pins and total lock? So yes I've had that on a full plate where it won't unlock at all and that's the banking pins or a combination of things basically. So banking pins unfortunately get moved. One of the ways to tell if it's been moved is the look straight down at the end of the fork with the balance wheel removed. Power on the fork push at the one side look at it push it to the other side also look at it and compare anything with the center reference the balance jewel and see if both sides of the same. No guarantee after the same there in the right place but at least are the same typically when people play with things one side will be way off from the other because they had no idea what they were doing at all because of course it's a full plate and you really have to paying attention and even then there's still hard to do. Then the other thing that comes up like it shows below is people often adjust the banking pins to do all those other things as opposed to horn clearance which is all that it's therefore and maybe bonus Guard pin clearance although you're supposed to deal with the guard pin is a separate thing like single roller gets bent in Or out or sometimes physically gets moved in and out. Some full plates older escapement's typically pallet forks held together with screws and you can actually unscrew and move the entire assembly in Or out more complications to deal with.     Escapement handout wostep nscc.pdf
    • If he was much younger and some sort of sports player it wouldn't be a problem. They would be in there and doing surgery and he'd be back on the field in no time. Unfortunately when you get older little things are bad and big things can be really bad so not good at all.
    • Where I work everything incoming watches whatever detailed descriptions are taken entered into a computer program and photograph of each item. Then ideally although it depends on who's doing the paperwork detailed descriptions can be quite good other times there lacking. Like I really like it with pocket watches if they would record the serial number it avoids confusion later on. Then when watch repairs are completed that is also entered in. It's one of the amusements I learned when I was in school instructor had a shop and commented about the important aspect of keeping detailed records of repairs. Because oftentimes a customer who got a new crystal will come back later on when the watch doesn't work and expect you to fix the entire watch for free. Then you can remind them that they just got a crystal. Strangely enough that keeps coming up or occasionally comes up where I work now. One of the problems of using the service marks on the case is that in the case of pocket watches oftentimes that's not the original case. Then case marks? What I was doing warranty work for a company I used to describe a code number in the back of the case and it would tell me the next time I see the watch that basically what I did I made no attempt at keeping track of customers because we had literally thousands of them I think they sold 30,000 of these watches and they would come back by the hundreds because they had a lifetime warranty. Yes that's a story all of itself but I would put a code number that would reference what was done to the watch the last time and think I had a date in there somehow so it did tell a story if you knew the code. Another shop I once worked out the number would reference the page in the book. So other than knowing we had been in there you would have no idea what happened because you have to go look at the page in the book to see what happened. Then the problem of how you examine a watch you should examine the watch in detail every single time to avoid complications. Although on vintage watches and this is a of amusement I have at work when people ask something and I say of the watches done when it leaves. This is because on vintage oftentimes problems won't show up until the watches much farther into the repair like it's now running and you discover things that you can't discover before because it wasn't running to discover them that also become sometimes difficult to have exact rigid prices are estimates of repairs or in the case of a pocket watch you may not find out if a casing problem to later on when you case it up in the watches running. I was just thinking for all those people that would like to leave a mark maybe you should learn to do what some of the past watchmakers did? Leave a mark but leave it in such a way that no one will ever find it? Typically not done for repair purposes but done for other reasons like identifying it's legit. I have a friend with a Gruen watch and one of the Roman numbers the bottom line that just looks like a line under extreme magnification actually says Gruen watch company or something equivalent. So here's a link showing how to mark your watch without being seen although that's not the actual title. So if you can learn micro engraving you can engrave the watch someplace probably just about any place you just have to remember where you put it. https://cnaluxury.channelnewsasia.com/obsessions/how-to-prove-if-watches-are-authentic-secret-signatures-182516  
×
×
  • Create New...