What to use so I can see the edge?
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- This topic has 34 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 07/16/2013 at 10:40 pm by
Thomas Fraley.
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09/01/2012 at 2:44 pm #5269
Forgive me if this is on another post but without investing in a microscope how do you tell what’s happening with your edge? Is there a relatively cheap solution?
Many thanks!09/01/2012 at 4:29 pm #5270Forgive me if this is on another post but without investing in a microscope how do you tell what’s happening with your edge? Is there a relatively cheap solution?
Many thanks!Hi Fred!
No problem mate! Almost anywhere on Amazon or Ebay you can find jeweller’s loupes with a light. I have a nameless one of 15 power with LED lights and it cost me about 12 dollars. Works nicely and gives you at least some idea of what your edge looks like…nicks, rolled edges, chips et al. You can probably get something similar at a Staples or Office Depot sort of store.
Only the molecule polishers around here have Nikon microscopes and the like. Depends on how much you want to see. I find my loupe tells me what I want to know for real world cutting. slicing and shaving. 😉Cheers
Leo09/01/2012 at 9:47 pm #5271I use a loupe like Leo suggested. (I also recommend getting one with a LED light.). I’ve also found this pocket microscope to be very beneficial… http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2179604. It’s $12, and really helps to tell what’s going on, especially on blades when you can’t figure out why it won’t get sharp. I actually prefer it over a loupe, although it takes a bit to get used to. You can find similar ones on Amazon, (but I like this one ’cause it uses cheap AAA batteries).
09/01/2012 at 10:33 pm #5274I sent you a private message.
09/02/2012 at 12:16 am #5277I sent you a private message.
If that’s to me… didn’t get one.
09/02/2012 at 7:03 am #5291Holymolar, thanks for the PM, and kindness.
Wow you guys are awesome.09/02/2012 at 8:04 am #5293Sounds like you may have something going, but here are a couple of things that I have and use, besides the 10X lighted loupe:
The above works amazingly well, especially considering the price.
This one gives lots more magnification. I think the ratings on all of these are a bit exagerated… but I just got done inspecting a blade with both of the units that I have linked to… and the next one is definitely “better” from the magnification standpoint:
Both are cheap and come with free shipping. True they use button cells athat are not as easy and cheap to get as the AAAs.. a bit of a disadvantage. But, I bought ten of these button cells online for $10 delivered..
You can also get some to the Veho 400 knockoffs for around $35 with free shiping. 400X with led lights and display/capture the photos on your computer . Not as nice as some, but the one below has the very handy feather light trigger button. Cheap and effective.
Phil
Forgive me if this is on another post but without investing in a microscope how do you tell what’s happening with your edge? Is there a relatively cheap solution?
Many thanks!09/02/2012 at 9:26 am #5294..
You can also get some to the Veho 400 knockoffs..
Phil
.For what it is worth I would suggest that you get the genuine Dino-Lite /Veho or better. I had a bad experience with trying to save a buck going the route that Phil suggested above, and just wasted time and money trying to out-smart myself.. Optics are funny that way, you *do* have to pay for what you get.
09/02/2012 at 11:58 am #5296Dan,
Fred asked for a “cheap solution” in the original post. I hope that he didn’t think I was giving a recommendation, endorsement, or “suggesting” any of the options that I listed. I was just throwing out some possibilities.
I agree about the “get what you pay for” in many things, but especially optics.
Having said that, I bought a Veho clone (which I really believe is the same exact camera as the Veho) close to a year ago. If I do my part with positioning and lighting, or for a quick scan of the edge on a laptop monitor, it is not bad…. especially for the price.
I also went and bought a Canon 650D DSLR, macro lense and extension tubes, with a 10X magnifier lense hoping to get much better photo micrographs. I suppose I was not all that thrilled with the Veho clone. I don’t think that Fred would consider that solution as cheap though. I certainly did not!
🙂Phil
09/03/2012 at 3:10 am #5317Thanks Guys!
I was expecting to pay 50.00 on the low end for magnification, and it cheers me greatly to find them far cheaper than expected.
At this point I’m using a hand held LED flashlight and a *maybe* 4x magnifying glass, so anything will be an improvement.
Also, as with so many things like this, I have waaayyyy too many hobbies, and it’s difficult to know what you need or will use until you grow into it more.
The links area awesome, and it’s great to know that looking at the edges will not be a great expense.(I was actually envisioning an oldschool microscope…)
Again, thanks!
09/03/2012 at 3:54 am #5319Fred,
There might be something to be said for an old school microscope. You would have a stage to hold the blade, usually multiple magnifications and possibly interchangeable objective lenses. More important you have a mechanism to focus that is reasonably precise. The problem is that, even used, a decent microscope will cost a bunch more than $50. I was looking at some that had not been made for 15 years that were selling for between $350 and $500 depending on the lenses you get.Be aware that all of the solutions that I sent link to will be a bit fiddly and require you to get used to them. I like the 60 to 100 unit (simlar to what CBWX posted), but the depth of field is very shallow. It can be hard to get the entier bevel in focus (width) at one time. Lighting is very important. Changing the way the LEDs shine on the edge will completly change what scratch pattern you can see. Not only that but everything is upside down and backwards. I sometimes has a hard time finding and following the bevel along the length of the blade (I don’t use it enough and my hand are not as steady as they once were)
The VEHO clone has similar issues. Lots of folks have spent far more on a stand for it than they did buying the camera. Again, focus and lighting are critical.If you look, you can see some of the photos that Clay took with his Dino-Lite. He shows that just adjusting the lighting can reveal a whole different perspective. You can use it pretty well by hand and just throw the image up on a monitor and do OK with it. It certainly give the most magnification bang for the buck. If you tame the thing, it also allows you to document your edges with photographs.
Just be aware, you will have to get used to and figure out the best way to use any of these.
Phil
09/03/2012 at 12:22 pm #5334Right!
Note to self, scoop up old microscopes for the group.
(I find them fairly often at auctions)
No idea if they are functional though, but hey, if I can find a few, I’m happy to share.
🙂09/04/2012 at 11:45 am #5352I picked up one of these:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2179604.
As posted by CBWX34.
I like it due to its using common AAA batteries. I also think that it provides noticeably more magnification than the 60 to 100X unit that I linked to and all of the others too. I got the other ones out and compared them directly (I have all of the units that I linked to). I think it cost just under $15 at a Radio Shack here locally after taxes. The one thing I question, and likely why it has batteries with more capacity, is the fact that it uses an incandescent lamp. That means it uses more power and is not as bright at the LED lamps. In this appplication it still gives enough light for the task, and is a bit more “floody” which can be an advantage, but I worry about replacing the bulb when it burns out. LEDs with a lifetime of around 40 to 50 K hours, likely will never have this problem in normal use. it is probably 30% larger and a bit heavier than the one from Ebay. This is proably a plus here, it is a bit easier to hold steady.Anyway Fred, If you have a Radio Shack close to you, you can check online to see if they have one, and you can get something fast and cheap with lots of magnification to start checking things out. No endorsement or recommendation meant…just saying, they are available and cheap and work OK.
Phil
09/04/2012 at 10:11 pm #5356Have used mine for over 5 years now,,,so far so good on the bulb!
I did recently get an LED one… at first the light seemed “overpowering”. But now I’m getting used to it. Just don’t know about the batteries yet. I still seem to pick up things better with the old one… but that could just be a lack of time with the LED.
Either one should give excellent results… just take the time to get used to it. 🙂
05/30/2013 at 12:36 am #11838Don’t know if any have this microscope…
… the batteries in mine started going dim… I couldn’t find “SG3” batteries it said it took, so I did a bit of research and found these on Amazon that were comparable … and 50 for just over $5.00.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OVK1TK/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Got ’em in, they work! :woohoo:
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