Question: Which Microscope do you use?

[mrthe]

The question is not only for curiosity,but maybe to have a guide and a visual reference for me and all the folks of the forum,which microscope do you use for engraving?
Will be great that everyone that will answer to this post will put a photo of his microscope setup,with some addictional info,like the working distance,eyepieces,zoom range,ecc....
In the next months i want upgrade my scope and will be a great help for me ( and i think for other folks too)
Thank you very much

 

[Chujybear]

Leica mz6 Hollogen light, screwed a post to the underside of my bench so I could lower this scope low enough so I could comfortably look through the eyepieces. Ground a diopter lens to shape to fit in the lens, serves as an objective lens. Next up I need to get an rhino mic wedge.
I'm about an inch away from comfort on this thing.
Mostly stick to bare eye-balls.

 

[Sam]

Zeiss Stemi 2000C with fluorescent ring light.

 

[GTJC460]

Meiji EMZ5 with a flourescent ring light

 

[Chujybear]

Would there be a reason why fluorescent over halogen? Beside the massive unit that accompanies the "light"?
It seemed , to me , to focus more directly on the work area. But I didn't do a side by side taste test

 

[Sam]

Would there be a reason why fluorescent over halogen? Beside the massive unit that accompanies the "light"?
It seemed , to me , to focus more directly on the work area. But I didn't do a side by side taste test

For me, it's not simply a matter of the amount of light. My fluorescent ring light acts as a photographic softbox to a certain degree, not only illuminating the work, but giving the work a white surface from above to reflect. The reason I can't feel the love for LED ring lights is because of the pinpoints of light that reflect back from whatever I'm engraving. I much prefer the smooth look from a fluorescent bulb above my my work. I also have a side mounted flexible arm LED which I use on occasion when I need side light, but my main light source is fluorescent.

Halogen can make a nice side light, but the heat is something I don't want to deal with.

 

[oiseau metal arts]

im looking therogh the meiji EMZ5 as well, but with the led ring lite. like sam mentioned the little pinpoints of light looking back at you are annoying, but i started just dabbing modeling clay on the surface to reduce the glair, and thats been working fine for me so far.

 

[dimovengraving]

Ya Xun AK09

made in

working distance: 115mm
eyepieces: 2X3 , 2X5 , 2X10
zoom range X6 - X40

This microscope is very cheap, but I can not guess for another advantage

For wood and bone is good, for metal may be desired more...

...rather NO

 

[mitch]

Leica S6E with a Dazor fluorescent ring (magnifying lens removed). my reasons for using fluorescent are much the same as Sam's. also it illuminates over a broader area, whereas LED ring lights tend to be pretty small diameter. i used to have a dimmable fiber optic ring, but it made blinding reflections when whatever i was working on hit just the right (wrong?) angle. like looking at the sun.

i also have a Leica S6 for bulino work in a special custom set-up. i use a bank of fluorescents and a diffuser panel for nice, bright "north light" 24/7/365...

 

[Glenn]

I have a Zeiss setup the same as Sams and it is dream to work under.

 

[Scottyd]

I have Dave London's old Nikon SMZ-2. With new Chinese10x22 eyepieces and a new LED ringlight, it works great for me. Thanks Dave.
Scott

 

[Chujybear]

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[Red Green]

Get out quick Chujybear there is an alien in a space helmet behind your bench! He really made a mess too, I wonder what he was looking for?

Bob

 

[Chujybear]

That's not a mess. That's Sunday best, for a photo op!

 

[monk]

I have a scienscope. You see it mounted atop a roll-around cart. This allows for ease of use in different locations. The cart you see is the 3rd version i built of welded amgle iron. Yes, i finally got it right. The vise sits on a steel plate i welded onto a massive industrial screw which allows me to adjust for parts of different heights. It also absorbs vibration rather nicely when doing hammer work. Illumination by a snap on brand pocket led light. It was $65 bucks, but i bought it because it's very close to natural daylight. The light is powered by a small cell phone charger. All home cooking here, but it's exactly tuned to my needs and way of working.

 

[Ed Westerly]

Meiji EMZ5 with a flourescent ring light on a GRS acrobat stand.

 

[CJ Allan]

Olympus SZ-III

Stand made from......
Harley Sportster front end tube....
Fence post coupler...
High School Science class Alum Rod......
Tin can filled with lead for counterbalance......
A couple pieces of Aluminum I machined to attach Scope to stand........
& a cast iron thing to mount the whole thing to my bench...............

Oh, Yeah.....& a Fluorescent light ring..........

 

[Red Green]

This is my microscope set-up. It's a zoom Am-Scope from E-bay .5 obj. and florescent tube light , a drill press stand with a tilting magnetic mount and a Lindsay Turntable and Low Profile vise. Works like a charm, no complaints so far.

 

[Jeroen]

Here is mine: a Bausch & Lomb, an ex-stone-setters stereo-zoom, with fluorescent ring light.

Jeroen

 

[Karl Stubenvoll]

Jeroen---Your bench is dangerously clean