Book scaning help

[snapatap]

I have quite a few old engineering catalogues and trade journals I would like to scan and put online. I don't think some of them would survive being put in my flat bed scanner. Can any of you recommend another method of digitizing them? And any recommendation on software to collate the images into pdf's.

[steamingbill]

Hey Snapatap,

Quickly Scan a Textbook With a Camera (http://www.instructables.com/id/Quickly-Scan-a-Textbook-With-a-Camera/)

I think the photographic book scanning techniques can get quite high tech and high quality - I guess it depends upon what gear you have access to.

DIY Book Scanner (http://www.diybookscanner.org/)

Googling may throw up a few options.

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=book+scanning+photograph&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=j5TJVueKE6e7mAWOrZ-wBw
Bill

[YBAF]

If the material is Australian related, Trove may be able to help, or even do the scans...

Home - Trove (http://trove.nla.gov.au/)

[jhovel]

Trove also has a user and contributor forum that looks a lot like this one. Trove Forums (http://trove.nla.gov.au/forum/)
Another resoud-rce I've looked at previously is DIY Book Scanner Introduction (http://www.diybookscanner.org/intro.html) (I've scanned and contributed to the internet quite a few 1950's and 60's Citroen manuals and parts lists - 1000's of pages in all)
And then there is this: 361199

[steamingbill]

Trove also has a user and contributor forum that looks a lot like this one. Trove Forums (http://trove.nla.gov.au/forum/)
Another resoud-rce I've looked at previously is DIY Book Scanner Introduction (http://www.diybookscanner.org/intro.html) (I've scanned and contributed to the internet quite a few 1950's and 60's Citroen manuals and parts lists - 1000's of pages in all)
And then there is this: 361199

Hey Joe,

One of my friends would be very interested in your Citroen scans.

Are they available to the public ? If yes where can I point him to ?

Bill

[.RC.]

Having scanned the odd book or dozen using both a camera and flat bed scanner. I have found the most time consuming task to get good results is getting your scanned images into a pdf.

The more time you spend getting every image similar to every other image the easier it is for the final output. There is simply not very many if any intuitive programs out there that can quickly turn images that are skewed every which way and of different sizes into a nice pdf.

I use the free program scantailor which is a semi finished program to clean the scanned images up(but it is a bastard of a program to use), and then I use something years and years old to turn it into a pdf.

I do not like bragging, but I think I do a pretty fair job of it compared to some of the atrocious rubbish out there.

You can get good results with primitive equipment to hold the documents.

I did that 1965 machine tool exhibition that many of you probably downloaded back in 2011 with a cheap for the time camera, the book was held on two small craftwood boards nailed together at 45 degrees, with a single piece of glass on the page I was photographing/scanning to hold the page flat. It was that primitive.

[jhovel]

Hey Joe,

One of my friends would be very interested in your Citroen scans.

Are they available to the public ? If yes where can I point him to ?

Bill

Hi Bill. ALl the Citroen manuals are now kept together by Tont Jackson in the UK on a Dropbox. Your friend will find them via this link: My CMS | Maintained by Tony Jackson and Ben Mack (http://agua.nu/ds-files/)

[Dobbo65]

Hi,
I have started to build a book scanner and need to find out where I can buy, other than USA, Britian or China, a set of Computer Tray Slides/ Pencil Drawer Slides to hold the sliding book platen.

Thanks for the ideas Snapatap/Steamingbill. I have taken ideas from the DIY Book Scanner web site.

Any information on where in Aus that I can buy Computer Tray slides/Pencil Drawer Slides would be appreciated

Don

[steamingbill]

Hi,
I have started to build a book scanner and need to find out where I can buy, other than USA, Britian or China, a set of Computer Tray Slides/ Pencil Drawer Slides to hold the sliding book platen.

Thanks for the ideas Snapatap/Steamingbill. I have taken ideas from the DIY Book Scanner web site.

Any information on where in Aus that I can buy Computer Tray slides/Pencil Drawer Slides would be appreciated

Don

Hey Don,

Drawer Slides available from Bunnings Warehouse (http://www.bunnings.com.au/our-range/building-hardware/door-window-gate-hardware/cabinet/drawer-slides) ?

or search through these results ?

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=Computer+Tray+slides/Pencil+Drawer+Slides&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=EAwKV93yH8S-0ASf5YDYDg#cr=countryAU&tbs=ctr:countryAU&q=Computer+Tray+slides+Pencil+Drawer+Slides


Bill

[Dobbo65]

Hi Bill,

I have bought some drawer slides from Bunnings as well as 4 right angle brackets. I have attached some photos of what I wanted and what I have done to make a set of slides similar to what I wanted to buy made up.

First photo shows a set of Black Computer Tray Slides/Pencil Drawer Slides, other photos show a set of Bunnings drawer slides with 4 matal brackets which I will attach 361978361975361976361977

to the slides with 4mm metal threads. The black Computer Tray Slides are approx $25 plus approx $38 for postage from USA. Bunnings Slides $16, metal brackets $8 metal threads and nuts $6, a lot cheaper.

Don

[steamingbill]

Am keen to see the end result when it arrives