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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    Newcastle, AU
    Posts
    238

    Default Project: Scanning catalogues

    I have a bad habit of deep diving into Australian manufacturing history and as such spend a lot of time looking through old catalogues, brochures, books and manuals with the aim of pulling out relevant information to whichever company it is I'm looking into.

    Sometimes these catalogues are hard to find, or are expensive ($300+ on eBay!) for the harder to find ones.

    I figure that it won't just be me looking for them, as just in one example (McPhersons) there are hundreds of brands represented across a huge range of fields.

    I'd like to scan in all the catalogues I have to share and preserve the information. I have ordered a fancy scanner that should do this non-destructively - though it has been held up by the COVID-19 pandemic - but in the meantime I have gotten started with just a flatbed scanner and a small catalogue, namely the McPhersons Guide For The Handyman.

    General page:

    https://motofaction.org/books-catalo...hures-manuals/

    McPhersons Guide:

    https://motofaction.org/books-catalo...-the-handyman/

    You may notice that the guide has been processed through optical character recognition software so it's searchable. This should be a big help for the 500+ page catalogues if you're looking for just one brand or model.

    If anyone has any brochures, catalogues or whatever else they are interested in loaning for the purpose of putting online in the same fashion drop me a line. You can see the list of what I have on-hand on the main books page in the other titles that aren't linked to a page.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    Newcastle, AU
    Posts
    238

    Default

    Had an update on the scanner I ordered, apparently it still hasn't shipped due to COVID. Waiting waiting waiting...

    In the meantime, Wayne sent me a TOS manual that I ran through the optical character recognition software so it's searchable, and I optimised the size a little. It's here:

    https://motofaction.org/books-catalo...hures-manuals/

    Also added some Colchester stuff:

    https://motofaction.org/books-catalo...ls/colchester/

    Student, Master 2500, Triumph 2000, and a couple of Clausing Colchesters.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    589

    Default

    Given how slow printer type scanners are it may be better to use a photographic camera setup to take pictures of 2 pages at a time. I think this is what Keith Rucker does on the VintageMachinery.org archive. I see you have already purchased a scanner system.

    I commend you for doing this as it preserves knowledge and information. It also helps those of us who love old machinery. I doubly commend you if you are doing this as a not-for-profit endevour!!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    Newcastle, AU
    Posts
    238

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mk1_Oz View Post
    Given how slow printer type scanners are it may be better to use a photographic camera setup to take pictures of 2 pages at a time. I think this is what Keith Rucker does on the VintageMachinery.org archive. I see you have already purchased a scanner system.

    I commend you for doing this as it preserves knowledge and information. It also helps those of us who love old machinery. I doubly commend you if you are doing this as a not-for-profit endevour!!
    I have a pretty decently stocked photo studio here and can take readily high resolution pics of a double spread, but where this fancy scanner comes in is that it can do that but also correct any page curvature on the fly, imaging and processing a page in a second or two... so it sounds quite appealing from a time perspective, I can hopefully just put some music on and flip through the book in a short session and have it all come out neatly scanned. I'm pretty time poor at the moment thanks to not being able to get any work done throughout COVID (and it looks like it'll be weeks/months just to catch up) and the idea of having it be a quick process sure is appealing.

    So goes the theory anyway. If that doesn't work I'll probably end up making a frame for the DSLR to sit in, put a strobe on either side and pay my kids to turn pages and click the shutter... and try to find some standalone software that'll cope with page curvature.

    Thanks - MotoFaction started out with me wanting to make an accessible repository of the gold standard of repair techniques for the CX/GL twisted twin motorcycles, and I suppose I have brought that approach with me into restoring vintage machinery as motorcycles have moved out of my life. Can't seem to prevent myself from digging into company histories, and things like the McPhersons in particular have so much content that it may help shed light on many people's areas of interest.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    589

    Default

    Good on 'ya mate

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge S Aust.
    Age
    71
    Posts
    5,942

    Default

    THANKS JC for doing this as repository for future generations.
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

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