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Thread: Hand held machinist's loupe
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18th Apr 2011, 10:02 PM #1
Hand held machinist's loupe
I have two of these loupes: one made in Japan by Peak. It is highly regarded, and I like it very much, but it only has one reticule. The other, a Fowler, has the complete set and the little torch/holder which illuminates the subject.
This is the Fowler along with its collection of screw-on reticules which show angles, lines, grids, gear and screw forms, etc. You can use it quicker and easier than a shadow comparator.
Ebay for these, and a search I'd highly recommend for anyone doing fine work or restoration work of any kind.
The photos are cell-phone, so make allowances. The image through the loupe is of the right eye of the guy on the twenty dollar note.
Greg
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18th Apr 2011, 10:26 PM #2Product designer retired
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Wow, so that's what they use to forge bank note plates?
Seriously, that's a nice purchase. AB will probably come back with a super dooper stereo 3D version with miniature colour camera in a gold lined titanium case........
Ken
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18th Apr 2011, 10:28 PM #3
Hi Greg,
Thanks for posting that..
I've been looking for a good loupe, I have a vast collection of cheap plastic ones that do what I want (up to a point) for surface mount soldering. I've lately been playing with a USB microscope to see if that's useful, but to be successful it really needs a nice rigid mounting arm and a good light source. A good circuit board inspection system can cost many thousands...
Regards
Ray
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18th Apr 2011, 10:38 PM #4
AB and I aren't in any kind of competition, so I hope he does: I am always happy for some like-minded fellow-traveller to unearth something that I wouldn't have discovered.
On the loupes: I bought a Nikon optical comparator dirt cheap (<$100) on ebay. What a useless contraption in this day and age. You can do the same thing with a photocopier and some art work from a drawing program for comparison. If I can find some project that needs its guts I'll strip it. Otherwise I think it might be a case of heave-ho to reclaim the space.
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18th Apr 2011, 10:43 PM #5.
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On the loupes: I bought a Nikon optical comparator dirt cheap (<$100) on ebay. What a useless contraption in this day and age. You can do the same thing with a photocopier and some art work from a drawing program for comparison. If I can find some project that needs its guts I'll strip it. Otherwise I think it might be a case of heave-ho to reclaim the space. "
HOLD ON !! Tell me more.
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18th Apr 2011, 10:47 PM #6
Hi Bob,
Try the "quote" tags... if you click the quote button on a post, it will automatically wrap the post you are replying to in quote tags... in the edit window it will look something like this..
[quote] Testing...1..2..3..[/quote]
Then it will render like this in a post
Testing...1..2..3..
RayLast edited by RayG; 18th Apr 2011 at 11:03 PM. Reason: Fiddling with tags...
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18th Apr 2011, 10:50 PM #7
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18th Apr 2011, 10:52 PM #8Most Valued Member
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Hi Greg,
I've had a go at a few of those on ebay, though I've never see one with 8+ reticules. Like Ray I have a collection of cheap ones. One $4 delivered 60X one that has 2 white leds an one UV led built in. Its certainly not great with a tiny field of view but good enough to check knife edges.
Stuart
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18th Apr 2011, 11:10 PM #9.
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The comparator Gregory.
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18th Apr 2011, 11:20 PM #10.
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My offerings are modest. I detailed my assortment of Behr and Bausch and Lomb loupes in an earlier thread. Again, the devices below are optical aids. The English punch is invaluable. The slide hammer type punch is a recent acquisition and hasn't had much bench time.
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18th Apr 2011, 11:23 PM #11
It's a Nikon 6C Bob...it does shadow and surface. The x-y table micrometer adjustments are gone, so I've only ever used it to inspect the pressure angle on a gear I want to make. (For which it does pretty well).
In the home shop I'm more impressed by the cheapness of modern technology used in new ways. Like scanning a gear (for example) on a cheap flat bed scanner in order to get a true image, then comparing it on a drawing program to whatever you want. (Imagination being the only limiting factor).
As far as detail inspection goes, the loupes are fantastic down to about 0.001". For surface inspection and resolving ambiguity I frankly just use my iphone. There's a free app called Sherlook, whcih is a digital magnifying glass/camera. You can focus pretty closely...enough to resolve most shop things short of s microscope.
The loupes have their many comparator reticules which is fantastic, and direct. The comparator requires you to purchase, or make, transparent overlays with the feature you want to check. Like gear p.a. for example.
When optical comparators were invented those guys never dreamed of scanners, copiers and cheap cameras.
GQ
I'm happy to delve deeper into it in a couple of days if you want.
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18th Apr 2011, 11:29 PM #12
here 'tis:
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18th Apr 2011, 11:35 PM #13
That Centa-Scribe thing looks great! Reminds me of surgical tools. I have one of those little Starrett punch hammers with the magnifying glass in it. It's kinda useful, but not as good as the optical centre punch. Mine's a Skidmore, which is exactly what you don't want it to do, so I wonder what they were aiming for in the marketing department when they called it that. I hope it wasn't truth
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18th Apr 2011, 11:46 PM #14Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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18th Apr 2011, 11:58 PM #15
This is a photo full-sized from the Sherlook app. It is of a $0.75 item on my phone bill, which is in the smallest type I can see unaided.
It takes a steady hand for the autofocus to work at very short ranges, but I find it most useful to use the phone in places I cannot get my eye lined up with.
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