Build a microscope!

This microscope can be made in a few hours. It is cheap and nice (not a toy)!
Possible magnification range: 10-100x (dependent on objective lenses)

Materials:

discarded photo enlarger
8 X 21 mm binocular
some pieces of scrap wood
Optional: some discarded camera lenses, piece of aluminum sheet.

Costs: 15 - 20 E / $

I built the microscope on this picture some years ago, but made another one for this instructable. So I did not spend much time to put a nice finish on parts.

Step 1 The stand

The stand will be made from a part of the enlarger:

Take the mechanism part of the enlarger off the base. The lower part, below the film holder will become the base of the microscope. Take it apart from the light source and condenser.

The rest of the enlarger is no longer needed. It might serve as a stand for copying documents.

Comments

[etelegdy]

Very nice work!
Idea with enlarger stand is very original.
Another homemade microscope (I want to do something.) - Link: http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=530563

[marko29]

 I like your microscope and i have to make two microscopes for my science fair projects and i need materials for this microscope. I would be very happy if you can give me materials that you used. Thank you very much!! 

[gurtek]

great will try..................

[cloner]

any idea how can i capture the sights here into my pc via usb? ;)tnx

[frontier]

i guess you could easially mount a usb web cam on top, where you'd otherwise place your eye. how easy it will be to get proper clear view thought i dont know, the buildin lens on the web cam and the lenses on the scope might not act too well together. im not sure to be honest.

[mas9779]

could this be done with an old spotting scope if so could someone help me with how.

[BobS]

What I like about the readily available 8x 21 mm and 10x 25 mm binocs is the low price and the small size/ low weight. The focal length of most enlarger or camera objective lenses found at garage sales etc. are a good match. But a spotting scope could of course be used as well. If the magnification is larger, like 25 or 30 x, it would be wise to choose a front lens with larger focal length, like 135 mm or so. The whole setup will be much larger, so you will need the type of stand described in my step 7............

[TeacherOfTheWays]

VERY cool!!!!

[pingeee]

cool