Patch Stops

[Dave S]

Arrived today, a set of 32m Dark Field Patch Stops, and Oblique Illumination Stops, cut from 1.5mm thick plastic (probably Acetal/Delrin)

7, 8, 11, 13, and 20mm Dark Field patch stops, and four different Oblique stops.

ptach-stops.jpg (57.25 KiB) Viewed 4593 times

[microb]

Cool looking set.

They probably are made from PLA since they look like they are 3D printed. 3D printings can have "stringing" which are little threads of plastic as the head switches from one part to the other. A file or sand paper can remove that. Also the crisscross pattern is the 3D head printing out the part.

Someone put their own set of 3D models, minus the oblique darkfields, up on Thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:633301

[Sauerkraut]

Hopefully you can share some images and techniques if you get some good results with the oblique patches.

I only had intermittent and fleeting luck with my Chinese scope with the oblique patches. But maybe the Optiphot will perform better since it already gives better dark field.

[Dave S]

Cool looking set.

They probably are made from PLA since they look like they are 3D printed. 3D printings can have "stringing" which are little threads of plastic as the head switches from one part to the other. A file or sand paper can remove that. Also the crisscross pattern is the 3D head printing out the part.

Someone put their own set of 3D models, minus the oblique darkfields, up on Thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:633301

Ah, I never thought of that Bob, and I am sure that you are right.

[Dave S]

Hopefully you can share some images and techniques if you get some good results with the oblique patches.

I only had intermittent and fleeting luck with my Chinese scope with the oblique patches. But maybe the Optiphot will perform better since it already gives better dark field.

Well, I can but try, and it will be interesting to experiment.

If successful, I will share the results.