A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

Here you can discuss DIY adaptations to the microscope.
Post Reply
Message
Author
BramHuntingNematodes
Posts: 1538
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:29 am
Location: Georgia, USA

A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#1 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Wed May 13, 2020 2:08 am

Image

So after looking at the "diatoms a different way" and the water bear hunt posts I was filled with a terrible envy and lust for those micromanipulators that could pick out specimens and arrange diatoms. Although there seem to be some workable and terrifically cheap Prior mms on the `bay even as I speak, I didn't want to have to mess with all those dials and anyway, I don't have enough space on my bench! I just made this table but then somebody decided to solve a jigsaw puzzle on it so space is again at a premium. The Singer Mk1 is intriguiging, but I think it runs between $5,000-$6,000 and I definitely don't have that kind of scratch. So here is a very simple alternative.


Image

The best solid wood to make mechanisms with is clear beech, but I only had one tiny stick of it left, so I used the runner-up hard maple for the rest. The holes are space 2" and 6" apart (all drilled simultaneously after taping the stuff together tightly) so that the reduction is at 25%. Brass tubes, flared at the ends so they wont slip out, are used at the joints to minimize slop. There was a bit of stiction at first but oils and wax and some breaking in has left the motion quite smooth. The holes were even made with normal twist bits, no fancy forstners. The knob is a ceramic cabinet knob we had spare.

Image

The sharp-eyed among you will have already noticed that the 5/4 hard maple slab is not the factory Bausch and Lomb stand for this stereo microscope. It was extra cheap without a base, and turns out very useful to modify here. I drilled a hole in it and, using chisels, made a rectangular recess underneath. The ball-and-socket is a bought camera mount, for which I paid an extravagant $14 or so for, almost as much as the microscope itself, but looks and operates very nicely. I attached to a hunk of 1/4" 1018 steel plate for weight and stability.

Image
The probe is a piece of twisted sheet steel sharpened to a point and pictured here menacing a splinter of wood at 60x. At some point I want to try to make some miniature forceps and also a trigger controlled pipette. It works really very well and was easier to make than I imagined it would be. I would heartily recommend this project to anyone looking to poke some microbes on a budget. If the woodwork is for reason intimidating, professionally made pantographs can be had from art supply stores relatively inexpensively as well.
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

MichaelG.
Posts: 3976
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:24 am
Location: North Wales

Re: A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#2 Post by MichaelG. » Wed May 13, 2020 5:51 am

Great stuff, Bram

MichaelG.
Too many 'projects'

MicroBob
Posts: 3154
Joined: Sun Dec 25, 2016 9:11 am
Location: Northern Germany

Re: A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#3 Post by MicroBob » Wed May 13, 2020 8:23 am

Hi Bram,
great idea! I have never seen a pantograph based micro manipulator but the principle is quite ideal for this application. And contrary to metal dovetails, spindles and gears it is comparatively easy to build.

Bob

tgss
Posts: 223
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2017 3:48 am
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#4 Post by tgss » Wed May 13, 2020 11:29 am

Excellent job Bram. Really nicely done.
Tom W.

BramHuntingNematodes
Posts: 1538
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:29 am
Location: Georgia, USA

Re: A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#5 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Sun Aug 30, 2020 1:37 am

Image
Image
I don't think I put it up here but I had modified this one slightly to accept some homemade forceps. This is iteration three with a simplified mechanism that holds Dumont forceps such as these an opens them with a trigger actuated cam. The design should be easy to reproduce. The cam is a sawn off end of dowel. A few bits of aluminum bar and some screws and nuts.
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

Element 56
Posts: 330
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2016 3:48 pm
Location: Lancaster County, PA

Re: A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#6 Post by Element 56 » Sun Aug 30, 2020 2:46 am

Hi Bram,

Nice little homemade micromanipulator! Thanks for sharing!

Kirby

hans
Posts: 986
Joined: Thu May 28, 2020 11:10 pm
Location: Southern California

Re: A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#7 Post by hans » Sun Aug 30, 2020 4:12 am

This brings to mind the "Building Prototypes" video series by Dan Gelbart: https://www.youtube.com/user/dgelbart/videos

He talks a lot about how clever mechanism design can greatly reduce the need for precision fabrication.

Hobbyst46
Posts: 4277
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:02 pm

Re: A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#8 Post by Hobbyst46 » Sun Aug 30, 2020 5:19 am

Amazing project !

Would be nice to know working experience, of picking and moving stuff with the micromanipulator.

BramHuntingNematodes
Posts: 1538
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:29 am
Location: Georgia, USA

Re: A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#9 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Sun Aug 30, 2020 5:26 am

I will try to update when possible-- I only finished this one today!
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

BramHuntingNematodes
Posts: 1538
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:29 am
Location: Georgia, USA

Re: A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#10 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Sun Aug 30, 2020 5:28 am

hans wrote:
Sun Aug 30, 2020 4:12 am
This brings to mind the "Building Prototypes" video series by Dan Gelbart: https://www.youtube.com/user/dgelbart/videos

He talks a lot about how clever mechanism design can greatly reduce the need for precision fabrication.
Thanks Hans, I am looking forward to watching these.
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

DonSchaeffer
Posts: 3275
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2020 10:06 am
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Re: A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#11 Post by DonSchaeffer » Sun Aug 30, 2020 2:27 pm

Wow! Just wow! what a setup.

User avatar
ebenbildmicroscopy
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Jul 23, 2017 8:57 pm

Re: A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#12 Post by ebenbildmicroscopy » Fri Dec 18, 2020 9:30 pm

THAT looks awesome... must make one. I particularly like the way that spring is built into the system!
JeffO, aka "Ortho amore"
Leitz Ortholux I
Leitz Orthoplan
Leitz Macro-Dia Device
Zeiss GFL
Zeiss Standard
Zeiss Photomicroscope III
Zeiss OPMI 6S
B&L Stereozoom and Balplan

BramHuntingNematodes
Posts: 1538
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:29 am
Location: Georgia, USA

Re: A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#13 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Fri Dec 18, 2020 9:58 pm

It's pretty great one thing though is that the end of the tweezer needs to be closer to the joint than pictures to accurately reproduce the hands motion.
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

krame
Posts: 85
Joined: Wed May 06, 2020 12:28 am

Re: A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#14 Post by krame » Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:58 pm

This is pretty wild!

PeteM
Posts: 2983
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 6:22 am
Location: N. California

Re: A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#15 Post by PeteM » Fri Mar 19, 2021 6:19 pm

I like the tweezers cam operation - very clever.

Chas
Posts: 422
Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2021 3:11 pm

Re: A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#16 Post by Chas » Sat Mar 20, 2021 8:31 am


Chas
Posts: 422
Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2021 3:11 pm

Re: A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#17 Post by Chas » Sat Mar 20, 2021 10:07 am

(No tweezers though )

BramHuntingNematodes
Posts: 1538
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:29 am
Location: Georgia, USA

Re: A fun one for the DIY set: pantographic micromanipulator

#18 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Sat Mar 20, 2021 2:29 pm

This is great chas! Thanks.
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

Post Reply