MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

My stereo scope is the Amscope 305. As an accessory, these Jewelers tweezers are available for it. Since these are made with jewels in mind, will they hold too tightly for viewing insect and flowers or other softer things? The item in the link I am looking at is the center item, with the silver colored post and priced at $32.32.

http://www.amscope.com/catalogsearch/re ... s+tweezers

Beats me, although it's probably more than possible to modify clamp pressure by bending metal jaws...?

What I'd like to know: is there a similar accessory made for generic stereo scopes, that maybe plugs into stage clip holes instead of threads in?

The thread OD on this device may be small enough to pass through the stage clip hole...

BillT

Perhaps I am not understanding, but is the thread concern an issue due to a lack of a theaded hole? Otherwise, I don't see the difference between the two holes.

On all of the stands I have ever seen the stage clip holes were not tapped but smooth sided..

BillT

No. I don't mean what's the physical difference of the two hole types. I'm asking what difference it makes whether an accessory uses one hole type or the other?

No difference except on stands with only stage clips there are no tapped holes...

Oh. I keep forgetting to think of microscopes and heads and stands, not complete units. I'm used to thinking that way about telescopes. lol

There are actually different types and sizes of holes on stages from screw in holes to smooth bore holes.

For your sample, insect or flower, you would use a pin or glue the sample to a paper point to mount the sample first and then the mount into the gem holder.

Charles, do you happen to know which one of the gem holders might work best with an AO/Spencer Cycloptic?

It would be best to measure your hole and get one which will fit it. Some gem holders come with inserts to accommodate different sizes.

That's the problem - none of the eBay offerings I saw made any mention of hole size, and I don't feel like experimenting at $40. But then, I often receive failing grades for my search ability.

So I just went to the lab to check, and was surprised to find the Cycloptic stage clips thread in - I coulda swore they were smooth bore holes and the clips dropped in. Guess that's one of the hazards of having 8 or 12 stereo scopes, hard to remember all the details. Anyway, they're 4mm diameter. I don't know my metric threads either. Maybe I need a baby sitter.

I have one of these clips, and the grips do crush soft tissue. I bought a cheap plastic
disc from China and drilled a hole in it to allow a threaded insert. Bugs are best viewed
by fastening to a pin, or gluing, then clipping into the clips.
Dale
edit I have the one on the left, and like it very much. The pictures don't show how different the
grippers are. The one on the right is like a clothspin, while the other resembles two wire
u shaped loops. Since the stage plate rotates you have another axis!
Dale

Charles wrote:There are actually different types and sizes of holes on stages from screw in holes to smooth bore holes.

For your sample, insect or flower, you would use a pin or glue the sample to a paper point to mount the sample first and then the mount into the gem holder.

That depends on the microscope... I have several here that only have two smooth bore holes for stage clips... They were not designed for mechanical stages.. If a X-Y stage is desired, you must use a clamp on type...

BillT

It's simple to pull a stage clip off to use the holder since you wouldn't be using both at the same time. And, you can always drill and/or tap another hole for the holder.

My Amscope SE305 stereo has a 6mm threaded hole for accessories. Using the Jewelers tweezers, I could use various size washers to support flowers by the stems and tapered bottoms with the holes in the washers. I could use something circular and transparent with a pin in it to hold a larger specimens so I could view both top and bottom. ???

Charles wrote:It's simple to pull a stage clip off to use the holder since you wouldn't be using both at the same time. And, you can always drill and/or tap another hole for the holder.

Have you ever drilled and tapped a stage??.. I know someone that fried to drill a hole in a antique B&L stage and reported that the metal was in a very hardened condition... I know some are aluminum, so that would be easy..

Also, granted you could use a clip hole, but is the threaded portion of the holder long enough to extend below the stage so a nut could be affixed??.. I looked at it again and found this info lacking... If it was too short it would be useless..

You are right in that there are different stage materials and B&L did have a bakelite/plastic like stage. I forget what they called it. You would want to be careful drilling into that material and use slow speed and not near the edge.

This place has a lot of good tweezers for cheap prices. http://www.2spi.com/category/tweezers/

Charles Sands,

I hope you have your problem taken care of as I see this thread is a couple of months old. If not my post will bump it up for you & others.I bought these same jewelers tweezers a couple of weeks ago.

I am fortunate to be a maintenance mechanic and can stay over on my time to use equipment to make or fix. I made an adapter for this tweezer to go into the smooth 4mm or 5/32" hole where a stage clip goes. Drilled and tapped a piece of brass round stock thru for 4mm pin and drill and tapped 6mm threads in an end. For some applications, standoffs for electronic circuit boards can be made to work. Hope to use it this weekend. I bought a used DF condenser for stereo and made an adapter to center it to replace stage plate.

The little black handle on the 3mm sliding rod unscrews. I intend on getting a short piece of 3mm stainless from McMaster Carr to make rods that can be used in place of the tweezer end one. A pointed spear end rod could be used with soft things and a spring on the end of another could be deformed as needed to grip.

Thanks to Drews post...I just caught this thread...indeed I hope all has been sorted out...but:

Online firm: BioQuip offers a lot of dedicated entomology tweezers...just a thought.

Consider not drilling any holes in your stereo stands stage...keep in it's ( I know the stage clips are removeable) stage clips and slip a microscope thickness sheet of metal, glass, wood, you pick the material...and configure a retention hole/ a retention cork to post that tweezer-gizmo on...to left or right side of stage as you care to set up the gizmo.

Online they sell large slides to craddle a variety of watch-glasses to mechanical stages...this is where I sense you might do the same...have a slide which anchors your gizmo...and not go glueing/ drilling your stero stands stage...just a thought, Charles Sands. charlie guevara.

Guys- I prefer this item-

http://www.bioquip.com/Search/DispProduct.asp?pid=6188

It is a stage for stereoscopes. You can rotate it in various directions. It utlizes the Pin/triangle or just pinned specimens in general. All of my insect photos posted used this stage. It is $32.

Alternatively I have used a simpler version. I mount a cork stopper large side down on a square pice of plexiglass. Pins can be placed into the cork at all angles and easily moved around. Very cheap although not as parcatical as the one from Bioquip. They also have a another version that utlizes a ball and cork for $34. http://www.bioquip.com/Search/DispProduct.asp?pid=6186

When photographing insects using either of these methods or even the tweezers you want to make sure the background is appropriate for the best photo. I use black flannel usually. Whatever color you use make sure it is Matte or Flat to prevent reflecting back the light used to illuminate the specimens. I have played around a lot off and on.