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Vibration dampening
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 11:32 am
by Plasmid
Looking for recommendations of homemade or commercial vibration dampening solutions. Construction here in the south of the US consist mostly of wood and are multistory, and so taking videos and or photos of specimens has to be reserved to odd hours when everyone at home is sleeping ( specially if you have a 3 year old running around the house) The wood floors transfer the slightest vibrations specially when I prepare the slide a bit thicker as to not crush larger ciliates. I've consider moving "my lab" onto the basement but the humidity thats normally found in basements sort of scares me specially with optics and mold.
Re: Vibration dampening
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 1:05 pm
by deBult
A low height wooden case filled with sand and a close fitting tile on top does wonders for vibration reduction.
Re: Vibration dampening
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 4:04 pm
by MicroBob
Hi,
I would suggest a three step solution:
- fat steel plate under the microscope (4x the denstity of concrete) e.g. 400x400x40mm = 50kg
- foam rubber under the steel plate, amount chosen so the rubber already starts to be compressed, perhaps 50mm thick uncompressed
- velcro loop carpet and a velcro hook suit for your 3-year old
Bob
Re: Vibration dampening
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2021 4:35 pm
by BramHuntingNematodes
A heavy table on a tiled concrete basement floor is pretty ideal but you're right you will want to have some climate and atmospheric controls down there. A dehumidifier and air filter, I would use an air filter regardless, might solve your problem.
Re: Vibration dampening
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 2:41 am
by Element 56
Regardless of whether or not you put your microscope in the basement I highly recommend controlling the humidity down there like Bram said. I failed to do that properly and ended up regretting it. I run two dehumidifiers and no longer have any humidity issues. Once you get the dehumidifier down there your optics would be fine should you set up shop. However don't ever store optics in a sealed container without further protection in that environment. Moving air is also a good idea in a basement which can be done with fans.
Also the basement might be a better choice for your lab considering the young one!
Kirby
Re: Vibration dampening
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 2:50 am
by Plasmid
MicroBob wrote: ↑Thu Jan 21, 2021 4:04 pm
Hi,
I would suggest a three step solution:
- fat steel plate under the microscope (4x the denstity of concrete) e.g. 400x400x40mm = 50kg
- foam rubber under the steel plate, amount chosen so the rubber already starts to be compressed, perhaps 50mm thick uncompressed
- velcro loop carpet and a velcro hook suit for your 3-year old
Bob
With the right amount of persuasion and using a scientific approach, I can probably get my wife to go along with the idea
Re: Vibration dampening
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 6:59 am
by MicroBob
After a few calm years he will become very strong!
When I look into my office/lab the biggest problem would be chemicals, hot plates, special electric stuff and microtome and other very sharp knives. From 3 on it wouldn't take long any more to make a child understand that the room is off limits, but that depends on the individual kid and it's individual friends. So a cupboard with trays for quick setup and tidy-up would be useful. But generally with children and their mother in the house it makes sense to limit dangerous chemicals to a suitably safe level.
My boys grew up on our job site with lots of dangerous tools around. For some reason they always expected my stuff to be dangerous and never touched anything they shouldn't. They are more or less grown up but still don't touch anything they don't know without asking and getting instructions. But some dangers are easier to understand than others.
Bob
Re: Vibration dampening
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 9:09 pm
by microb
Plasmid wrote: ↑Thu Jan 21, 2021 11:32 am
Looking for recommendations of homemade or commercial vibration dampening solutions. Construction here in the south of the US consist mostly of wood and are multistory, and so taking videos and or photos of specimens has to be reserved to odd hours when everyone at home is sleeping ( specially if you have a 3 year old running around the house) The wood floors transfer the slightest vibrations specially when I prepare the slide a bit thicker as to not crush larger ciliates. I've consider moving "my lab" onto the basement but the humidity thats normally found in basements sort of scares me specially with optics and mold.
Just for reference, here's the Veeco solution. It's overpriced though, but if you look for vinyl recorder player isolation feet, they offer the same concept.
https://www.newport.com/c/microscope-is ... -platforms
Amazon sells cheap granite surface plates, and that's basically what Silicon Valley companies used in the 80's and 90's with no springs or side-to-side ball bearing rollers.
Re: Vibration dampening
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:10 pm
by Plasmid
microb wrote: ↑Fri Jan 22, 2021 9:09 pm
Plasmid wrote: ↑Thu Jan 21, 2021 11:32 am
Just for reference, here's the Veeco solution. It's overpriced though, but if you look for vinyl recorder player isolation feet, they offer the same concept.
https://www.newport.com/c/microscope-is ... -platforms
Amazon sells cheap granite surface plates, and that's basically what Silicon Valley companies used in the 80's and 90's with no springs or side-to-side ball bearing rollers.
Interesting, the Veeco solution is a bit too much
But the granite plates are the perfect size. When looking at the vinyl Isolation feet this popped up
https://www.amazon.com/Soundrise-Isolat ... B07X8L84YM
Im going to try em on the base of the Microstar to see if it improves.
Thank you for the recommendation.
Re: Vibration dampening
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:40 pm
by microb
Plasmid wrote: ↑Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:10 pm
microb wrote: ↑Fri Jan 22, 2021 9:09 pm
Plasmid wrote: ↑Thu Jan 21, 2021 11:32 am
Just for reference, here's the Veeco solution. It's overpriced though, but if you look for vinyl recorder player isolation feet, they offer the same concept.
https://www.newport.com/c/microscope-is ... -platforms
Amazon sells cheap granite surface plates, and that's basically what Silicon Valley companies used in the 80's and 90's with no springs or side-to-side ball bearing rollers.
Interesting, the Veeco solution is a bit too much
But the granite plates are the perfect size. When looking at the vinyl Isolation feet this popped up
https://www.amazon.com/Soundrise-Isolat ... B07X8L84YM
Im going to try em on the base of the Microstar to see if it improves.
Thank you for the recommendation.
Let me know. A problem with most of the industrial equivalent rubber feet is that they used so much plasticizer in the mix that they off-gas forever, possibly risking corrosions of metals. But I'm assuming recorder player feet are for customers that would find the fumes distracting.
I have not tried these, but they seem to be trying to be like the veeco ones:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XQEOAoS_cw
Probably need the higher weight ones:
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-8i0ZPf0cd ... wREALw_wcB
Re: Vibration dampening
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 11:02 pm
by Hobbyst46
Plasmid wrote: ↑Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:10 pm
microb wrote: ↑Fri Jan 22, 2021 9:09 pm
Plasmid wrote: ↑Thu Jan 21, 2021 11:32 am
Just for reference, here's the Veeco solution. It's overpriced though, but if you look for vinyl recorder player isolation feet, they offer the same concept.
https://www.newport.com/c/microscope-is ... -platforms
Amazon sells cheap granite surface plates, and that's basically what Silicon Valley companies used in the 80's and 90's with no springs or side-to-side ball bearing rollers.
Interesting, the Veeco solution is a bit too much
But the granite plates are the perfect size. When looking at the vinyl Isolation feet this popped up
https://www.amazon.com/Soundrise-Isolat ... B07X8L84YM
Im going to try em on the base of the Microstar to see if it improves.
Thank you for the recommendation.
I wonder how these will perform; I would imagine they must be directly glued (with their own adhesive) to the microscope base, so if the microscope bottom is not a flat surface, a flat surface board must be attached for the coupling ?