Digital microscope for lathe work

MattiJ · Mar 15, 2019

In case someone else is struggling to see what is going on with small parts this worked quite nicely.
Shoddy setup but proved the concept:

https://www.amazon.com/Andonstar-Digital-Microscope-Soldering-ADSM302/dp/B076XYRCYM
(cheaper from ebay but ebay links tend to die)

Gives ample of working distance unless you need maximum magnification and even then focusing distance is okay-ish.
~35mm 50 mm working distance gives you about 4mm viewing area, with the build-in screen that is about 35X magnification.
Video output is real full-HD HDMI so if you connect external monitor your get nice and crisp picture.
24" Full-HD computer monitor needs some thinking for the placement tho..

Resolution appears to be couple of micrometers, good enough for most lathe work.

As a test I turned small pin out of 1018CR:

Smallest diameters in the part are ~30 and ~14 micrometers. (thinnest part length is 0.05mm)

Ember · Mar 15, 2019

WOW Nice idea

MattiJ · Mar 15, 2019

Yet another test photo showing different inserts or checking sharpening:

Left to right:
1. DCGT0702xxx (chinesium) aluminium insert, sharp, but looks like there is small fractures at the cutting edge. Would need more effort to clean the inserts..
2. DCGT070204 UM grade 1115 Sandvik finishing insert for steel
3. DCMT07 unknown make chinesium insert showing honed and pretty uneven edge

M.B. Naegle · Mar 15, 2019

Cool Idea! I didn't know those could be had for so cheap. The mag-base is a good idea as you can put it anywhere.

MattiJ · Mar 15, 2019

M.B. Naegle said:
Cool Idea! I didn't know those could be had for so cheap. The mag-base is a good idea as you can put it anywhere.

It looks like its re-spin of car dashcam slapped together with pretty decent optics and stand.
You get what you pay for tho, remote control smells like burnt plastic

Compared to other similar offerings this one has better optics with larger viewing distance.
Just checked and minimum focusing distance is 50mm with a field of view 4mm. Max focusing distance is to infinity.
Depth of sharp focus is extremely shallow at 50mm distance, something order of 0.1mm
(just those awful physical laws, not particularly fault of this model..)

adama · Mar 15, 2019

I have played with doing the same but with one of the cheap USB scopes, lag is the problem though that kinda convinced me to give up. For not too much money though i now see bangood and others listing the microscope and camera bit separate so you can plug into your own full sized monitor. That may be a nicer option. That said, trying to do stuff with any lag is hard. Soldering with even minimal lag is near impossible.

I tried using magnification alone before and its just too awkward, if your looking in even a nice microscope you have to stop look up at the dro and refocus and it gets tireing fast. Also tried with theoes medical eye glass mounted lenses, sure they magnified great but you had to have your head at the right distance from the job and equally looking at the DRO again was a pain.

MattiJ · Mar 15, 2019

adama said:
I have played with doing the same but with one of the cheap USB scopes, lag is the problem though that kinda convinced me to give up. For not too much money though i now see bangood and others listing the microscope and camera bit separate so you can plug into your own full sized monitor. That may be a nicer option. That said, trying to do stuff with any lag is hard. Soldering with even minimal lag is near impossible.

I tried using magnification alone before and its just too awkward, if your looking in even a nice microscope you have to stop look up at the dro and refocus and it gets tireing fast. Also tried with theoes medical eye glass mounted lenses, sure they magnified great but you had to have your head at the right distance from the job and equally looking at the DRO again was a pain.

This has also HDMI output if you want large screen. But I wanted possibility to use less cluttered setup so the integrated display is nice to have.
There is a bit of lag even on this one but its miles better than USB scope I had earlier.
1600x1200 resolution was limited to 5hz on the "mid range cheapo" :cool:

60usd USB scope, this does 1920x1080 @30hz over HDMI.

The 30Hz frame rate itself is limiting factor for lagginess. Feels same as if you set your computer monitor to 30hz and shake the mouse cursor across the screen.
You can get 60hz HDMI-only microscope "heads" too from ebay for roughly similar amount of money.

I wouldn't necessarily want to use this for hand soldering but IMO for lathe or milling machine work the lag is negligible.
(With lathe controls you are not shaking across the screen unlike soldering with my shaky hands)
Microsoldering is possible after getting used to it for few minutes and moving slowly but not great.

mhajicek · Mar 15, 2019

Can the screen be removed? I've been looking for something like this, preferably with a reticle, that I can put in at CAT40 toolholder to use as a toolscope. I got an optical toolscope, but I can't get my head into position to see through it.

MattiJ · Mar 15, 2019

mhajicek said:
Can the screen be removed? I've been looking for something like this, preferably with a reticle, that I can put in at CAT40 toolholder to use as a toolscope. I got an optical toolscope, but I can't get my head into position to see through it.

No, the screen is integrated. You can tilt it but not remove it entirely.

Really guessing here but for example one of these might work with some adaptation to toolscope eyepiece?
OMAX Microscope Cameras - Microscope Accessories
Or ebay offerings "digital microscope eyepiece camera"

EPAIII · Mar 15, 2019

Just put a camera on that optical microscope. Follow MattiJ's link in post #9.

mhajicek said:
Can the screen be removed? I've been looking for something like this, preferably with a reticle, that I can put in at CAT40 toolholder to use as a toolscope. I got an optical toolscope, but I can't get my head into position to see through it.

HuFlungDung · Mar 15, 2019

Anybody used one of these yet? Various other magnifications available.

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Pete Deal · Mar 15, 2019

Very nice! I have an optical microscope that I use all the time. I tried a cheapie a few years ago and was disappointed. May need to get one of those.

Does it have a reticle (cross hair) that can be turned on? I had the idea to couple such a device with an x/y table for measuring.

MattiJ · Mar 16, 2019

Pete Deal said:
Very nice! I have an optical microscope that I use all the time. I tried a cheapie a few years ago and was disappointed. May need to get one of those.

Does it have a reticle (cross hair) that can be turned on? I had the idea to couple such a device with an x/y table for measuring.

Yeah, there is cross hair that your can turn on. (need the stinky remote for that)
And optics seems at least roughly stay in alignment, unlike some others.
In previous USB microscope(andonstar V160) the center of the image was all over the place relative to microscope tube axis as focusing was moving the loosely fitted parts around.

partsproduction · Mar 17, 2019

With that you'd have a shot at the world's smallest steam engine.

MattiJ · Mar 17, 2019

partsproduction said:
With that you'd have a shot at the world's smallest steam engine.

Dunno about that but I think I already did world record on slowest cutting speed

4000rpm on 0.014mm pin gives 0.175 meters per minute or 0.6 feet per minute.
even a 150 years old shaper does better than that.

Normal cutting speed for that part would require 4.5 million rpm (carbide)

CarbideBob · Mar 17, 2019

HuFlungDung said:
Anybody used one of these yet? Various other magnifications available.

2.5X High quality Headband Binocular Dental Loupes Surgical Loupes & Headlight 606829378230 | eBay

Everyday but a 3.5x and cheaper one from Amazon.
Part of it is just getting old but I wished I'd have tried some 20-30 years back when working tiny stuff like micro-drills and endmills.
Long standoff compared to regular head mounted magnifiers like Donegans and that sort of messes with your depth "feel".
Plus side is that you can look under or around them when in position so you don't have to flip them up and down.
Mine came with the "headlight" too but I just removed that.

I have high mag camera units too which have their place. The advantage to these "glasses" is no mounting or focusing needed.
Disadvantage in that they won't take pictures and certainly won't work as a centering or offset scope.

Good insert photos. Note #3 or the right and the negative land size on both sides and around the radius.
Also the edge difference in #1 and #2.

The price on these these things in both analog and digital keeps falling and as it does they become so much more "must have" tools in the box.
Bob

partsproduction · Mar 17, 2019

Good insert photos. Note #3 or the right and the negative land size on both sides and around the radius.
Also the edge difference in #1 and #2.

The aluminum inserts we use a lot are much sharper then any I ever saw when I started using carbide long ago, and would possibly have done a better job on the small magnified turning shown, also, kind of hard to find for obvious reasons, but inserts near zero radius would probably be appropriate. We use them when facing to a shoulder which a circular knife rides against in aluminum, all they take off is the radius left by a 331 insert.
Thanks a lot for the thread, I bought the same camera you show and am looking forward to having/using it for those occasional tiny jobs that come up for manual lathes and probably milling too.

partsproduction · Mar 17, 2019

As a test I turned small pin out of 1018CR:

It looks like you honed an insert to a fine pint for the work. Glendo diamond honing tool?

MattiJ · Mar 17, 2019

partsproduction said:
It looks like you honed an insert to a fine pint for the work. Glendo diamond honing tool?

Just normal bench grinder with 5 usd electroplated 3000 grit diamond (lapidary) wheel. Makes almost mirror-polished surface and still enough fast for something like sharpening the shown DCGT to zero radius. Runout is ridiculous but seems to work with very slight finishing touches. And for heavier grind the steel disk itself flexes enough that run out doesnt seem to bother.

Digital microscope for lathe work

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