My DIY automated focus stacking rig

Markus Ottosson · Post by **Markus Ottosson** » Fri Dec 04, 2015 12:55 pm

I just wanted to share my DIY automated focus stacking rig based on an arduino.
Most of the plastic is printed in a 3d printer

The mechanics is all my own design and the electronics and code is based on Really Smalls (big thank you for all the help) Stackduino V2 found here:

www.flickr.com/photos/reallysmall/9177874726

There is a video on it at the bottom

I started off with 3 pieces of extruded aluminium one 160x30mm and two 45x45mm witch I joined together to get a working area of 225mmx570mm

Then I made a attachment for the camera/tripod head

I also made a t slot holder for the famous Jansjö light

For the linear motion I used a highly overkill precision ballscrew and linear guide

I also needed to make holders for the screw and guide

To drive everything I use a Nema 17 stepper motor.

A 200mmx200mm aluminium plate with lots of hole to mount the specimen on

The control panel and electronics

And everything completed

A video on how it works

My diy automatic focus stacking rig (video) by M. Ottosson, on Flickr

g4lab · Post by **g4lab** » Fri Dec 04, 2015 2:10 pm

Very nice exposition. How did you get the 3d printing to turn out so beautifully. I have made a few attempts at work and none of them turned out so nicely.

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Fri Dec 04, 2015 2:12 pm

Markus,

Impressive piece of work!

Thanks for posting.

RobertOToole · Post by **RobertOToole** » Fri Dec 04, 2015 3:45 pm

Very nice work Markus and good job on the 3D printed items.

I could use a 3D printer to finish some projects I am working on :-)

Thanks for sharing.

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Fri Dec 04, 2015 4:03 pm

It's a very impressive piece of work.

But I am a little confused by one part. Why do you mount the camera on a ballhead, when the automated rail only steps horizontally? Is this to allow off-angle stacks by using the manual slide also mounted on the ballhead?

--Rik

Lou Jost · Post by **Lou Jost** » Fri Dec 04, 2015 5:24 pm

Extremely beautiful and elegant! Congratulations!
I do have one minor suggestion, though. The light should move with the subject when stacking, so that it doesn't change angle between frames. This can be especially important with subjects with many specular reflections. Easy to fix by mounting an aluminum channel (for the light wedge-mount you made) on your subject plate. Maybe you already do something like this and I just didn't pick up on it.

Markus Ottosson · Post by **Markus Ottosson** » Fri Dec 04, 2015 10:47 pm

rjlittlefield wrote:It's a very impressive piece of work.

But I am a little confused by one part. Why do you mount the camera on a ballhead, when the automated rail only steps horizontally? Is this to allow off-angle stacks by using the manual slide also mounted on the ballhead?

--Rik

Thank you all.
I'm planning on making a horizontal stand for the camera but until then I will have to use the ballhead.
I could use it for off-angle stacks thou as you say.

Markus Ottosson · Post by **Markus Ottosson** » Fri Dec 04, 2015 10:53 pm

Lou Jost wrote:Extremely beautiful and elegant! Congratulations!
I do have one minor suggestion, though. The light should move with the subject when stacking, so that it doesn't change angle between frames. This can be especially important with subjects with many specular reflections. Easy to fix by mounting an aluminum channel (for the light wedge-mount you made) on your subject plate. Maybe you already do something like this and I just didn't pick up on it.

Thanks I'm aware of that so I have also designed and printed another led light that I will use.

You can read about it here:
http://photomacrography.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28163

The Jansjö lights will be used to illuminate the background if needed.

Markus Ottosson · Post by **Markus Ottosson** » Fri Dec 04, 2015 10:57 pm

g4lab wrote:Very nice exposition. How did you get the 3d printing to turn out so beautifully. I have made a few attempts at work and none of them turned out so nicely.

Thank you if you need any help with printer settings you can send me a PM an I will try to help out but I'm far from an expert.

Lou Jost · Post by **Lou Jost** » Sat Dec 05, 2015 5:17 am

Wow! I figured you knew that, since you obviously have put a lot of thought into this. Amazing setup!

mjkzz · Post by **mjkzz** » Wed Dec 09, 2015 9:10 pm

I like the linear guide part, it really helps to prevent whatever mounted on it from shifting left and right.

Ball screw might not be needed if you do not want precision in micron range. I got away with that and even used a crude screw to do the job and it works even when stepping at 5um step.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/60552763@ ... ed-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/60552763@ ... ed-public/