My industrial DIY macro rig

A forum to ask questions, post setups, and generally discuss anything having to do with photomacrography and photomicroscopy.

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Hokan
Posts: 60
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:58 am
Location: Sacramento, CA, USA

My industrial DIY macro rig

Post by Hokan »

Being of the mechanically challenged and mathematically deficient persuasion I turned to eBay's industrial equipment listings to build my DIY rig. The goals of the stepping component of my rig are: 1. Capable of mounting for stepping different cameras/assorted bellows and tubes using a wide range of objectives and lenses,(Nikon,Miti's, Zeiss). 2. Acquire needed parts that have published specifications. 3. Remote control of gross and fine step motor movements. 3. Stepper movement for my Z and X axis. 4. Be able to rotate center of Z axis 45 degrees to each side, (For 3D photography). 6. Be able to easily customize my stepping software programs.

To the best of my testing, still ongoing, DIY rig, named SOM, functions at or better then manufacturer specifications.

I am using CNC Z axis and X axis leadscrew units from Velox. Z axis has approximately 200mm of travel, X axis has about 600mm of travel. Z axis specification is 10 revolutions per 25.4mm with one start lead. Resolution of Z axis leadscrew is rated at 12.7 microns or better. Mounted between the Z axis leadscrew unit and the X axis leadscrew unit is a Sherline 4" rotary table.

Using two Applied motion NEMA 23, HT23-601, step motors designed for microsteppiing, purchased new. Each controlled by a programmable Applied Motion driver, 3504i, (13 step ranges. I'm using their 50800 microsteps per revolution), Both axis's controlled by a Applied Motion programmable hub, Hub 444, I control both axis's using Applied Motion's free programming software with a Applied Motion MMI-01, LCD screen/keypad control pad.

So far my testing for the Z axis shows I am getting a .05 micron step or better. Still need to test my one step of .05 micron accuracy over 200 plus stepping photographs.

I readily admit that my rig is overbuilt, maybe even extremely overbuilt. But its robust design, (that sounds better then overbuilt), does much to compensate for my deficiencies in design, mechanical skills, and software programming.

I would never have been able to build my SOM without the generous shared postings from the folks on photomacrography.net.

Regards,

Hokan


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SOM, (Son Of Multiphot), a DIY macro/micro rig.w/120, 65, 35, 19mm Macro-Nikkors, Nikon AZ100 1X and 4X objectives. Nikon Plan Fluor W objectives, 10X, 20X, 40X.
With Zeiss infinity objectives, LD, Epi, APO, Plan types.

Chris S.
Site Admin
Posts: 4042
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: Ohio, USA

Post by Chris S. »

Hokan,

Very interesting macro rig! :D Hope you will share additional details.

--Chris S.

g4lab
Posts: 1437
Joined: Fri May 23, 2008 11:07 am

Post by g4lab »

A thing of beauty! :shock: :D

Beatsy
Posts: 2105
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 3:10 am
Location: Malvern, UK

Post by Beatsy »

Goodness! That is one beautifully imposing rig. Think I'd worry about the house subsiding :)

Hokan
Posts: 60
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:58 am
Location: Sacramento, CA, USA

SOM continued

Post by Hokan »

Folks,

Thank you very much for your kind words for my DIY macro/micro rig. (Now called SOM, Son Of Multiphot. I needed a name for my rig after Chris shared his "Bratcam". In deference to his inspiring rig I had no choice to follow his lead.).

While building SOM I maintained a photo journal of my project. Since I was more interested in getting SOM built then in taking "for show and tell" photos, please excuse their image quality. Photos taken with whatever was available when I wanted to record something.

Before I started building SOM I took inventory of what equipment I was using and the far to large surplus of equipment stored in my garage. Surplus equipment that I kept telling my wife was needed backup for repairs. (She quickly saw through my protecting deflections. ). I finally got her permission to go forward with building SOM, before I had completed all of my "will get that done real soon" projects by agreeing to sell/trade most of my surplus equipment to help pay for building SOM. A win win solution.

I divided SOM into 5 units. 1. Stand, 2. Stepper components, 3. DSLR, tube/bellows and lenses/objectives, 4. Specimen stages, 5. Automation.

1. Stand: I purchased all of the needed stand components off of ebay. I used 80/20 materials, as the variety and range of building material sizes made it relatively easy for me to customize the materials I needed for SOM without the need for exotic machine work and or hard to find building materials. There are a number of vendors on ebay that sell 80/20 materials. 80/20 has a downloadable catalog that I used to figure out what I needed and how I could adapt 80/20 materials to my design. There are a number of other standardized building material systems around I am just not familiar with them.

My design is a direct copy of the Nikon Multiphot/Zeiss Aristophot/etc. designs of the 1980's. I just incorporated X axis and Y axis stepping capabilities, making it DSLR agnostic, be able to mount assorted tube/bellow units with a variety of lenses/objectives, using different specimen stages, with transmitted/reflected condensers, filters for BF, DF(Rheinberg), POL, and DIC illumination techniques to a well proven design.

My stand is built of 80/20, components size, Series 40, metric. I purchased surplus or excess items that fell within my dimension requirements. I did not purchase any standardized lengths. I was able to purchase all my needed materials in lengths very near to my finalized dimensions. Cheaper that way and if you order all that you can at one or two times you can reduce your shipping costs. I did install a non-ferrous metal cutting blade on my DeWalt miter saw. Additional tools needed: electric drill, drill bits, metric wrench set, and metric hex socket set, a fine flat file, scratch awl, small level, small 90 degre square and a tape measure.

The footprint of SOM is 610mm x 610mm. See comparison photo below.

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The following photos show details of the stand.

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Photo includes bottle of needed fuel for assembler! :wink:


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Below photo shows one of the six anti-vibration feet installed on SOM. Each anti-vibration foot has double nuts and lockwashers installed. One nut and lock washer installed above the anchor plate and one nut and lock washer installed below the anchor plate. Installing the nuts and lock washer this way allows me to level SOM and insure that each anti-vibration foot is carrying a load.


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Below photo is the four pre-loaded posts needed to support SOM's stepper unit.


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Below photo is the four posts installed. More needed fuel for the assembler. Note: Assembling all of the pieces together must be done WITHOUT overtightening the socket bolts. Please take my word for this. Tightening everything down as I went made it impossible to assemble all the pre-cut materials and square everything up. It took me at least two more bottles of assembler fuel to loosen up everything re-assemble, square up all the assembled components to each other and THEN and only THEN tighten up everything. This includes SOM's stepper unit.


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Below photo is the complete stand, squared up. Ready to be tightened up.


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Below photo shows how the 8 side joining plates are reversed installed to make installing the stepper component easier and keep SOM's footprint as small as possible. Note: the distance the four posts were assembled from each other was determined bye the size of the four joining plates. I then installed SOM's stepper component toward the ends of the two top beams. The critical distance for installing the stepper component is the width/distance between the X axis plates and the distance the four posts are from each other. Match these distances up well and it is a easy assemble.

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Below photo shows the 457mm x 610mm, 68kg, granite slab installed on SOM. This type of granite slab is used in machine shops and guitar building shops. The top is ground to a minimum flatness. To what flatness escapes me now. I'll try to research the measurement. Once the granite slab is installed I laid a 12" level on the granite slab and leveled SOM up. Front to back and side to side. I am well past the age where I could muscle 68kg of anything onto SOM. A 68kg granite slab with no place to grip, absolute dead weight, shipping weighing almost 100kg . It just didn't want to move from where the well muscled, young delivery driver dropped it with his forklift. However having acquired a degree of cunning, I used a few lengths of galvanized pipe that was laying about to roll the slab onto my well padded dolly. Hauled it into my studio. Then using my wife's dog ramp for loading her dogs into our SUV, (She was not home at the time!) I made like the Egyptians and pushed, pulled and slid the slab onto SOM. Then I rewarded myself with a "three bottle of needed fuel consumed after the slab was installed"celebration.


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My next installment will be my stepper unit.

regards,
Hokan
SOM, (Son Of Multiphot), a DIY macro/micro rig.w/120, 65, 35, 19mm Macro-Nikkors, Nikon AZ100 1X and 4X objectives. Nikon Plan Fluor W objectives, 10X, 20X, 40X.
With Zeiss infinity objectives, LD, Epi, APO, Plan types.

Hokan
Posts: 60
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:58 am
Location: Sacramento, CA, USA

Stepper Unit

Post by Hokan »

Morning Folks,

Before I get into my stepper unit I need to provide some missing information on my granite plate. I purchased the granite slab from www.grizzly.com. They sell about 11 different sizes and designs of granite plates. Per their description their "toolroom-grade "B" plates have a bilateral accuracy of +/- 0.0001 total instrument runout for precision measurements from a common surface base". If you are intending to use transmitted illumination techniques and maintain a accurate horizontal specimen image plane that is parallel to the image plane of your high NA objectives then you should take into consideration the need to establish a accurate parallel relationship. Especially with high NA, extremely shallow DOF, and very short working distance objectives. For stacking photos of slides, petri dishes, specimens in liquid using oil/water objectives, etc.

I purchased the Z axis unit off of ebay. For detailed description of all their axis units see www.veloxcncrouters.com. Again I chose Velox because they provided enough information about their products that I had a fairly good idea of what I was purchasing. I acquired their Z axis about three years ago in one of their very rare ebay auctions. About a 25% discount from their retail pricing. There are many other Z and X axis, (used and new), being sold on ebay for much lower cost then Velox units. But I'm thinking used units would in general be more worn, less accurate then a new unit and have little or no specifications I could verify. I have neither the skill set nor tools to correct/repair anything as complicated and initially precision built so my most viable option was to buy new. Velox is designed and built in California and they replied to all of my email questions.

Specifications for my Z axis unit is leadscrew pitch: 2.54mm, 10 revolutions = 25.4mm, with a .0127mm, or better accuracy, with a one start lead, and anti-backlash unit. It uses four 20mm shafts and bearings with top and bottom leadscrew support. Definitely a serious industrial unit.
The 203mm of Z axis travel is way beyond my needs for any stepping that I presently use or plan to use but the price was right and that was the only one available at the time.

Specifications for X axis unit is the same as my Z axis except the leadscrew has 5 revolutions = 25.4mm and 610mm of travel. Since the X-axis would primarily be used for panorama photographs I did not feel the need for the smaller step distances of the Z axis.

Below photo shows the Z axis unit and X axis unit assembled. With a black Arca-Swiss clamp attached to the front surface of the Z axis unit. I choose the Acra-Swiss clamping system as my "be able attach all things" standard. I use Arca-Swiss clamps, rails, brackets etc. for all of my cameras, tripods, field photomacrography system so it was only logical to build on what I already have. I permanently attached 152mm long, 3 hole, (evenly spaced), F80 clamp from www.hejnarphotostore.com. They had the longest Arca-Swiss Clamp I could find. (My thinking was the longer the clamp the greater the ability to resist movement side to side. A longer Arca-Swiss clamp would provide more clamping pressure over a greater area of whatever I tighten into the clamp and more equal pressure from each side insuring more repeatable vertical positioning.). Hejnarphotostore.com is the first place I go when in need of a Arca-Swiss device.


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This photo gives a better side view of the F80 Hejnar Arca-Swiss clamp and the Sherline, 102mm diameter, rotary table. (A rotary table is metal lathe attachment allowing 360 degree rotation of secured metal for detailed machining.) The Sherline rotary table was recommended by Velox and a "best offer" purchase from ebay. The Sherline allows me to rotate SOM's Z-axis, up to about 120 degrees, (60 degrees clockwise and 60 degrees counter-clockwise). Great for 3D step phototaking, taking step panorama photos of mounded, semi-mounded specimens, etc. A un-intended benefit of mounting the Sherline between SOM's Z-axis and X-axis is the ability to adjust the objective image plane to become parallel to the desired specimen image plane. The Sherline has etched graduations with attached metal pointer, can be locked in any rotated position and is rotated manually. This makes it possible to return to a previous rotated position with accuracy.

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This photo shows the entire stepper unit with a infinity objective configured tube lens with objective mounted on a Arca-Swiss rail.

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The below photo shows the Sherline etched graduations in a greater detail. All of the Velox dimensions and fasteners are in English measurements. (But metric is much easier for me to use and calculate so I routinely convert everything to metric via my ever so handy RealCalc Scientific Calculator installed on my smartphone. RPN is the best way for me to do my math.) I re-drilled the lower three inline attachment holes to match the metric fasteners used by the 80/20, Series 40, metric, two top beams as shown in the stand photos. I must admit that the absolute needed accuracy, sub millimeter level or greater, was beyond my abilities. At least to do so correctly the first time, without damaging SOM's Z axis and X axis units. I took everything to a local machine shop that manufactures one off units for small aircraft. They were so intrigued by my project they went the extra kilometer, (have to keep everything in metric! :wink: ), they got everything aligned to micron level or better. According to their measurement devices. Beyond anything I could ever do! Considering my overall investment in SOM the cost was worth it many times over.


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regards,
Hokan
SOM, (Son Of Multiphot), a DIY macro/micro rig.w/120, 65, 35, 19mm Macro-Nikkors, Nikon AZ100 1X and 4X objectives. Nikon Plan Fluor W objectives, 10X, 20X, 40X.
With Zeiss infinity objectives, LD, Epi, APO, Plan types.

ChrisR
Site Admin
Posts: 8668
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:58 am
Location: Near London, UK

Post by ChrisR »

Admirable machine, superbly described
=D> =D>
Chris R

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