Forgive me if this is on another post but without investing in a microscope how do you tell what's happening with your edge? Is there a relatively cheap solution?
Many thanks!

FredHermann wrote:


Hi Fred!
No problem mate! Almost anywhere on Amazon or Ebay you can find jeweller's loupes with a light. I have a nameless one of 15 power with LED lights and it cost me about 12 dollars. Works nicely and gives you at least some idea of what your edge looks like...nicks, rolled edges, chips et al. You can probably get something similar at a Staples or Office Depot sort of store.
Only the molecule polishers around here have Nikon microscopes and the like. Depends on how much you want to see. I find my loupe tells me what I want to know for real world cutting. slicing and shaving.

Cheers
Leo

I use a loupe like Leo suggested. (I also recommend getting one with a LED light.). I've also found this pocket microscope to be very beneficial... www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2179604. It's $12, and really helps to tell what's going on, especially on blades when you can't figure out why it won't get sharp. I actually prefer it over a loupe, although it takes a bit to get used to. You can find similar ones on Amazon, (but I like this one 'cause it uses cheap AAA batteries).

I sent you a private message.

holymolar wrote:


If that's to me... didn't get one.

Holymolar, thanks for the PM, and kindness.
Wow you guys are awesome.

Sounds like you may have something going, but here are a couple of things that I have and use, besides the 10X lighted loupe:

www.ebay.com/itm/60X-Pocket-Magnifier-Mi...;hash=item19d26cfc20

The above works amazingly well, especially considering the price.

This one gives lots more magnification. I think the ratings on all of these are a bit exagerated... but I just got done inspecting a blade with both of the units that I have linked to... and the next one is definitely "better" from the magnification standpoint:

www.ebay.com/itm/Carson-Mm-200-Micromax-...;hash=item58954636ba

Both are cheap and come with free shipping. True they use button cells athat are not as easy and cheap to get as the AAAs.. a bit of a disadvantage. But, I bought ten of these button cells online for $10 delivered..

You can also get some to the Veho 400 knockoffs for around $35 with free shiping. 400X with led lights and display/capture the photos on your computer . Not as nice as some, but the one below has the very handy feather light trigger button. Cheap and effective.

www.ebay.com/itm/25X-to-400X-8-LED-Digit...hash=item4168b9949f.



Phil

FredHermann wrote:

PhilipPasteur wrote:


For what it is worth I would suggest that you get the genuine Dino-Lite /Veho or better. I had a bad experience with trying to save a buck going the route that Phil suggested above, and just wasted time and money trying to out-smart myself.. Optics are funny that way, you *do* have to pay for what you get.

Dan,

Fred asked for a "cheap solution" in the original post. I hope that he didn't think I was giving a recommendation, endorsement, or "suggesting" any of the options that I listed. I was just throwing out some possibilities.

I agree about the "get what you pay for" in many things, but especially optics.

Having said that, I bought a Veho clone (which I really believe is the same exact camera as the Veho) close to a year ago. If I do my part with positioning and lighting, or for a quick scan of the edge on a laptop monitor, it is not bad.... especially for the price.

I also went and bought a Canon 650D DSLR, macro lense and extension tubes, with a 10X magnifier lense hoping to get much better photo micrographs. I suppose I was not all that thrilled with the Veho clone. I don't think that Fred would consider that solution as cheap though. I certainly did not!


Phil

Thanks Guys!

I was expecting to pay 50.00 on the low end for magnification, and it cheers me greatly to find them far cheaper than expected.
At this point I'm using a hand held LED flashlight and a *maybe* 4x magnifying glass, so anything will be an improvement.
Also, as with so many things like this, I have waaayyyy too many hobbies, and it's difficult to know what you need or will use until you grow into it more.
The links area awesome, and it's great to know that looking at the edges will not be a great expense.

(I was actually envisioning an oldschool microscope...)

Again, thanks!