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!

Fred,
There might be something to be said for an old school microscope. You would have a stage to hold the blade, usually multiple magnifications and possibly interchangeable objective lenses. More important you have a mechanism to focus that is reasonably precise. The problem is that, even used, a decent microscope will cost a bunch more than $50. I was looking at some that had not been made for 15 years that were selling for between $350 and $500 depending on the lenses you get.

Be aware that all of the solutions that I sent link to will be a bit fiddly and require you to get used to them. I like the 60 to 100 unit (simlar to what CBWX posted), but the depth of field is very shallow. It can be hard to get the entier bevel in focus (width) at one time. Lighting is very important. Changing the way the LEDs shine on the edge will completly change what scratch pattern you can see. Not only that but everything is upside down and backwards. I sometimes has a hard time finding and following the bevel along the length of the blade (I don't use it enough and my hand are not as steady as they once were)

The VEHO clone has similar issues. Lots of folks have spent far more on a stand for it than they did buying the camera. Again, focus and lighting are critical.If you look, you can see some of the photos that Clay took with his Dino-Lite. He shows that just adjusting the lighting can reveal a whole different perspective. You can use it pretty well by hand and just throw the image up on a monitor and do OK with it. It certainly give the most magnification bang for the buck. If you tame the thing, it also allows you to document your edges with photographs.

Just be aware, you will have to get used to and figure out the best way to use any of these.

Phil

Right!
Note to self, scoop up old microscopes for the group.
(I find them fairly often at auctions)
No idea if they are functional though, but hey, if I can find a few, I'm happy to share.