Failure and Success

These 3d printed bits and bobs


fit together to make
    

a partly universal fitting to add a phone (camera) to the microscope.

It was to replace the one which came with the microscope
 

Whilst being very adaptable as far a suiting a vast range of cameras I was never happy with the idea of suction cups as a method of holding it in place. I did once have my iPod slide off.

Unfortunately the replacement design I had downloaded and printed out was
a) fragile - I snapped one bit trying to fit it together.
b) it didn't suit the iPhone 6s with its corner positioned camera.
    probably fine with phones with a camera nearer half way across their body.

I had a look round on the Thingiverse site and found another design which looked a better bet.
Here are the parts once printed out


I had already fitted together the three parts which make up the bit at the top of the photo.
On the V shaped section there is a ball and socket joint in which the end of the screw fits. This is three sections around the ball. One of those snapped as it was too close a fit but everything still holds in place.

All the parts assembled
   

Fitted to the microscope


With camera firmly held in place


Fortunately my phone has an added cover over the back and sides which protects the volume and power buttons or the clamp would press and activate them. I think I will add some of the old style adhesive foam strip we used to use for sealing gaps in wooden window frames years ago. That should cushion any possible pressure on the phone's buttons.

A photo of the hazel catkin with this set up


I did have problems with keeping the items stuck on the printer bed to start with. I think it was the overall low temperature in the unheated conservatory. Things were cooling down too fast. Increased the bed temperature from the usual 60C to 63C and the extruding temperature from the usual 200C to 205C and all worked perfectly.

A short video of the printer at work



I toned down the sound. The printer has four cooling fans and four stepper motors which can be noisyish at times.

My grateful thanks to user 'falconphysics' for publishing the design on Thingiverse.

Busy Creating

Just a quick photo of what I have been up to these past few days:



These parts have been made with a 3D printer.
I didn't design these but downloaded the files and converted them so I could use them.
A bit of final hand finishing tomorrow and I should be able to assemble them.
To make what?  If it works as intended then I will post about it in the near future.

Catkin Time

The catkins on my corkscrew hazel bush are forming well.

Composite from three close shots:



Composite of four photos taken through the microscope:
Top two are of the outer surface.



Bottom two are of the inside of the catkin.
All taken with the iPhone 6s
Composite pictures created using the Mac app Photo Tangler.

Heard but not seen this morning was the song of our local Mistle Thrush.

LTT Visit

On a murky day a short while ago I spotted a small group of Long Tailed Tits busy around the trees and feeders. As ever they didn't stay still in one place for very long so out of a dozen shots these were the least grotty:

New Year's Day Visitor

Just been checking for any recordings from the nestbox camera.



By the markings on its head it looks like a Blue Tit to me.

2019

Christmas Eve Moon

Really clear views of Venus in the South and a setting full Moon in the West as we went walkabout first thing this morning. Unfortunately by the time we had returned home Venus had gone all shy and was hidden behind thickening cloud. Fortunately the Moon did stay in view while I set up the 70D with the 100-400mm zoom lens and gave an opportunity for a few shots before it too disappeared behind the gathering clouds.