A new scanner design using plastic tubing

Built a scanner? Started to build a scanner? Record your progress here. Doesn't need to be a whole scanner - triggers and other parts are fine. Commercial scanners are fine too.

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rkomar
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Re: A new scanner design using plastic tubing

Post by rkomar »

I have a platen whose angle is much greater than 90 degrees (it looks like about 120 degrees). One thing I've noticed is that books don't naturally center themselves as easily along the apex as they would with a sharper angle. So, I wouldn't recommend going too wide on the angle.
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davidlandin
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Re: A new scanner design using plastic tubing

Post by davidlandin »

That is a good point about the centering with awide angle platen. I suppose it might depend on how easily the book moves right to left. But I will look at that centering question again. Thanks
dpc
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Re: A new scanner design using plastic tubing

Post by dpc »

davidlandin wrote:One of the problems I have is that some of my books have an extremely narrow margin between the print and the gutter. We are talking here about maybe 0.5cm wide on either side of the gutter. So I am going to try a wider angle. I've seen commercial scanners that press the book open flat - 180 degrees, and you can definitely see the full page then. Also having seen a commercial scanner with a 110 degree opening I wonder if this is a good compromise between 90 and 180 degrees. I may be that I will need to press these hyper narrow margin books up against a horizontal flat platen and use a single overhead camera.
...
David Landin
It could be that the thickness of your platen panes and how the two meet is keeping you from getting the platen down into the book's gutter completely. It can also be affected by the book's binding and how the binding sits in your cradle and if it's allowed to move slightly during the course of a scan to provide a better alignment with the platen. With a stiff binding the pages curl more near the gutter as you open the book. With a binding that can flex you'll be able to open the book with very little curl since the curl is happening on the binding instead of the page (the binding forms an inverted 'u'). As long as your cradle allows that binding to flex you should be able to get your platen in deep enough to see that narrow margin.

One thing you might do while you're testing these various platen angles is to use a printed page that has a measured rule printed horizontally across the page with no margin then stick this "calibration page" into the book tightly down into the gutter between two pages and scan it to see how much of the rule is visible.
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Re: A new scanner design using plastic tubing

Post by ducktowater »

David
What a wonderful engineering feat and I am gathering the parts to attempt to build a bookscanner based on your plans. Could you tell me where you sourced the black pipe from as I have tried the usual places like B&Q, Wickes etc and they only have white and I don't fancy painting the pipe (scratches etc)
Regards
Andrew
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davidlandin
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Re: A new scanner design using plastic tubing

Post by davidlandin »

Hi Andrew

I got all the pipe and bends and Tees from Toolstation (http://www.toolstation.co.uk) Here are their reference numbers

12251 BlackSolvent weld PVC overflow pipe 21.5mm 10 pack £10.52 (yes you get 10 x 3m lengths for £10.52! :D )

76426 BlackSolvent weld PVC Bend 21.5mm £0.48 each

67216 BlackSolvent weld PVC Tee 21.5mm £0.48 each

I would buy a few extras of the Tees and bends and also some straight couplers

10708 BlackSolvent weld PVC Straight Couplers 21.5mm £0.48 each

As I've stressed don't glue until you have fitted it together. The glue dries in seconds and can't be undone. So if you do make a mistake you need to use a saw - and a coupler to rejoin the pipe.

I think you may have to get your solvent from eBay

Search for this RIGID PVC ABS PIPE WELD CEMENT
They have a small can there for £3.75 plus £2 postage.

You may not have seen my detailed instructions on how to make it here:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Book-Sc ... ages-an-h/

If you need more help just let me know

David Landin
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davidlandin
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Re: A new scanner design using plastic tubing

Post by davidlandin »

I've found a better supplier for the platen - anti-glare 3mm XT acrylic. You can get it cut to any size from

Fibrecraft Plastics
http://cut-plastics.co.uk/index.php/rev ... tegory/24/

This XT acrylic has a coated side, which needs to be facing upward. It comes with a peel off polythene sheet, but leave that in position till the last moment so you don't scratch the surface of the acrylic.

David Landin
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davidlandin
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Re: A new scanner design using plastic tubing

Post by davidlandin »

Here is an updated list of possible suppliers for the parts of the easy book scanner

Frame Supplier
pipe http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Plumbing/d20 122521
bend http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Plumbing/d20 76428
Tees http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Plumbing/d20 67216
Glue ebay weld solvent 291368685998 solvent weld cement
Screws
Steel rod
Steel tube
Counterbalance weights eBay wrist weights 2 x 0.5kg 111023174475

Book support
MDF wood
Corner brackets ebay Metal Corner Brace Right Angle Bracket 100mm 161258005665
Choc block ebay Connector Strips - 3/5/15/30/60 Choc Blocks 400794396699
Drawer runners ebay drawer runners (342mm long) 321027385928
Drawer liner ebay Tool Box Drawer Liner Black 380658232029


Light ebay LED Floodlight cool white 121385683871

Platen Plastic ebay XT Anti Glare Clear Acrylic/Perspex Sheet 3mm thick 201153709419 This is slightly smaller than my original size but will handle books with A4 sized pages
Metal Ts ebay Tee Plates 331300104689

Hope this may be useful

David Landin
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davidlandin
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Re: A new scanner design using plastic tubing

Post by davidlandin »

Scanner at University of Cambridge library
Scanner at University of Cambridge library
We recently set up one of the scanners in Cambridge University Library where it is being used to scan rare Bible texts in non-English languages.
Rear view of the scanner showuing the tripods and DSLR cameras.
Rear view of the scanner showuing the tripods and DSLR cameras.
This model uses DSLR cameras, and the extra weight of these cameras has necessitated using small camera tripods to hold the cameras steady. The tripods are set leaning outwards from the sacnner. The front two feet of each tripod are attached to the scanner frame to ensure that they are rock-steady and don't move.

David Landin
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danielcastillo
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Re: A new scanner design using plastic tubing

Post by danielcastillo »

Saludos desde Chile:

Hace ya varios meses estoy siguiendo este foro, ya que debe ser uno de los pocos sitios de internet que habla sobre el tema de la digitalización y que incluye proyectos viables. Yo trabajo en un archivo histórico (http://www.ahvd.uta.cl/) en la Universidad de Tarapacá, en mi ciudad (Arica - Chile), hace uno años empezamos con la digitalización de materiales antiguos, únicos e históricos. Siempre nos enfrentamos a los problemas de la curbatura del libro y el ancho de ellos; por eso, el ver este simple proyecto nos dió un nuevo aire y deseos para replicar este excelente proyecto, adecuandolo a nuestras necesidades y recursos.

Nosotros utilizamos dos camaras fotográficas CANON EOS Rebel T3; son excelentes y su sensor puede hacer muchos disparos sin colapsar. Re-utilizamos dos computadores de doble nucleo (anticuados pero útiles) donde conectamos las camaras. Luego, en un disco duro externos copiamos las carpetas (izquierda - derecha) para realizar post-procesamiento en un computador con procesador I5, renombrando (par - impar) con el programa InfarView, luego pasamos la carpeta resultante en SCANTAYLOR, y luego armamos los resultados en algún programa de transformación de imágenes a PDF.

Utilizamos las cámaras en trípodes, debido a que son muy pesadas y sencibles para colocarlas en una estructura de PVC, la iluminación la hacemos de manera horizontal para evitar los reflejos de los focos.

Aun busco en el foro el uso de un programa que me permita, conectar las dos cámaras en un solo computador, ya que los que se exponen aquí no me han podido funcionar (google traslator no siempre ayuda en las traducciones técnicas), si poseen un tutorial en video de como hacerlo les estaría agredecido.

Gracias David por su genial invento y a cada uno de ustedes por los aportes en este post. Actualmente estamos usando el Escáner para digitalizar una colección de libros de los conflictos chileno-peruano de 1880 a 1930 y en muchos otros libros que nos daría espanto colocarlo con la manipulación de un robot - escáner, le adjunto algunas fotos de nuestra réplica.
Saludos.
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geaplanet
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Re: A new scanner design using plastic tubing

Post by geaplanet »

Está muy bien, danielcastillo. ¿Cuánto mide? Parece muy MUY grande. Los tubos parecen de 32" como los que yo uso en el mío (bueno, en realidad son los únicos que hay en la zona donde vivo :-/).
Parece que usas plexiglas, te recomiendo que le eches un ojo al cristal velglas, son más baratos que el plexiglas, no se rayan con el uso y tienen antireflejos. Donde vivo me costaron los dos cristales de 40x25 unos 8€.
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