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Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Posted: 27 Mar 2010, 21:07
by daniel_reetz
rob wrote:I just built the base with the keyboard slides, and I'd like to suggest one alternate way of attaching the slides:

First, you build the box. Then, attach these convenient brackets provided with the keyboard slide kit...
IMG_0253.JPG
You made Mr. 19th Century happy.
IMG_0267.JPG
r0B! You are teh best3st! I seriously had no idea how to use those brackets. Thanks for this and the other improvements.

One thing I've learned -- the back platen support bits, which connect the platen to the drawer slides, when you get to them, need to be screwed and glued, or they tend to rotate a bit. Erm.

Can't wait to get back to the US of A and make a Standard for myself, including some of the improvements shared here.

Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Posted: 28 Mar 2010, 10:07
by rob
oldmancoyote1 wrote:Poked around on the web a bit yesterday and found this $12.95 electric car window lift mechanism. It has a motor, gearbox, pulleys, cables, mast, etc. To raise and lower the platen it would need two toggle switches to reverse direction, a power supply, and a few odds and ends. Think it would this work?

http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?i ... e=electric
It was $19.95 when I checked... Still, it's an interesting mechanism. I'm not at the point yet where I'm ready to try an automatic device, but I'll definitely look into this thing for raising and lowering the platen. Good find!

Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Posted: 28 Mar 2010, 19:45
by rob
Use a T-square to carefully lay out all pieces. I found it convenient to cut 8" squares, which were then cut into 8" triangles, and then split into 4x4x5" triangles.
I found this step a bit confusing, because if I make an 8" x 8" square, and divide it diagonally, I end up with two right triangles with sides 8" and hypotenuse 11.3". Then if I stick them together and cut diagonally again, I end up with four right triangles with sides 5-2/3" and hypotenuse 8". If I do it a third time, I end up with eight right triangles with sides 4" and hypotenuse 5-2/3". Are these the 4x4x5 triangles you mean? And if so... why do I need eight of them?

If I were going for four triangles, I'd start with a 6" x 6" piece, cut it diagonally for two triangles with sides 6" and hypotenuse 8-1/2", and cut again for two triangles with sides 4-1/4" and hypotenuse 6"... and with the 1/8" kerf (technically known as the heteromorphic wood-to-sawdust nonnegative entropic transformation), it would end up slightly smaller.

In any case, I'm sure that all you need are two matched pairs of right triangles, and as long as they're not too big or not too small, it should be OK.

--Rob

Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Posted: 28 Mar 2010, 21:13
by daniel_reetz
In any case, I'm sure that all you need are two matched pairs of right triangles, and as long as they're not too big or not too small, it should be OK.
Yep, this is exactly right. Part of the confusion was that I made these wrong and just sorta hammed my way through. I'll correct it going forward.

After assembling the Standard here in Sioux Lookout today, I can see that there's room for improvement in the platen. I hereby un-recommend the platen as posted here -- the acrylic flexes too much to be good. Also, the method of attaching the platen to the drawer slides is not quite strong enough. Corner braces would be better. I will illustrate with a pic, hopefully tomorrow or the next day.

As for the SX200s, they are good cameras, but soft at the edges of the lens, and also DO NOT use cards over 4gb. Getting images off 8gb cards is a total pain.

Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Posted: 29 Mar 2010, 01:57
by StevePoling
rob wrote:the 1/8" kerf (technically known as the heteromorphic wood-to-sawdust nonnegative entropic transformation)
I love it when you talk dirty.

Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Posted: 29 Mar 2010, 13:07
by marc
Dan, what part of the platen was flexing? Was it the whole assembly? Did it just flex when you lifted the platen to turn the page?

Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Posted: 29 Mar 2010, 23:14
by Tim
daniel_reetz wrote:After assembling the Standard here in Sioux Lookout today, I can see that there's room for improvement in the platen. I hereby un-recommend the platen as posted here -- the acrylic flexes too much to be good. Also, the method of attaching the platen to the drawer slides is not quite strong enough. Corner braces would be better. I will illustrate with a pic, hopefully tomorrow or the next day.
I had thought the point of the standard scanner's drawer slides was to be on opposite ends of the platen--attached to each of the vertical 2x4's that the cameras mount to. I suppose that presents a possible problem of the platen bumping the mounted cameras, but the drawer slides on opposite ends of the platen would definitely add stability. It guess that's part of why drawers are that way.

Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Posted: 05 Apr 2010, 21:48
by marc
Just got the last of the cabling in today. SDM installed on both cameras... When I plug the CA-1 into the Motorola Y-Splitter, the cameras no longer respond to the CA-1 cable release. Is there a setting in SDM that I have to change? (voltage change due to the splitter??) Googling for help brought me to a page that said only the Alltel Y-splitter was usable with SDM. Has anyone had problems with the Motorola cable?

Thanks for your help! I'm just about ready to start cutting some wood, but wanted to make sure I had the electronics covered first.

Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Posted: 07 Apr 2010, 03:16
by Mathue
daniel_reetz wrote:
I hereby un-recommend the platen as posted here -- the acrylic flexes too much to be good. Also, the method of attaching the platen to the drawer slides is not quite strong enough. Corner braces would be better. I will illustrate with a pic, hopefully tomorrow or the next day.
That was my thought the first time I looked over this design, the 1/8" extruded acrylic (FF) is too thin. 1/4" would probably be a better choice, and even then the 90° joint between them ideally should be glued to get some level of rigidity.

I'm about 1/2 done with building my version of this stand and I'm mostly doing it as you have designed.

The platen I'm using was built first with the idea that it would be one of the more important parts. It's overbuilt and will be moved to the next stand when I've learned what I need to know from this iteration of the "New Standard Scanner" design.

It has been fabricated from 3/8" GP cast acrylic (Chemcast, though Cyro would be better). All joints were pin glued, routed, wet sanded and then polished with red and then white jewellers rouge.

I have some experience with acrylic and I'd like to add my 2 cents in on a couple of things.

1. When cleaning acrylic sheeting use a mild soap, do not use Windex, 409, denatured alcohol or any harsh cleaners. This not only will mar the surface but may also cause crazing of the plastic, especially if it's used on flame polished edges.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/acry ... C_1548.jpg

Ideally, use Brillianize by Kleenmaster http://www.brillianize.com/

2. Drilling is very touchy if you're in too much of a rush and using standard wood or sheet metal drills (point angle of 118°). If one needs to drill acrylic panels either get the right drill with a 60° point angle, or lubricate it with soap, fully support the stock and GO SLOW.

:D

Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Posted: 07 Apr 2010, 16:52
by daniel_reetz
marc wrote:Just got the last of the cabling in today. SDM installed on both cameras... When I plug the CA-1 into the Motorola Y-Splitter, the cameras no longer respond to the CA-1 cable release. Is there a setting in SDM that I have to change? (voltage change due to the splitter??) Googling for help brought me to a page that said only the Alltel Y-splitter was usable with SDM. Has anyone had problems with the Motorola cable?

Thanks for your help! I'm just about ready to start cutting some wood, but wanted to make sure I had the electronics covered first.
Uhhh, that sounds bad. I put the Motorola one in there assuming all were equal. I am really sorry -- according to the SDM Yahoo group and other pages, that's right, only the Alltel splitter will work. :(

Thanks for the confirmation (and proper rake angle for acrylic drillbits), Mathue.

FYI to all building a New Standard: I'm going to be moving soon, and so I won't have much time to help over the next few weeks. When everyone gets their improvements and suggestions in here, and it looks like all is complete, I will draft up this whole thread as a more permanent ebook, crediting everyone here and it will go on the front page.