The New "Standard Scanner"

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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StevePoling
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Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Post by StevePoling »

daniel_reetz wrote:Have you tried scanning any thick books yet? I ask because it's a little easier to see in person. Basically, books spines come in different widths, from magazines to encyclopedias. The cradle opens so that the spine rests flat on the base, and the sides are supported. If you don't do this, as you travel through the book, the spine will roll with the shifting pages and sit against one side of the cradle, causing you all kinds of weird problems.
I'm feeling really sensitive about this right now. Last book I scanned was a thicker book. My cradle was the coroplast v-shaped-thing described in the Instructible. The book never lay right. It rolled around just as you described. (You haven't installed surveillance in my basement have you?) Results were so poor I just deleted all the images.
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Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Post by koulevprime »

What is the cost of the drawer slides used for platen glass lifting/dropping?

The reason I ask is related to the method of lifting and dropping the platen onto the book. Beta uses linear bearings made from two PVCs, one inside the other. This is crazy inexpensive!
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Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Post by daniel_reetz »

12.87/pair -- beta-quality materials list attached.
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cratylus
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Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Post by cratylus »

koulevprime wrote:What is the cost of the drawer slides used for platen glass lifting/dropping?

The reason I ask is related to the method of lifting and dropping the platen onto the book. Beta uses linear bearings made from two PVCs, one inside the other. This is crazy inexpensive!
Well, yes and no. Once you add the pipe bases, fittings, and supports it's probably a wash. Dan's design captures many of the best ideas from many builds.

Joel
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Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Post by daniel_reetz »

Even if the drawer slides turn out to be "better" somehow, I'm still infatuated with the Beta and her pretty, pretty pipes. :D
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LET'S GO SHOPPING.

Post by daniel_reetz »

This post is about shopping. Shopping list attached -- but the post itself is the real list. I will be updating this as I remember the things I forget.

2X4 -- You need 2 8 foot 2X4's. Get the Kiln-Dried stuff for straightness and strength. I bought 10 foot boards because I make mistakes.

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You can check a board for straightness by looking down it, lengthwise. Reject boards that are this crooked.

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Accept boards that are straight-ish. It is hard to find boards straighter than this.

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Threaded rod -- You want 1/4 20 threaded rod. Every bolt and nut on this scanner will be 1/4 20. It's a handy, easy to work with size and the same size as the threaded hole on the bottom of your camera.

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4" bolts -- 1/4 20, again. You'll need 2 of these. They hold the camera mounts.

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Washers -- get the large "Fender Washers". We're working with wood here, we want to spread the load around. A bunch. 8, 10? They're cheap. Get extra.

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Nuts -- 1/4 20, again. A bunch. 8, 10? They're cheap. Get extra.

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Wing Bolts -- a handy way to mount the camera. These are 3/8", the smallest they have, but still a bit long for the depth of the tripod socket. Use a couple of those fender washers to space it out. Get 2.

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Wing Nuts -- great for hand-assembly and disassembly. I use them whenever possible because they're convenient and cool. You need 2.

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Drawer Slides -- these are the standard 14" slides available everywhere. They come in 2 packs. You'll need 'em both.

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Desk Drawer Slides "Keyboard shelf" slides. These things are AWESOME. They come 2 to a pack. You'll need both. These hold the cradle base and move it back and forth. They have right-angle hardware on them that is very convenient.

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Door Pull - Home Depot doesn't have square U-bolts that I like to use for handles. This drawer pull is the best alternative there. Most drawer handles for kitchens are not deep enough to clear my knuckles. You need 1.

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Wood Screws -- 1 1/4". These mount the drawer slides and lots of other stuff.

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Wood Screws -- 2 1/2". You need a small box. These put the 2x4's together.

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2 1/2" bolts. 1/4 20. These bolt 2x4's together. You need 4 of them -- for the column. This picture is incorrect. Imagine that they are 2.5" long, plz.

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Outlet Strip. Get one with 4 outlets and an 8 foot cord. Must have power switch.

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4" Angle Bracket. You need 2. These will become your camera mounts, yes.

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3/4" MDF sheet -- For safety, get your gaunt friend to stare it down for you. Quantity: 1.
1/2" MDF sheet -- Makes the cradle top, leaving room for spine foldy bits. Quantity, 1.

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Clamp Lamp. This ingenious lamp attaches itself to things, so you don't have to. You need 2.

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Lighting. Though not archivally appropriate, I prefer the brightness of floody daylight halogens. Get Edison "Reveal" or other daylight halogen Par38 bulbs with bubbly lens. Quantity: 2.

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Glass -- Home Despot doesn't sell this, as far as I know. I went to a local Republican hotbed, Scheel's Hardware, and grudgingly blew six bucks on two 11x15" pieces of "Doublestrength" glass. Be sure to specify "doublestrength" so you get the tough stuff. I also bought these screws there because I forgot them at Home Despot.

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Powershot SX200, A1000, or A590 IS.

http://www.google.com/products?&q=powershot%20sx200
http://www.google.com/products?q=powershot+a590+is
http://www.google.com/products?q=powershot+a1000&aq=f

SD Card -- get a 4GB card. I like SDHC cards because they're a bit more future-proof than standard cards.
http://www.google.com/products?q=sdhc+4gb&aq=f

Ricoh CA-1 -- a commercially manufactured trigger. Faster than getting one from me, 'cuz I'm swamped, d00dz.
http://www.google.com/products?q=ricoh+ca-1&aq=f

Y-cable, You can use this to split the output of the CA-1 for two cameras. Yes, two cameras. EDIT: DO NOT BUY THIS Y CABLE, IT WILL NOT WORK. more here.
http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Y-Cable- ... gy_p_img_c

USB Mini-B extension cable -- Extends the CA-1 and Y cable to reach both cameras.
http://www.usbfirewire.com/uextendminib.html

This post subject to change and addition in the short term.
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Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Post by rob »

Just one comment -- if you're not hurting for money, pine, while cheap, makes for the worst straight boards. If you can't seem to find nice straight boards, then go one up the quality scale.
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Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Post by daniel_reetz »

In this case, it's not my money. Are there 2x4's in other kinds of wood? Specific kinds that are better? I know next-to-nothing about wood.
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Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Post by StevePoling »

I've never seen 2x4s made of anything but pine! The vertical member that holds my lights has a nasty twist in it. The 2x4 came out of my brother's basement when he knocked out an old pantry. The warp/twist doesn't hurt anything.

Does it make any sense to swap out MDF with plywood? I'm a sucker for Russian Birch plywood. Specially the aviation grade stuff in hobby shops.

What's wrong with high-power halogen work lamps like this?
Image
They unbolt nicely from the tripod, provide nice mount points, and blow out zillions of lumens. (And you get a nice tan from all that UV pouring off those halogens.)
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Re: The New "Standard Scanner"

Post by daniel_reetz »

The main problem I've had with those lamps is that they're not diffused well. That's why I recommend the halogens with the bubbly surface. But I've seen 'em on rigs around here, and people seem to do fine -- so they're probably great.

Plywood is probably just as good as MDF but I love the uniformity of MDF.
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