(12-30-2017, 02:59 PM)Mark Reich Wrote: ...snip...All,
About 6 or 8 years ago, we found the 35x "mini-microscope" on Amazon for about $5 or so. They worked pretty well, but needed the LED light. A year or two ago, the 35x was replaced with a very similar 60x, which are available on Amazon right now for $3- $10, depending on where you get them.
These mini-microscopes are as close to perfect as anything I've come across. The lenses are large enough that they don't need the on-board LED. They are incredibly easy to use- as easy as a normal 10x loupe without a light, and 60x is enough to see Everything.
I'm not exaggerating at all when I say these are a game changer to me. I literally use one every time I sharpen a knife. They allow me to Closely inspect both sides of a 4" blade in seconds. Nothing...Nothing I've ever seen comes close- in magnification or ease of use.
Type in "60x mini-microscope" on Amazon to find one. Like I said, you will find them available from multiple sources. I've ordered 3 times from different places and gotten identical products, in identical packaging.
I have put a plug in for the little 60X hand microscope that Mark posted about. Sounded kind of hokey, but I bought one and am finding that it is everything Mark cracked it up to be. I has surprisingly good optics for such a cheap price. It is so small, it is easy to carry in a shirt pocket and it doesn't even crowd my reading glasses.
As Mark says, you can see everything on an edge. I've used it for inspecting edges on drills I've sharpened using my Tormek. I've used it to locate slivers too small for my Optivisor (10X) to find. Just yesterday, I was bothered by something embedded in the white poly sheet in one of EOU's SharpPads. It was scratching knife surfaces. I found it using the 60X and used it to view it while I pried it free. No more scratches. I have also inspected the cutting points on carbide insert lathe tooling in a way that I never could before.
While this little thing is not going to replace a dedicated microscope for higher quality viewing and taking photos, since getting one, I have not taken any edge to my microscope for viewing during the sharpening process. The 60X has satisfied all my needs. It is not possible to use it for anything but real-time viewing and I've had one friend who could not figure out how to look through it (but they didn't really try very hard).
It has an adjustable focus and a clear plastic shroud that can be used as a standoff for locating your focus range and sliding along an edge, keeping it in focus. As Mark suggested, I put a drop of superglue on the barrel to lock it into position, at a position slightly too close in. The edge (or whatever) can be brought in to focus by rocking the unit back until it is.
I blew the first one I glued, too far out, so it is now pretty much useless. Fortunately, I have found it so useful, that I already had two more on order and they arrived soon enough.
I stow one in my BESS PT-50 Sharpness Tester kit and keep another on my workbench. I am about to go on a road trip to visit a friend and do a bunch of sharpening for him and his wife and I may not pack my dissecting microscope and use only this 60X unit.
It is small, only about 1.5" OAL, but it sure is handy.
Here is the link Mark shared of it on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/KINGMAS-Microscop...microscope
It is more than worth a try.
Rick