Assemble the illumination
In this section we are assembling the sample illumination. This is for transmission illumination.
For this section you will need:
Tools
- 1 2.5mm Ball-end Allen key
- 1 heatgun - If you don't have a heatgun the soldering iron can be used
- 1 precision wire cutters
- 1 soldering iron
- 1 wire strippers
Printed Parts
Printed Tools
Consumables
- A little solder
Optical Components
Electronic Components
- 1 150 Ohm Resistor - - The exact value will depend on the current rating of your LED.
- 1 2 pin Du Pont connector female housing
- 40 mm of Black heatshrink - 4.8mm ID
- 1 Black pre-crimped Female-Female jumper cable (30 cm)
- 35 mm of Red heatshrink - 2.4mm ID
- 1 Red pre-crimped Female-Female jumper cable (30 cm)
- 1 Warm white 5mm LED
Mechanical Components
Step 1: Solder the LED
If you have purchased a kit you may already have an assembled soldered LED cable
- Tun on your soldering iron so it can heat up
- Take the LED
- Cut the longest leg down to about 5mm long using precision wire cutters
- Tin this leg with solder
- Take a 150 Ohm Resistor and cut each leg down to about 5mm long
- Tin both legs with solder
- Solder one side of the resistor to the cut leg of the LED.
- Cut the other leg of the LED to be the same height as the end of the resistor.
- Tin the end of this leg
- Take the red and black precrimped jumper cables and cut off one end with wire strippers
- Strip about 5mm of cable on each, and tin the cable with wire strippers
- Solder the red wire to the leg with the resistor
- Solder the black wire to the other leg
- Take the red heatshrink and slide it over the red cable up to the LED.
- Use a heatgun to shrink the heatshrink
- Take the black heatshrink and slide it over both cables up to the LED.
- Use a heatgun to shrink the heatshrink
Step 2: Add the connector
- Take the DuPont housing
- Push both connectors from the LED cable into the connector
Step 3: Push-fit the lens
- Place the Condenser lens on the lens tool flat side down
- Take the upright condenser and align the opening over the lens
- Push down until the lens clicks into place
Step 4: Push-fit the LED
- Push the LED as far as possible up the hole in the side of mount of the condenser, it should fit securely
Step 5: Add the condenser mounting screw
- Take an M3 nut and push it into the nut trap in the condenser mount from the top
- Take an M3x10 cap head screws and screw it into the nut, only screw a couple of turns about 5mm of thread should still be visible at this stage
Step 6: Mount the upright condenser onto the main body
- Take the complete upright condenser and pass is through the bottom of the main body until the top of the condenser is in line with the stage.
- Insert the exposed mounting screw into the screw hole in the z-actuator of the main body.
- Insert the 2.5mm Ball-end Allen key through the teardrop shaped hole on the front of the microscope. Until it engages with the mounting screw.
- Slide the upright condenser up the keyhole until the top of the condenser is 2-4mm below the top of the stage while keeping the Allen key engaged with the screw.
- Tighten the screw with the Allen key to lock the optics in place.