"Absinthe" wrote in message
s.com...
It is always great to know what something is called. Much easier to find.
I
am curious, if you know how much physical stress one of these things could
take. I am looking to hold a small devise to a cutter/grinder at precision
up to .001. I fear the slide holder would not be strong enough for that.

I can certainly look for a used one, perhaps I can find a microscope with
one already attached that someone knocked off the table

Though I think I am going to actually need a manual x/y slide-table.
Someone
must make a small inexpensive one for the hobbyist for small drill press
milling...

-- A


HF has one, as does grizzly. as to their accuracy, that's another story.

"Dan Dresner" wrote in message
news:jHP2b.201954$cF.66457@rwcrnsc53...
The device you seem to want sounds like a slightly larger version of the
mechanical stage used on microscopes to position slides at very high
magnification, such as 1000x. While I don't recall the exact parameters,
I
do know that it's possible to locate a single bacterium, remove the
slide,
do other things with the scope, then replace the slide and re-locate the
same bug within seconds.

To be fair, one usually reads the stage verniers relatively grossly and
then
homes in on the subject by using landmarks within the field of view, but
a
good mechanical stage is a fairly decent precision instrument. Other
manipulators allow one to insert an extruded glass syringe into the
middle
of a single nerve cell - or an ovum. Good enough?

If you need more range than one of these stages can provide, could you
attach it to a moveable base that would allow you to position it
grossly,
lock it down, and then use the finer capabilities of the stage itself?

http://www.greatscopes.com/acc.htm is just one location. They sell one
for
$39. I've never dealt with them, so this isn't an endorsement of the
company, but Google "mechanical stage" and see for yourself what turns
up.

You can go all the way from this low-end device to spending beaucoup de
bucks on a Zeiss. Also, don't overlook the used market. There are loads
of
companies selling relatively inexpensive high-end microscope products in
outstanding condition that have been re-cycled, damaged in some way that
won't matter to you, reconditioned, upgraded, etc.

DanD

"Absinthe" wrote in message
s.com...
How accurate of a machine can be made from wood? I am considering
building
a
small 3"x6" slide table (x/y positioning device) but ultimately it
will
have
to be accurate to .001 so I am thinking I would be better off in some
sort
of plastic or metal...