Was wondering if anyone else has used any optical equipment for examining the properties of wood or metal? I’m no expert but looking at anything with magnification seems like a reasonable idea? I have used them when studying old wood used in bridges, rims, tone ring lathe marks ect;
Anyone else have any experience?
Thanks
I use a digital microscope from Amazon. It decent but it's not a Zeiss.
a.co/d/2qIGDpV
I use a 5" lit magnifying lens while wearing 3.50 reading glasses for nearly 20:1.
Shows the pores in the wood.
I have several microscopes from my days assembling and making watches. The main one I have used is a toolmakers measuring microscope made by Unitron, with various objectives and occulars, depending on the particular use,
On the recommendation of a friend, I bought a copy of "A Field Guide to Identifying Woods in American Antiques and Collectibles" (Bruce Hoadley) to help me to identify mystery wood in vintage instruments. It's a very thorough book, and the author recommends using a 10x hand lens to aid in identifying 37 commonly-encountered woods.
This may be different from your intended use but, for identifying wood, my 10x hand lens and Hoadley's book are perfect. BTW - his method involves examining the end grain, not the side grain that is most commonly exposed in instruments and antiques.
I bought my 5 power lit magnifying lamp from Harbor Freight for $35.
3.50 reading glasses were less than $10.
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