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Thread: Robs 'how to' guide for alignment

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Essex, England
    Posts
    798

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    I too have two edmunds optics which are really PHAT in more ways than one.
    I will have to wait until I fix down the scanners to allow for this. I'm nearly ready to start the whole process. Just waiting for the hangovers to scese.

    Anyone got any tips on how to align floating tables?

    Here is my senario....

    Everything is going to be floating, including the scanners & dichros. The thing about the dichros to bear in mind is that they have a set hight as I baought some posts from Edmunds which are 1 and a half inches tall, so everything will need to align to the dichros...

    ... this is probably wrong but hey, it's me we are talking about.

    Should I line everything up on the base plate first to get a clue where it all goes and then bit by bit raise everything on their respective table.

    Graham

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Sheepsville, Wales, UK
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    3,406

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    To get them all to the right height you should measure from the baseplate to the centre of your dichros - if they are effectively fixed. Whatever that value comes out at you can then one by one with the lasers on - preferably at reduced output use a plastic ruler - maybe one that is not clear but milky or opaque to measure the beam height as you lift or drop each laser table so the beam exiting matches the measured height of the dichro centre. Then measure the beam height at some other distance - as long as its further away than the beam output and see if the beam is anything like level. Many dpss lasers do not output perfectly straight so you would therefore need to compensate for this by having the tables tilted suitably or twitsted to be off centre as you look down on them.
    Once you have got everything roughly at the right heights you can begin to place the dichros and adjust. I have found if you place everything without screwing down and put blobs of blue tac on things (not underneath) to stop them shifting around you can work out where everything needs to go before commiting to anything. It will be a lot more work but I would build it as above mark off one item to drill and mount, then strip it all down drill for this one item only then rebuild with this item fixed properly and everything else with blu tac. Get it all roughly aligned again and mark and drill the next item and repeat till they are all done. It may seem tedious but not as tedious as getting it all built and finding nothing is anywhere like right. I think this approach will pay dividends. Be patient. Be meticulous. And if in doubt dont do - ask us here first.

    Good luck

    Rob
    If you need to ask the question 'whats so good about a laser' - you won't understand the answer.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Laserists do it by the nanometre.

    Stanwax Laser is a Corporate Member of Ilda

    Stanwax Laser main distributor of First Contact in UK - like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/FirstContactPolymerCleaner
    www.photoniccleaning.co.uk

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Essex, England
    Posts
    798

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    Rob, yes that is a good plan. I will do it that way. Thanks

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Sheepsville, Wales, UK
    Posts
    3,406

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    Im sure you wont regret it and just remember us nerds are always on hand

    Rob
    If you need to ask the question 'whats so good about a laser' - you won't understand the answer.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Laserists do it by the nanometre.

    Stanwax Laser is a Corporate Member of Ilda

    Stanwax Laser main distributor of First Contact in UK - like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/FirstContactPolymerCleaner
    www.photoniccleaning.co.uk

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