# new toy for wood ID



## phinds (Mar 7, 2019)

*NOTE: for reasons that completely escape me [well OK, it was sheer carelessness on my part] this thread originally stated magnifications of 40X and 200X. It should have been, and the thread has been edited to reflect that it is, 70X and 300X*





My new 300X microscope. In normal use it's configured exactly as you would expect with a microscope but because that doesn't suit wood samples, I built a little holder so that it can be easily used with wood samples.





#1 is a section of my own highest-magnification pic (from my camera) of a piece of "Amazon rosewood" (species unknown). It is 1cm wide and shown full size, which is about 12X

Note that you can just barely make out some rays and although you can clearly see the general shape of the pore areas and parenchyma, you can't see any detail really.

#2 is a 1cm wide pic of the same piece through my new microscope, shown at 10% *(full size is 70X)*

#3 is a .2cm wide pic of a section (as shown) of the same piece, also shown at 10%* (full size is 300X)*

Now, clearly, the new microscope pics show more detail. BUT ... they are shown at 10%

Take a look at them half size (which will lead to full size)

At the full magnification of 300X, the resolution is not perfect but hey, neither am I.

Reactions: Like 4 | Great Post 1 | Way Cool 6 | Informative 2


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## Karl_TN (Mar 7, 2019)

Can you actually change this scopes optics between 70X to 300X, or is this just a software zoom function?


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## phinds (Mar 7, 2019)

Karl_TN said:


> Can you actually change this scopes optics between 40X to 200X, or is this just a software zoom function?


It has a "somewhat" continuous focus (optics) from 0X (essentially a web cam) to 300X. The lens moves in and out about 1.25 inches. You have to diddle around w/ it considerably to get various focal lengths set properly but I've got it calibrated so I can very quickly go to 35X, 70X, or 300X. You can get exact focal lengths below about 30X but its VERY tedious since you have to move the lens in and out AND move the body in and out 'til you get it right. My "calibrated" 35X is probably about plus or minus 10% and the 70X is about plus or minus 4% and the 300X is spot on.

This is not the super cheap $20 version that was in another thread. That one got me started on this because I bought it and was pleased with the results but I was only able to get 2 focal lengths. This one is much better but is $75


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## DKMD (Mar 7, 2019)

That’s so cool! I’m guessing this device is gonna lead to more sanding...


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## ripjack13 (Mar 7, 2019)

Oh man. Paul that is so awesome. I know I use that word a lot. But really, it's awesome....


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## phinds (Mar 7, 2019)

Fortunately for me all of my own samples are already sanded so no further sanding needed.

I won't be using this all that much (mostly just in cases where I'm having trouble with an ID) but it IS very cool.


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## Mike Hill (Mar 8, 2019)

Good to see what the end results were. I was browsing the big south american river store the other day waiting on a boom lift to be delivered and was scratching my cranium wondering what the resolution looked like. I think some said 0.3 mp or something like that. Had no idea what that would look like. Thanks for the pics Paul.


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## phinds (May 11, 2021)

NOTE: I have edited this thread as stated in the bolded red text at the top of the first post.


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## ripjack13 (May 11, 2021)

I still think it's awesome....

Reactions: Like 1


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## chatometry (Oct 7, 2021)

Did you take any face grain pictures at full magnification?


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## phinds (Oct 7, 2021)

chatometry said:


> Did you take any face grain pictures at full magnification?


No, I don't sand the face grain very finely and since the point of my wood-id knowledge is to help people do wood id in their shop/garage, I don't want to start trying to do things that really only make sense in a full wood lab. End grain characteristics can be brought out easily and studied fruitfully with just some sandpaper and a 10X lens. The face grain anatomical details are much more complicated and for the most part cannot be seen with a 10X lens.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## chatometry (Oct 7, 2021)

Got it, thank you.


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