A DIY Book Scanner In Every Hackerspace /DIY Kit

[the.traveller]

I think I have found a good way to handle the glass using a 1/4" bit so as not to require a tool change.
Create your channels for the glass leaving 1/8" of material on the bottom edge (See drawing).
This would allow you to replace the glass as needed.
Then just use some 1/8" diameter rope available from any store. pressed in the gap above the glass to hold it in place.
If you use a piece at each corner of the glass you should still be able to slide the glass up and down in the channel.
The drawing shows the details. The length of the rope pieces would determine the amount of friction required
to hold the glass in place while still being able to move it. The rope is also nice and soft on the fragile edges of the glass.

Book Scanner-Model (Small).jpg

This is assuming you are using 1/8" thick glass. If not you will need to adjust the width of the channel and or the diameter of rope.

Postby rob » 10 Oct 2011, 15:54
Also, I wonder if the grooves for the glass can be cut all the way to the outsides. Then you would be able to slide the glass in and out for easy assembly and disassembly.

In case the grooves are cut all the way one could use a clothes peg to adjust the opening in between for scanning spiral bound books.
So place the clothes peg on the outside, because of the slant of the wood clothes peg used it will fit any groove you make.

Presumably that only one side, the side which is not facing the handle bar, will be cut through and through. The side with the handle is for supporting the glass and holding it in place snuggly.

[daniel_reetz]

Are they just friction fitted? Glued? Or are there some wood screws or something I didn't notice? As soon as I get a chance I'm going to try cutting out the pieces and try to put it together, but I was a little concerned about the stability of those two portions on their own.
Doug

Hey Doug, these pictures (ZIP) show every fastener I used. My plan is to glue mine once I cut a new one - I didn't glue this one because I needed to take it apart for pics and stuff. That said, friction fit was good enough for hundreds of people to handle it at Maker Faire NYC.

A metric question I'm hoping someone with some knowledge can answer. The suggestion of using rope to hold the glass in place sounds great to me. The channel is 1/4 inch (6.35mm). It seems like 3mm glass is the closest fit to the 1/8-inch glass. Is that readily available or is that an unusual thickness? It appears 3mm rope is readily available from what I can see on the internet.

Thanks.

In general, 3mm and 1/8" are interchangeable. With glass and plexi for example, it may all be sold as 1/8", but actually be 3mm thick. Consider them the same for these purposes.

Hey Dan where did you get the led floodlight from it seems yours actual has a male plug on it I bought one recently from eBay but when I got it it had a very short cord and just the three wires hanging out. Also I know you said before that the handle the brake lever was connected to was a kids bmx seatpost I have been looking around online but have not been able to locate one is this a piece you already had lying around or did you buy it somewhere.

Quick question would it be a easy fix to the issue of the brake lever hitting the scanner by putting some kind of grip handle on the seatpost to give it a tighter fit so it won't move

The LED flood came from eBay and it had the UK connector on it so I had to replace it. I can do a tutorial on how to wire yours up. We can find an eBay seller who can deliver with US cords. People here have bought them in the past... perhaps messaging the seller in advance will be necessary

I don't have a source for the seatpost yet, mine came off a bike I found in the street. They must be available.

[rob]

First, aren't one of the sets of bearings redundant where the "Lifter Linkage Lever" and "Lifter Linkage for Cradle" attach.
I count 22 bearings used in the drawings. Would it work to replace the bearings from one of the parts with a smaller through hole, or am I missing something?
That would require only 18 bearings.

Based on Dan's drawing, and after having put the linkage together, I've come to the same conclusion: the next version of the file should remove one set of bearing pockets from each Lifter Linkage Lever.

[GaryK]

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[therium]

i just have one question about this... Can't the cutting be done manually?

[daniel_reetz]

it can, but it would require pretty good woodworking skills, and probably a router and scroll saw. if you attempt it, please let us know!

[therium]

my dad is a carpenter. He's been doing this for like 40 years. I think he has the skills, but he needs the plan. I don't know if it's on the site, but i can't find it...

[ateeq85]

I've looked online everywhere i could for a seatpost that looks like yours but i didn't find one. what else can be used with the break lever that will fit into the dimensions that were cut out meant for the handle and what should the dimensions of the handle be. is there anyway you can provide more info on the portion of the scanner with the mechanical trigger more of a break down of it it seems to be a few things going on a rubber band and how is the bowden cable working it seems to be squeezed tightly between those two pieces of wood.

i can't speak for everyone else but i joined the forum because of the abundence of questions i have i was more of a computer lab student then a wood shop one so its a lot about things i don't know but I am willing to learn, but that comes with asking a whole bunch of questions a person who is better at this sort of thing may already know . Also in your breakdown of the pieces it seems this model doesn't have anything sticking out to go into the tripod spot of the camera so whats holding them up in this build

when can we expect the file for the section that triggers the camera. and what can be used on the cables besides tape to keep the cables in place for the bowden cables to work properly i know u have a lot on your hands right now but just wanted to know if u had a projected time in mind.

still no progress on finding a led floodlight with a us plug attached can anyone direct me to one or to finding a seatpost to fit the scanner i live in Philadelphia by the way so if its anyone who can aid me thats in my area feel free to let me know

[GaryK]

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[daniel_reetz]

my dad is a carpenter. He's been doing this for like 40 years. I think he has the skills, but he needs the plan. I don't know if it's on the site, but i can't find it...

There's one version in the first post of this thread, and Rob posted an updated version here. Would love to see a handmade version!

I've looked online everywhere i could for a seatpost that looks like yours but i didn't find one. what else can be used with the break lever that will fit into the dimensions that were cut out meant for the handle and what should the dimensions of the handle be.

Bike brakes are designed to fit on bike handlebars. Do you have a local bike shop? Maybe they have a piece of handlebar pipe. I don't remember the diameter offhand. By the way, I searched Google for "Kids seatpost" and this came up: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=15305 looks a bit long, but it's pretty close. Surely, there must be others.

is there anyway you can provide more info on the portion of the scanner with the mechanical trigger more of a break down of it it seems to be a few things going on a rubber band and how is the bowden cable working it seems to be squeezed tightly between those two pieces of wood.

i can't speak for everyone else but i joined the forum because of the abundence of questions i have i was more of a computer lab student then a wood shop one so its a lot about things i don't know but I am willing to learn, but that comes with asking a whole bunch of questions a person who is better at this sort of thing may already know .

ateeq, I am quite happy to get questions and we explicitly work to help out people who are new to this thing. However, and I say this with all due respect, the way you ask questions can sometimes get you better or worse (or no) answers. As I said earlier in the thread at least three or four times, I'm not around my scanner right now and (my mistake) I left the files for the mechanical trigger on a machine that is in storage in Richmond, California. If I got in my truck and drove there right now, it would be at least twelve hours until I could get the file. More realistically, it will be like a month from now. The design is simple and it is not the only possible design. I know you are new to these things, but if you need it right now, perhaps you could take a stab at designing one yourself, from the pictures and descriptions posted here.

Another option would be electronic triggering, or tethered triggering, which have been discussed and worked out all over this forum for the last three years, so there should be enough outside this thread to get you started.

Also in your breakdown of the pieces it seems this model doesn't have anything sticking out to go into the tripod spot of the camera so whats holding them up in this build

Camera tripod connectors use 1/4 20 bolts, available at most hardware stores. A bolt goes through the slot and into the camera.

when can we expect the file for the section that triggers the camera. and what can be used on the cables besides tape to keep the cables in place for the bowden cables to work properly i know u have a lot on your hands right now but just wanted to know if u had a projected time in mind.

I don't have a time in mind, sorry. I'm right in the middle of two very intense work projects and still don't have a permanent place to live. I'm not even in my homebase of Los Angeles right now. The answer is "as soon as possible" and also "i don't know". Genuinely sorry about that.

still no progress on finding a led floodlight with a us plug attached can anyone direct me to one or to finding a seatpost to fit the scanner i live in Philadelphia by the way so if its anyone who can aid me thats in my area feel free to let me know[/quote]