LC 2000- an easy metal build

[stevede]

That's high praise and thanks.
To take your comment about inspiration literally, the clues came from those elegant 80/20 builds, which lead me to the 80/20 website. Their samples looked to me for all the world like utility carts.

The cradle slides are similar to the slide bearing on my meat slicer. Bending and using acrylic for anything other than orthotics after all these years is an absolute blast.

First lighting was CFLs which proved to be too weak and scattered to properly direct at the page. Right now I am waiting for my Buckpuck and LEDs to arrive. I'm looking forward to playing with light direction-barn doors, etc., perhaps even focus like what was called a pin spot in portraiture.

Please bear with me and I will try to produce something useful in a video in a couple of weeks or so.

Cheers to all.

[stevede]

While waiting for the LEDs to come in the mail, I decided to change out the cradle bearings. I knew I'd only be happy with the slickness of ball bearings.
Luckily, I still had a pair of 12” drawer glides that were too short for the spine but perfect for the cradle.
I had to cut the tab from the right inner slide and the base from the left slide base. This allows for a nesting action so that both can be mounted on a single “mono-rail”.

Was it difficult to mount flat slides to round tubular steel? Nope, just make a fine permanent marker line the length of the tube -over which to center the mounting holes; do not attempt without a drill press and two wooden blocks to grip either side of your tube when drilling.

The tough part was re-attaching the cradle in the same alignment over the new slides. After a false start by marking and drilling,; I taped the cradle to the platen. This was hoisted above the slides. . I used sticky pads on the top of inner slides and then lowered the platen to drop onto the slides in spot-on alignment. The two cradle halves/slide inserts could then be removed and screwed together in the proper place.

[stevede]

The LED s finally arrived and now sit atop a really huge solid copper heat sink. (I thank my brother Jim for the sink) which I cut into 3 pieces with a metal blade on my chop saw. The element of danger attached to this process I can not over emphasize. It does, however work excellently. (As I moved the two pieces to the best position, I realized that I didn't need to cut it at all.) A second sink from an old PC is now the base for the BuckPuck. Screws fasten the LEDs, marine silicone caulking holds down the BP. The logic behind this configuration is to mount the light source in the most optimum pattern possible, to minimize light source glare. This allows for the largest page size possible given the height of the top of the scanner framework.

One problem found was that round headed screws seemed to short the contacts out easily, so I used vinyl tape as insulator. An additional chord switch allows on off separate from the cameras. Finally, old Venetian blind slat keeps the wiring contained inside the shelf mounting strip.

[daniel_reetz]

The copper goes perfectly with your orange plastic. I really love this build.