Suggestions Welcome!

DIY Book Scanner Skunk Works. Share your crazy ideas and novel approaches. Home of the "3D structure of a book" thread.

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GPHS
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Joined: 13 Nov 2013, 15:00
Number of books owned: 400
Country: USA

Suggestions Welcome!

Post by GPHS »

We're a local Historical Society with a need for a book scanner. We're lucky enough to have a precision machine shop that has agreed to work with us pro bono on a design/build of a scanner. Many of the scanners we've seen on this site were fabricated with wood. Would anyone like to share their thoughts on using aluminum as the principal material in a build? Design suggestions are definitely welcome!

Thanks,
GPHS
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daniel_reetz
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Joined: 03 Jun 2009, 13:56
E-book readers owned: Used to have a PRS-500
Number of books owned: 600
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Re: Suggestions Welcome!

Post by daniel_reetz »

There are at least a few scanners built with aluminum on the forum, this one comes to mind:

http://diybookscanner.org/forum/viewtop ... ion#p15489

I know we have had several others.

In my opinion, wood is a great compromise material because of strength, cost, and durability - aluminum is likely to be more expensive and more difficult to get into shape. However, a design like my "hackerspace scanner" would be totally impractical in aluminum.

My suggestion to you is to look at MakerSlide and also at 80/20 and Bosch extrusion systems. Copy the general design of the Hackerspace scanner using those aluminum things as structural supports, and using the machine shop to make you the custom angles and attachments you will need.

I'd welcome any other forum members to offer up links and suggestions, as usual.
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