I just recently got the chance, again, to post microscope images of some failed handlebars. While I’m not into having failures, it’s nice to use my neat setup microscope.
Images like the ones that I took are extremely difficult to obtain. Holding a handlebar (or portion of a handlebar) the long way, rigidly, under the scope simply isn’t possible on many microscopes. Even folks that have a scope on an adjustable arm will find that they aren’t able to hold things well beneath it. That’s why I made my scope as I did.
I had expedited getting bars held earlier by simply using a test tube holder on an auxiliary pillar. This worked. I got by. It wasn’t great though. It was hard to adjust, lock in position, and lacked much range. I finally got to fixing this.
Looking at the problem and what I had on hand, one solution stood out, RAM Mounts. I have a selection of a few of these components from previous projects and ideas.
1x RAM-B-238U, RAM® Diamond Ball Base, $8.99
1x RAM-B-201U, RAM® Double Socket Arm, Medium, $18.99
1x RAM-B-201U-A, RAM® Double Socket Arm, Short, $16.99
1x RAM-B-230U, RAM® Double Ball Adapter, $18.49
From Amazon, I got a nice little clamp that integrates well into the Ram system. It’s compact with a good range and is a very solid design and construction.
1x BRCOVAN/Kewig KWG-C9, Aluminum Alloy 1” Ball Handlebar Clamp Mount Base, $19.99
The RAM Mount system compared to the lowly test tube holder.
I had to do a modification to the RAM Diamond Ball Base. It comes with 6mm holes spaced 49mm apart. I needed 1/4″ holes 2″ apart. This is a pretty close call and will require some care not to screw up but it should work well if done right. This base will allow me to mount it to the Imperial optical breadboards and welding tables I have around me. There are a few solid ways of mounting a RAM ball to a raster table and I feel that this is the best path.
Another ball mount can be used on the raster, The BRCOVAN Aluminum Alloy 1” Ball Mount Base, $14.99. This is another cheap but decent part that doesn’t require modification. It does sit a little low as supplied. It would be wise to increase the spacer height to raise it a bit higher. Also, this would be very nice in a vertical mount orientation where the ball sits above the plate.
This was a great upgrade for the scoped and base. It should come in handy for a lot of uses over the years. The little time I’ve had with it has shown it to work very very well.
While I was thinking about holding things and getting ready for a road trip of media creation, I decided to finally buy a cell phone cradle for my portable tripod. There’s just so much junk out there that I didn’t want to bother but finally did. What I got turned out to be very nice. I’m excited to use it. It’s got some features you’d find on a proper cage, but the flexibility of a cradle. Very cool.
ARNARKOK, Metal Phone Tripod Mount, V1, $20.99
