Measurescope base--worth it or too dang heavy?

Scarodactyl · Post by **Scarodactyl** » Mon Nov 19, 2018 3:22 pm

Hi everyone. I have just finished piecing together a Nikon SMZ1500 stereoscope from parts, and all that it needs now is a base and a focus mount. I remembered reading something about the Nikon measurescope having a particularly good base, and I'd been watching one on eBay for a while, and I ended up making an offer of 160+freight shipping which they accepted. The issue is that it's apparently freight shipping because it weighs 130 pounds.
I guess what I need to ask is, is this going to be worth the hassle of moving it around, or should I try to get out of the deal?
It is a really beautiful looking base, and it doesn't look 130 pounds, but it's hard to get scale from this type of photo:

edit: OK that's already settled, my brother/housemate says he'll kick my ##### if I get a 130 pound microscope shipped here, so I'm going to try and cancel the order. If anyone else is interested in it I'll post a link to the auction when it's back up.
Still curious, though, for when I'm wealthy enough to have room for this beast (right next to my Mitutoyo finescope and my giraffe).

Smokedaddy · Post by **Smokedaddy** » Mon Nov 19, 2018 3:55 pm

I would think it's quite possible it weights that much considering how thick the base is. I just purchased this particular one on eBay and it weighs 87 pounds (as shown in the picture with no other attachments). I also have a MM-11 that weighs about the same (with no attachments).

-JW:

Scarodactyl · Post by **Scarodactyl** » Mon Nov 19, 2018 3:57 pm

I'll bet it provides exceptional stability.

ray_parkhurst · Post by **ray_parkhurst** » Mon Nov 19, 2018 4:17 pm

Over the years I've had the urge to buy several heavy systems. I bought a very nice Unitron measuring scope base, with gorgeous differential micrometers. Also bought a custom-made wafer sorting base with massive dual-post design. And a while back the local surplus store had several Aristophot bases, which are beautiful pieces of machinery, but folks here talked me out of buying them (THANK YOU) as they may not be as stable as they look due to the mounting arrangement. I had wanted to build a super-stable system with these, but ultimately I sold the Unitron and dual-post monstrosities on local craigslist, and now they are thankfully the property of others. Luckily I have found other ways to stabilize my system without the need for such large mass loading.

ChrisR · Post by **ChrisR** » Mon Nov 19, 2018 5:24 pm

I find it hard to believe they're anywhere near that heavy, since I have no problem carrying mine about.
There are three or four basic models. Mine's a UM-2, with a square column, which I suspect is better than the round one. The round ones don't look so easy for the height to be adjusted.
Mine's similar to this (ebay pic).

The part I've tinted does lift away and that's a weighty lump. It has finely controlled X-Y, and rotation. Those monster knobs are rotational encoders, which I don't use as such but they allow very fine movements.

The good part about its massiveness is the lack of springiness in the column-to-base fixing.

Mine has stuff all over it so I can't actuallly use it now. Hmm, perhaps that IS gravity.

Lou Jost · Post by **Lou Jost** » Mon Nov 19, 2018 5:42 pm

To my eye the one in Scarodactyl's photo looks considerably larger (thicker base, much thicker column) than the one in Chris'. Remember weight varies as the cube of the linear dimension, all else being equal, so I would believe the quoted weight.

I've been moving a UM2 measuring microscope from the US to Ecuador piece by piece in my airline luggage over the past year....should finish sometime in 2019...

ChrisR · Post by **ChrisR** » Mon Nov 19, 2018 6:57 pm

much thicker column

Dunno - you think much thicker than 10cm x 8 or so?
The base including the tinted part is 23cm high.

Lou Jost · Post by **Lou Jost** » Mon Nov 19, 2018 7:39 pm

His base looks a lot thicker than yours, but maybe that's perspective distortion.
I might be wrong about the column thickness too.

enricosavazzi · Post by **enricosavazzi** » Tue Nov 20, 2018 5:04 am

I have not measured the weight of my Zeiss measuring microscope stand (picture below), but I estimate it is around 50 Kg (over 100 lb). So this seems to be an average weight for this type of equipment.

iconoclastica · Post by **iconoclastica** » Tue Nov 20, 2018 9:34 am

When I bought my MZ7.5 I took one of those cheap one day return flights to the UK, put the 20kg foot of the boom stand in the checked luggage and all the rest in a back pack into the cabin, smiling and pretending it wasn't heavy at all. Getting it in person was faster, cheaper and, after a few scam-attempts, also more reliable than having it sent to me.

Lou Jost · Post by **Lou Jost** » Tue Nov 20, 2018 9:41 am

Yes, I generally can hardly lift my carry-on backpack.....

Scarodactyl · Post by **Scarodactyl** » Tue Nov 20, 2018 2:42 pm

If anyone is interested, they did cancel my ordwr no hassle and relisted it: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3386285934
No connection to them, but it seems much cheaper than they usually are and the lens on it m8ght be worth something too. Probably a rebranded navitar or something like that

Lou Jost · Post by **Lou Jost** » Tue Nov 20, 2018 4:48 pm

That's an amazing deal. Too bad it would never fit in my airline luggage!

Very interesting that there is a control for a telecentric stop.

Smokedaddy · Post by **Smokedaddy** » Tue Nov 20, 2018 6:09 pm

... got mine for 100 bucks (plus shipping). The XY tilt stage is worth way more than that.

RobertOToole · Post by **RobertOToole** » Tue Nov 20, 2018 9:46 pm

Smokedaddy wrote:I would think it's quite possible it weights that much considering how thick the base is. I just purchased this particular one on eBay and it weighs 87 pounds (as shown in the picture with no other attachments). I also have a MM-11 that weighs about the same (with no attachments).

-JW:

Nice unit! I have the exact Zygo base JW, same focus block, Z travel limiter and tilt head. The basic unit is the build as the Nikon MM-11.

I ended up not using the tilt head due to the reduced Z travel but it looks like it came with a big price tag.

Robert