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Index of Subjects Hi Dave, A nice inexpensive idea, but it only gives rotation about one axis, so to see more angle you’d have to repeatedly reposition the pinned insect’s pin in the styrofoam - feasible over small angles, but not a great idea anyway with delicate mounted insects. Maybe lichens are more resilient. Also, the solvent in many glues will dissolve styrofoam — regular aquarium sealant works fine. A device for rotating in all 3 axes X, Y & Z is technically called a goniometer. I’ve made several such miniature Heath Robinson/Rube Goldberg devices for microscopic photography of pinned insects over the years. A cheap large one, size like yours, used to be available from Bioquip in California — I have one bought years ago, maybe $20. Bioquip now lists only the ultra-deluxe stainless steel version for US$254 (!). To see its construction, identical to the one I have, google: https://bioquipinc.com/ and insert 11RPSM in the search box. Must be some rich entomologists in USA — I wouldn’t pay $254 for this. Steve ------------------------------------ On Jun 28, 2020, at 8:41 AM, David Webster <dwebster@glinx.com> wrote: > Dear All, > > I have decided to take a few minutes to describe a simple device > which I made many decades ago (just after fridge magnets appeared) to > hold pinned insects or parts of plant material (flowers, moss, lichens, > liverworts...) mounted on insect pins for examination using a dissecting > mike. > > The Styrofoam disk has not required replacement after much use. > > Materials: > > A strip of sheet iron 16 mm wide, 9.7 cm long and 0.6 mm thick; > dimensions are not critical. > > A disc 20 mm diam, cut from a fridge magnet. > > A 14 mm square of Styrofoam, cut from a 5 mm thick meat tray. > > Insect pins. > > Assembly and use: > > Bend the sheet iron strip at 90 degrees to form two arms; 4 cm and > 5.7 cm long > > Glue the Styrofoam square to the fridge magnet disc. > > Because the diameter of this disc is slightly greater than the > width of the iron support one can readily raise, lower or rotate the > object viewed to the desired orientation. The long arm of the sheet iron > holder is upright for examination of unusually large material; otherwise > the short arm is upright. > > YT, DW, Kentville > > > > > > > > > > > > >
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