Eye clean, loupe clean or...

[Gemsetterchris]

Might do for inspection but if your wanting a decent one for full time use then probably not.

[Hans Meevis]

What irritates me is stone setting being louped when it`s had to be done for peanuts with a less than perfect mount.

That's the truth.

Make no mistake, having a microscope is a major advantage with work.

Especially when one of those rings comes in that sheds a bunch of micro pavé diamonds in the ultra sonic.

I have something similar to the micro scope you sent a link too, Dennis.

It works very well for me.

[Dennis]

Thanks Chris and Hans, I'll do a bit more browsing and then take the plunge. However I would like to tackle imperfections while looking down it, so I need room to work and use tools without getting sea sick.

[enigma]

If its any help Dennis I found a good used Leica for £580 on ebay .

[ps_bond]

I probably shouldn't mention my £10 Nikon again

[enigma]

No, go away Peter

[Dennis]

OK, so how about one of you kind people outlining the basic requirements and which marques to look out for?

[ps_bond]

A first stab:

Stereo zoom microscope with a boom arm (as opposed to on a traditional scope stand), reflected illumination (ringlight or external spotlight)
10x eyepieces, objective up to around 2x for 20x total.
Working space under the scope is vital - I'll measure mine but as a rough guess 4". No point being able to magnify if you can't get at things.
At least one eyepiece separately focussable (2, fine - but focus with one eye and adjust the other)
Not down to the scope - workholding. Mostly a variation on the GRS microblock in my case.

Good optics. Poor optics will give you eye strain as you try to compensate.

Good brands: Leica, Nikon, Meiji
Amscope - according to what I've read - is a bit variable on quality, so there are some good examples and there are some bad ones.

[Gemsetterchris]

The general setup for a scope would be x10 eyepieces & .5 barlow lens (plus a movable stand & ring light).
That`ll give you around 6" of clearance space to work.
You want a stereo microscope & adjustable eyepieces.

Meiji, Leica, Omano, Zeiss, Nikon, Olympus ..

AVOID- cheap chinese scopes or unfamiliar names as the optics inside are often inferior (mirror glass rather than optical) & you`ll possibly not do your eyes any favours in the long run & get a headache if using for hours at a time.

Second hand on ebay is a minefield so be careful & resist those cheap bargains.

If you want to play safer, look on the selling section of the engraving forums until you find one from a regular member (bear in mind most are in the USA, but once in a while local),

Safer still either a Leica or Meiji from a tool supplier, all ready & no risk .

They can be expensive, but if your intending to use it alot, it pays to spend out on a decent safe scope with good optics in the long run.
It`ll last a lifetime & have your eyes thanking you.

If you can go & test one out somewhere first, that would be sensible...

[ps_bond]

The general setup for a scope would be x10 eyepieces & .5 barlow lens (plus a movable stand & ring light).
That`ll give you around 6" of clearance space to work.

OK, my Nikon has x4 objective and a 0.5 Barlow. But... Someone else advocates no Barlow.

If I end up needing a second scope I'll probably just buy a new Meiji for ease & convenience.