Dissection Microscope Light

thingiverse

This thing lets you use an inexpensive adhesive-backed rope light as a specimen light for a dissection or inspection microscope. Please see photos for further explanation. I purchased the rope light on ebay. I bought the kind that is encased in a transparent silicone-like material. The design accommodates 0.27” width and about 30” length light. I am not sure how the light output is classified but I have about 200ma current draw at 12v, which comes to about 2.5 watts. This appears to be plenty for the application. The design is friction-fit to the barrel at the end of the scope, similar to most specimen lights. I have two different models; 1. Friction fit for Spencer 2. Threaded for Bausch&Lomb The threaded model involves 2 parts; the threads and the fixture itself. I separated these for easier printing and also because I wanted the center part to be black to cut down on stray reflected light entering the scope. These two pieces need to be glued together before they can be used. Print in white for good light reflection. Print the Threaded part in black for less reflections in the optical path. For power supplies on these, I used a small 12v wall wart.