Cheapest Holography set up possible? January 21 2004 at 7:57 AM
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What is the cheapest holography set up we can think of?
Infiniter 200 Laser Pointer with lens cut off
$10
PFG-01 6x5" film 10 sheets $29
JD-3 Developer $17
2 pieces of 6x5" glass $4
10" Flower pot $5
1 bag Ashtray Sand $3?
3" Flower Pot $3
3/4" Dowel $2
3 spring clips $1
One bottle ultra pure Lamp oil $5
Attach laser to the end of the dowel with a spring clip. Put the dowel into the small flower pot with sand. The large pot will become the holography table. Fill it with sand, sandwitch the film in the plate with lamp oil as an index matching fluid and clip with two spring clamps. Make sure to put the film all the way to one edge leaving 2" of glass to stick into the sand. Place a Porcelain Cat on the far side of the plate as close as possible. Expose. Develop.
A slightly cheaper and simpler route for new people would be to drop the lamp oil and use Frank's method for finding the brewster angle (use sunglasses to align the laser's polarization axis relative to the table and watch the reflection of the beam while rotating the film holder glass).
Having newbies start out with index matching is a pretty sure route to frustration. Of course, this is based on my assumption that you're thinking of bringing in new people with this list.
Yes, Lamp oil is a problem. I have not been able to make anything work on pfg-01 without it because of the curl.
Any ideas on how to make things cheaper? What don't we need? Perhaps we can think of a cheaper laser sand?
This got started when we were talkking at SPIE about sand and it came up that the hotel had nice sand. We joked that the holographers would be taking it home and I said that a good holographer would set up in the ashtray.
I've had acceptable results using a glass sandwich with PFG-01 and would easily recommend that to new people. It greatly simplifies setting up and having to shoot at brewster angle isn't that much of a burden. Once you've found the angle, it's simple to keep the setup aligned.
For a single piece of glass I've found the same as you and Jonathan. Lamp oil works the best so far for PFG-01 film (although I also have to use tape on the edges to keep the film from curling).
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If someone says it can't be done but they haven't tried it, don't believe them. http://www.dragonseye.com/Holography
I have had good luck by making my glass plates oversize from the film and using spring clips. The main problem is making sure the glass is clean befour I place it into the film holder.
Do you mean to say that you're using lamp oil as well as clips with a single sheet of glass?
In my case I'm also using an oversize sheet of glass (1" in each dimension), index matching the film and keeping the film from uncurling by taping the edges. I haven't found a foolprof method for preventing PFG roll film from pulling away with just an index matching fluid (reverse-curling the film beforehand helps but hasn't been a complete solution).
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If someone says it can't be done but they haven't tried it, don't believe them. http://www.dragonseye.com/Holography
Interesting. The few times I've tried that the fluid just slowly runs out from between the glass and I end up with bubbles forming between the glass and film.
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If someone says it can't be done but they haven't tried it, don't believe them. http://www.dragonseye.com/Holography
I use the film within minutes of making the sandwich so I have not noticed the problem. It takes some practice to get the bubbles out in the first place. Now I don't have that problem but the first ten times I did and I can't remember what I was doing wrong. I sandwiched about 50 pieces of film the first week I started shooting with film.
What size film are you using when index with a double-sandwich? My last attempt at what you describe was with a 4x6" sheet.
Also, are you using pre-cut or roll film?
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If someone says it can't be done but they haven't tried it, don't believe them. http://www.dragonseye.com/Holography
Is it OK to use a side reference? Or would that be a viewing problem for a new holographer? I don't think they would want to mount the object on it's side.
If you're using sand you can pretty easily set up a frame using a few pieces of cut dowel rod so that the film glass can be tilted forward and rest on the pieces of dowel. Then scoop out some of the sand and rest the object in the depression. This will give you an overhead reference without any extra equipment.
For a side reference I would encourage the use of hot-glue and side mounting the object or perhaps using a spring clip depending on what the object is.
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If someone says it can't be done but they haven't tried it, don't believe them. http://www.dragonseye.com/Holography
You could save $16.00 by not buying the flower pots, sand, and oil. You really only need to lay a rigid piece of film stably against an object, and clip the laser to anything that allows it to be pointed toward the film. You do need to be able to improvise darkness (when needed), safelighting (nightlight?) and shuttering. Grab a mirror or someone's eyeglasses and you're in HOEland.
What would you think would be a good table? I chose sand because it was versitile and easy to use. I agree that the laser could be clipped to anything even taped to a chair back. A limelight makes a good enough safelight for these purposes as long as it is far away from the table.
To minimize costs, I'd not use a table. For example, I could lay a rigid piece of film on the bottom of the sink, point the mounted laser at it, and make a hologram of the drain cap. Or prop the film up against a porcelain rabbit sitting on a glass shelf and make a hologram of it, in the real world, just like making a photograph.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Cheapest Holography set up possible?
January 21 2004, 6:24 PM
Yes, I agree. The problem is you and I can look at a set up and from experience think yes this is stable enough. A perfectly new person does not have this experience. My goal is to get new people involved. The more variables we can eliminate the easier it willbe for us to diagnose their problems when they have a failure.
Bob, in my case I guess I could set up a bunch of mirrors that directs the Ion laser beam around the corner, up the steps around another corner, down the hall, around another corner, across the room and then set up my spatial filter on the counter and make a hologram of my drain cap. Unfortunately I do not have a three phase hook up - up stairs, but you got me thinking.
That was great...!!!
I love this board and the ingenuity and variety of posts. Hope to hear from you more.
I have a friend with a 1000W CO2 laser. It would meak a great security device if directed down the path John describes? An intruder might loose a limb however.
About 1year and a half ago my wife spilled a coke in my key board. It makes some of the keys very sticky. I also type about as fast as I talk making my posts with missing letters, reversed letters and generally mis-spelled. I want to thank everyone for their patience in reading my posts.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Cheapest Holography set up possible?
January 23 2004, 5:24 PM
Get a plank of wood approx 5" wide, approx a foot long and approx 1/2" thck. drill a small hole at one end and insert dowel, with laser attached, into it. At other end score a groove slightly larger than 1/8". Place film sandwich into that and hold in place with a little hot glue. Behind this, obtain porcelain duck and hot glue it down (upright, sideways, upside down, any old way). Since this entire assembly is self-contained, all the components move together and so this can be done on your kitchen table.
Personally, I try to stay away from index matching 'cos I find it messy. I would recommend to newbies that it's probably better to make a hologram without it at first since the simpler the set-up the greater the chance of success. Once they've made a hologram I'd suggest that some holographers (most holographers!) use index matching to improve the cosmetics and that they should try it.
I sandwiched about 50 pieces of film the first week I started shooting with film.