DES Holography - Rebuilding Week 8

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Misc thoughts based on rebuilding my lab.

last updated September 5, 2003

I wish I'd built a larger table. I had no idea I'd progress as fast as I have. I've reached and passed my previous accomplishments in holography in that I'm able to reliably create bright holograms every single time (except when I'm experimenting in some way). With my previous setups it was as much trial and error as anything else. The reason I should have built a larger table is that it would facilitate setups for H1-H2 copying without having to get too creative about the geometry. As it is, I'm going to have to "go vertical" in order to make any decent copies.
I'm really glad I put a canopy on the table. This has two benefits: 1) I can go in and out of my office without worrying about ruining film. This also means that I'm not near the table during an exposure and hence there's less chance of the odd vibration ruining a shot and 2) it blocks air drafts. I have two computers that are running all the time and they throw out a fair amount of hot air. The canopy ensures that I've got a stable volume of air over my table.
One drawback to my current canopy is that it's attached to the table and that means I have to turn off my HEPA fan and AC when doing an exposure. I have plans to modify it so that the canopy sits on the floor but haven't just yet.
I'm also glad that I had a Mindstorms kit. This has allowed me to automate the settling and exposures from outside the lab and also helps to ensure that I won't be causing any hologram-ruining vibrations.
Another thing to be glad about is the online community centered around the Holography Forum. The people on that forum have been invaluable to me and I'm certain I wouldn't have progressed as fast if they weren't around (as evidenced by the relative lack of progress I made during my first go at holography).
If you're thinking of getting started in Holography, don't assume that just because someone says you need $10,000 worth of equipment and a concrete slab to work that you shouldn't bother. Many of the "rules" in Holography were made by people who had access to labs full of expensive equipment who didn't question their own assumptions. Find out why the "rule" is considered a rule and question if it applies to you. For ages people said you couldn't make holograms on a wood floor. I'm making quite good holograms in my second floor office. People say you need an expensive isolation table to make holograms. There's a man who has nothing more than bubble wrap between his steel "table" and his basement floor. He has no problems with vibrations coming through the floor.

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Last modified: Monday, January 01, 2007