technology
workshop
living
food
play
outside
Silhouette cut Public Lab Mobile spectrometer
by briandegger on July 9, 2015
Table of Contents
Silhouette cut Public Lab Mobile spectrometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1
Intro: Silhouette cut Public Lab Mobile spectrometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2
Step 1: What you will need.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3
Step 2: Cutting out the spectrophotometer sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3
File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7
Step 3: Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7
File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9
Step 4: Using it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Step 5: Summed up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Step 6: Further resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
http://www.instructables.com/id/Silhouette-cut-Public-Lab-Mobile-spectrometer/
Intro: Silhouette cut Public Lab Mobile spectrometer
I am a fan of spectrometers. These instruments are used in industry and science to find out about compositions and of things(liquids, stars, leds, compact fluorescent
tubes) through the light they emit or absorb. Typically, they are expensive (1000's of $£) because of their precision, but there also affordable useful versions for use in
DIY Biology or citizen science.
Public lab has developed a series of these spectrometers, as well as software that can be used in browser.
The one I am interested in is the cheapest one, the Foldable Mini-Spectrometer. You can Build your own with a printer, scissors, some card, tape/glue and a blank dvd. I
used the "Build your own" page as a reference, and if there s any directions you find unclear, they probably said it better.
I am especially grateful that they release all their stuff under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License with Hardware designs released under the
CERN Open Hardware License 1.1.
I had built one in the past out of white paper, but it was flimsy and the white paper made it too reflective. I hadn't thought about it again until our makerspace (
http://makerspace.org.uk) got to play with a Silhouette portrait.
I quickly realized it would be easier to cut with the portrait. I did one cut (of the outline and the windows). It still needed folding using a ruler and pencil. Then I had the
bright idea to use the perforation setting to make folding easier.
The final change was to extend the window to make it easier to encapsulate the piece of dvd.
This instructable provides the file (in the silhouette studio software format) for cutting, and instructions for assembling and using.
Have fun.
Image Notes
1. pencil mark and hand bent
Image Notes
1. a bit bright
Image Notes
1. nice contrast with the perforations (you wont see them so easily on the black
card
2. Mmmm shiny.
Nice contrast with the perforations (you won't see them so easily on the black card
http://www.instructables.com/id/Silhouette-cut-Public-Lab-Mobile-spectrometer/
Image Notes
1. http://spectralworkbench.org/capture
Image Notes
1. compact fluorescent lamp
Step 1: What you will need....
To make the spectrometer you will need:
black card
blank dvd
scalpel/scissors
things for fixing : glue, tape(clear and black)
optional:clamp for glue(I am using a heatsink clip)
wondering what's the cork for? keeping the scalpel safe
I have been using the silhouette portrait with its studio software.
Image Notes
1. blank dvd
2. black electrical tape: to prevent light leaks
3. scissor and scalpel: for cutting and separating the dvd layers
4. cork
5. clear tape: taping seams on spectro
6. black card (200gsm)
7. glue
8. clamp
Step 2: Cutting out the spectrophotometer sheet
Setting up for cutting.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
setting: card(plain)
set the cutting blade to 4 on the machine
use the (supplied) backing sheet for the card
turn on the silhouette
load the backing sheet by pushing it to the roller
hit the top button (looks like a graphed clipboard) on the machine. [steps 5-6 in the 2x speed 1st video]
then [send to silhouette] from the program
away it goes. [in the 8x speed second video]
hit the eject button
peel the card off the backing sheet
http://www.instructables.com/id/Silhouette-cut-Public-Lab-Mobile-spectrometer/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Silhouette-cut-Public-Lab-Mobile-spectrometer/
Image Notes
1. this line style is interpreted by silhouette as perforations
http://www.instructables.com/id/Silhouette-cut-Public-Lab-Mobile-spectrometer/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Silhouette-cut-Public-Lab-Mobile-spectrometer/
File Downloads
Mini_spectrophotometer.studio3 (68 KB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'Mini_spectrophotometer.studio3']
Step 3: Assembly
fold as shown in the spectrograph diagram
leave the square window till last
tape all the other folds
look into the resulting box at the slit at the end.
1. is it free of any stray card? use the scalpel to clear it.
2. are there any light leaks(apart from the slit)? use the black electrical tape to seal it?
Now the interesting bit.
1. take the dvd
2. cut a quarter of it off with the scissors
3. trim a 2cm wide bit
4. keep this
5. separate the two layers of the dvd with the scalpel
6. keep the clear layer
7. CORRECT ORIENTATION:
1. want rainbow to go in the same direction as the slit.
8. glue the first aperture down
9. now place the dvd layer over the aperture and fix it down
10. secure with the final flap
http://www.instructables.com/id/Silhouette-cut-Public-Lab-Mobile-spectrometer/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Silhouette-cut-Public-Lab-Mobile-spectrometer/
File Downloads
8.5x11mini-spec3.8.pdf (543 KB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to '8.5x11mini-spec3.8.pdf']
http://www.instructables.com/id/Silhouette-cut-Public-Lab-Mobile-spectrometer/
Step 4: Using it
Three ways to view
use your eyes
put the side with the piece of dvd up to your eye.
look through while moving it near a indoor light source. Old style tungsten should give a rainbow, while fluorescent will have a few bands, and leds only a
few)
to make a photograph
tape the spectrometer to a phone
again moving it till you get a series of bright colored dots (or lines)
take a picture.
upload to http://spectralworkbench.org/upload
tape the spectometer to your webcam
go to http://spectralworkbench.org/capture
follow the instructions on the page.
Image Notes
1. compact fluorescent lamp
http://www.instructables.com/id/Silhouette-cut-Public-Lab-Mobile-spectrometer/
Step 5: Summed up
Can we make a spectrometer with a plotter cutter? Yes
Used it on android phone and windows laptop.
Further ideas
-rather than perforations, scoring might work
-change the size of the incoming slit
-container/cuvette holder to look at aqueous samples.
P.S. this is my first instructable, constructive comments please.
Step 6: Further resources
More links from Public Lab.
construction http://publiclab.org/wiki/spectrometer-constructio...
usage http://publiclab.org/wiki/spectral-workbench-usage
background http://publiclab.org/tool/spectrometer
peer notes http://publiclab.org/notes/spectrometer
a4 printable instructions http://publiclab.org/sites/default/files/8.5x11min...
Related Instructables
Naff Movie into
DIY Oil Pollution 'DVD Spectra'
Testing by
by DoWatt
PublicLab
DIY Infrared
Plant Analysis
by PublicLab
What's in the
Light? Probing
around with my
DIY
Spectroscope
by indiantinker
Multispectral
DIY Camera
Calibration by
JoseBarreiros
http://www.instructables.com/id/Silhouette-cut-Public-Lab-Mobile-spectrometer/
3D Printed
spectrometer,
using Public
Lab DIY kit. by
RTegelbeckers
Advertisements
Comments
http://www.instructables.com/id/Silhouette-cut-Public-Lab-Mobile-spectrometer/