Hardware (lift) question

[Bill Oliver]

I am playing with a design for a desk for my office. I'm a pathologist, and use a microscope that currently sits on my desk. I only use the microscope about one hour a day, and most of the time it's in the way. I would like to be able to store it out of sight when I'm not using it.

So, I was thinking about replacing the drawers on one side of a simple conventional office desk design with a single cabinet in which I would place the microscope. The top of the desk would be hinged there, and when opened, I could raise the microscope to be flush with the desk top.

This is a professional two-headed microscsope with photomicrography capabilites, so it is about two feet high and weighs about 40 lbs. The lift would have to be smooth enough that it didn't jar the objectives or condensers.

I'd like something that I didn't have to crank like a car door, and for which the mechanism wouldn't take up the rest of the desk. I read up a little on pneumatic gas lifts as are found in office chairs, but that didn't seem to be what I needed.

I would prefer that it lift more-or-less straight up, but a set of hinges and springs that moved out, up, and back in, would also work.

I am fairly new at this. My father was an excellent woodworker while I have been more of a dilettante -- I have done small projects and helped my Dad when he worked. My father just died and left me all of his tools. Since my family remembers my Dad in large part because of his woodworking (we all have furniture, cabinets, wood toys, etc. he made), I have decided to make each of my relatives something with his tools as a final remembrance, and am using this desk as a way of getting back into the groove of doingthis more seriously. I expect to make a lot of mistakes, but I wanted to make soemthing useful nonetheless.

Anyway, I don't have a clue where to look for this kind of thing. Any pointers would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

billo

[Pat]

try

[Patriarch]

[e-mail] (Bill Oliver) wrote in news: [e-mail]:

's a place to start. You may also want to check out sewing machine lifts.

Good luck with your project. Work safely.

Patriarch

[Tim Douglass]

You can probably find one of these installed in a demo at a cabinet shop or even at the Borg. It might pay you to try one there before investing in it since my recollection is that these tend to sort of snap into place with a pretty fair jar. May just have been the one I've used, but considering what you are lifting I'd do the legwork to find out.

That said, it is what I would recommend anyway if you find it smooth enough.

-- "We need to make a sacrifice to the gods, find me a young virgin... oh, and bring something to kill"

Tim Douglass

[nospambob]

[Upscale]

Obviously, the first suggestion that will come to everybody's mind is a sewing machine type lift and that would be appropriate for the weight of your microscope, however as you indicate, the microscope is prone to jarring whereas a sewing machine isn't. You might go with the simpler alternative of a slide out tray utilizing heavy duty drawer slides. Much easier to make, cheaper and doesn't jar when slid out. It could easily be hidden by a door or tambour or something similar.

Another idea that comes to mind is a door that swings out over a desktop bringing the microscope with it. A three sided box (two sides and a bottom, one side being the door) hinged to a cabinet at the back of a desk would function quite well.

[Norman D. Crow]

Don't know if you can find one any more, but they used to make office desks with a typewriter lift in one side. Open the door, pull the lift out/up and it brings the typewriter(or microscope) out & up to nearly desk level. These were spring loaded enough to assist the lift, but mainly muscle power, and as gentle or rough as you want it to be.

[Upscale]

I thought of that too, (used to have one) but I figured some parts might tend to fall off the microscope if it was placed in a horizontal position when not in use.

[Norman D. Crow]

The ones I remember kept the typewriter level. It was on a system of arms/hinges that let it come out/up while remaining level.

[Upscale]

Ok, the one I had was just wood and some hinges. The only mechanism involved was muscle power to lift the drop down horizontal door high enough to drop a restraining ledge which held the typewriter level.

[Bill Oliver]

Yeah, the microscope has to stay upright. Lot's of things fall off if it is tipped to the side or over. I found that out when I moved offices not too long ago...

billo

[Bill Oliver]

Thanks for the suggestion. It's an interesting site.

billo

[Bill Oliver]

I looked at the sewing machine lift there. It looks promising.

Thanks!

billo

[Bill Oliver]

Thanks for the suggestion!

billo

[Bill Oliver]

If I read this right, wouldn't that require that the microscope either be inverted or turned to the side when not in use?

billo

[Upscale]

No, everything stays vertical as in normal use. Think of a standard cabinet door that opens normally. Add another side to it (close to the interior hinge side) and add a bottom interior lip to it. The microscope sits on the interior lip. I'm not sure how to describe it any better. The best I could offer is to draw a picture and upload it to abpw.

[Pop]

40 lbs. The : >> lift would have to be smooth enough that it didn't jar the objectives : >> or condensers. : >

: > Obviously, the first suggestion that will come to everybody's mind is a : > sewing machine type lift and that would be appropriate for the weight of : > your microscope, however as you indicate, the microscope is prone to : > jarring : > whereas a sewing machine isn't. You might go with the simpler alternative : > of : > a slide out tray utilizing heavy duty drawer slides. Much easier to make, : > cheaper and doesn't jar when slid out. It could easily be hidden by a door : > or tambour or something similar. : >

: > Another idea that comes to mind is a door that swings out over a desktop : > bringing the microscope with it. A three sided box (two sides and a : > bottom, : > one side being the door) hinged to a cabinet at the back of a desk would : > function quite well. : >

: : Don't know if you can find one any more, but they used to make office desks : with a typewriter lift in one side. Open the door, pull the lift out/up and : it brings the typewriter(or microscope) out & up to nearly desk level. These : were spring loaded enough to assist the lift, but mainly muscle power, and : as gentle or rough as you want it to be. : : -- : Nahmie : The greatest headaches are those we cause ourselves. : : Singer still makes an electric sewing machine lift that's smooth acting and no bouncing or bumping. I've used two of them for sewing cabinets and they're great, albeit a little expensive. They have two auto-stops in the upward direction for flush or raised sewing, and of course an autostop at the bottom of the travel. Check out the Singer sewing machine site. I get mine from a local Singer repair center here in town so a local phone call might be all you need. A little expensive, like I said, but they should treat that 'scope nicely.

HTH,

Pop

[Bill Oliver]

I understand. Thanks.

billo

[Pat Barber]

[Pat Barber]