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***I put this topic in Collecting Gear since it is fossil gear and could certainly be used for collecting smaller specimens in the field or micro matrix at the table, but it can also be used for prep, or studying those hard to see diagnostic features.*** I was looking for a decent alternative to the OptiVisor magnifying headset by Donegan. The OptiVisor is pretty much the gold standard for these hobby magnification headsets, and is top quality by all accounts. For me, the problem I found with the OptiVisor is that I wanted to have different magnification options. The OptiVisor has this, but you must buy a different visor for each magnification power as the lenses are not “hot swappable”. There is an OptiVisor kit that comes with multiple visors for different magnifications, but I couldn’t find it cheap enough to fit my budget. After a lot of online research I decided to purchase the MagniVisor Deluxe by Carson. The whole kit was about the same price as one OptiVisor. It comes with lenses ranging from 1.5x to 3x magnification. It has an LED light on top that is removable to allow lighting from different angles if needed, and the base is magnetic so you can stick it to something like a shelf, filing cabinet, or the adjustable lamp who’s bulb is blown and I’m too lazy to change, lol. The lens will also flip up out of the way should you require normal vision. I was able to try the visor out today for some pin vise work and counting those hard to see brachiopod plications. I was pleased with how they perform. I wear glasses and had no trouble looking through my glasses and the magnification lenses. Which was great as many times looking through an extra set of lenses give me a headache and eye strain pain. No 3-D movie glasses for me! I was also able to switch between lens in seconds, and the provided light is very bright and adjustable enough to be aimed at the work area. I haven’t noticed many cons with the headset yet, but I can speculate on potential future problems. The MagniVisor’s lenses are made from plastic. I wonder how well the plastic lenses will hold up to the grit from my dusty/dirty fingers. Hopefully I can keep the scratches to a minimum. Another thing that may prove a con is the lens attachment clips. They seem sturdy enough, but are plastic and could wear with use. Also, the MagniVisor has specific instructions on how to remove the lenses to avoid damage to the retention clips. I’ll need to be diligent when I swap these out. Time will tell on how the lenses and retention clips hold up. Still, so far so good. If someone is thinking about getting a magnification headset I can recommend the MagniVisor Deluxe by Carson.

Hello. I am setting up to finally prepare some of the fossils that have been languishing in my collection in desperate need of exposure. I live within a few miles of one of the premier Devonian formations in the northeast USA, (Hamilton Group) of Penn Dixie fame, and I have always lamented my inability to pull out the best from my finds. I have begun to accumulate equipment. I will list what I have so far, and I am open to suggestions as far as what direction to go from here. Already have: A room, far from the rest of the household, where the noise from the equipment won't ###### everyone off. A garage based compressor, with a line running to said room. A micro dremel, (electric, which was much quieter than the pneumatic one) with numerous bits. A respirator Small shop vac, with various small attachments. An air-line bridge, with three attachment points, one with an adjustable gauge. A good sturdy drafting table, (got lucky on that one) A micro nozzle duster, self-constructed A CP9160 Air Scribe, with 2" and 2.5" sharp needles, as well as the stock needle. (Apparently, very similar to the ARO) Various artist brushes. Okay, here's where I need some help: I need a magnifier with light, and there's absolutely a gajillion of them out there. Suggestion? 5X 10X 20X? LED, Green vs. White glass, etc. I also know I should be looking into a pen type sand blaster, but I don't have the resources to sink into the system, the air handler, and the glove box etc, but would be willing to take suggestions for when I can afford it. Thank you for your help, Derek

I do most of my fossil prep work under a stereomicroscope at 6X or 12X magnification, but there are times when it would be more convenient to use a headband magnifier at 2X or 3X power. But I don't need it often enough to invest in a $50 OptiVisor, so I looked around for alternatives. I found that Harbor Freight has a similar one for only $4.99: https://www.harborfreight.com/magnifier-head-strap-with-lights-38896.html The reviews were okay for the magnifier itself, but everyone said the lights were useless. When I tried them I had to agree. They are easy enough to remove by taking out two screws, so I figured I would throw away the lights and just use the magnifier. But then fate intervened. Harbor Freight often has coupons for free items when you buy something, so when I went to the local store, I bought the magnifier (using a 20% discount coupon) and used a coupon to get a free portable flashlight: https://www.harborfreight.com/ultra-bright-led-portable-worklightflashlight-63601.html I’ve picked up these flashlights for free in the past, but I noticed this one was different. The old ones had 27 individual LED lights, but this one had a narrow strip of LEDs right down the center of the light. That got me to thinking. Why not cut the battery pack and LED strip light out of the flashlight and mount them to the top of the magnifier? The flashlight was free, so there was no harm in trying. It turned out to be very easy (as long as you know how to solder!). I started by disassembling the flashlight, which is only held together by a few screws. I then removed the LED strip light from the reflector by clipping off the two posts that hold it in place. Here’s what it looks like after disassembly but before I removed the LED strip light form the reflector. Next, I cut out the battery pack from the rest of the housing. I used a cut-off wheel in my Dremel tool to do this, but you can also use a saw. The switch that comes with the flashlight is a large 3-position switch that isn’t optimum for what I wanted to do, so I cut the wires from it and left it in the part of the housing I didn’t need. That meant I needed a new switch, which Harbor Freight conveniently provided on the useless lights that came with the magnifier (it's on the right side in the photo below). Again, I used my Dremel tool to cut this switch out from its original housing, then I unsoldered the wires at the switch. I then used epoxy to glue the switch onto the battery pack I had just cut out from the flashlight. After epoxying switch to the battery pack: Then it was time to solder the wires together. I won’t go into a lot of detail here, I will just point out that there is a 10-ohm resistor next to the 3-position switch on the flashlight. You need to make sure you remove that resistor and solder it in series with the wires to the battery pack. Here is how I did it: Next, I glued the back of the LED strip onto the side of the battery pack and used silicone compound to hold the wires in place. To hold the battery pack to the top of the magnifier I just used some Velcro tape I had laying around. That way I can easily remove the entire LED assembly or reposition it for better lighting. Right now I don't have a cover over the batteries, but I will probably figure out something here soon. I’ve been happy with how it works and thank Harbor Freight for letting me do the upgrade for free! With light turned on:

I have come to the conclusion that I need something to magnify my specimens for prep and viewing. Any recommendations? I know a microscope is a big help however I am thinking of a table clamp or floor mount style magnifier with the lamp. What is a good one or one I should stay away from? Also what power should I be looking at getting? I looked at ones at Harbor Freight and a hobby store but the were low power, like 2X. That did not seem like very much for working on small shells and such.