Optics Bench Lensholder

thingiverse

Optical benches may be pricey, but they're pretty straightforward devices. I needed to test a multi-lens setup for a project I'm working on without breaking the bank by buying an expensive optical bench. My experiment can handle the accuracy of 3D printed parts, so I made these models. This is a fully printable adjustable lens holder that mounts onto an aluminum extrusion as the rail. The lens is held in place by three sliders which have slots to grip the lens. Each slider is secured by a bolt and friction. Holders are mounted via t-slot nuts that can slide up/down the extrusion. The model is somewhat parametric, so you can adjust the height of the holder and the maximum lens diameter that can be mounted. The sliders work best with lenses 1-3mm in width, but could easily be modified to grip larger lenses (although I haven't messed with that yet, since all my lenses are small). Special thanks go to: aubenc for the Knurled Surface Library (used on the bolts) daGIZmo for his T-Slot Nut (used as a base for the extrusion nut) rcolyer for his Metric Screw Threads, Holes, Bolts, Nuts, and Rods Library