# THE PROCESS OF MAKING A CUSTOM MADE MICROSCOPE SCANNING STAGE
In the beginning of this year (2016) I bought a new microscope, the Nikon TMD Inverted DIC microscope, a microscope made in the mid 1980’s. In the past months I modded this microscope and turned the stage into a scanning stage. In [this](https://medium.com/micrograph-stories/turning-an-30-year-old-microscope-into-a-more-modern-microscope-2837ef78991d#.3yaop18eu) article you find all information about the making and proces, what a scanning stage does and how it works. I hope it inspires other microscope owners to do the same with there microscope. To show you what it can do I included two movies. 
 
**The hardware in use:**
Showing the different parts that are added (electronics and 3D printed parts). 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsaYzanzpvM 

**The software in use:**
The custom made software that was written to control the hardware added to the microscope. 
Including the proces of imaging a crystalised tear drop under a microscope. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLtXOk3P6oI

**The result of the image when stitched together** 
An 300+ Megapixel image stitched together from 350 images taken.
![tear](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2000/1*OzJcDKuIeLUt2eexi8U70g.png)

**The final result of the image** 
![tear2](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1200/1*4AOpeak4-qBez2gu2b-XaQ.jpeg)

 I hope it inspires other microscope owners to do the same with there microscope. 
*If you have any questions, suggestions or feedback regarding this article, then please feel free to contact me.*

#micrograph #photography #art #science #microscope #education #technology