Suggestion for Hollowing Camera Rig?

[Karl Loeblein]

Thought it was best to start a new thread on this topic...

I've got a few questions if you currently use a camera setup for hollowing:

• What camera model and software are you using?
  
• How do you mark the cutter position on screen (overlay sheet, dry wall marker directly on screen, in software, etc..)?
• How important is high resolution and/or color?
  
• I read somewhere that "wide angle" lenses can mess up measurements because of the fish-eye effect. Is it best to find a "narrow angle" camera if possible? If so then any suggestions for a good narrow angle camera that's readily available?

Any other suggestions for someone getting started with hollowing using a camera (vice laser)?

Karl
PS. Trying to do this cheaply so I'm not interested in overly expensive pre-built hollowing camera setups.

 

[Damon McLaughlin]

Karl, I use this camera from Swan. Many in our club use this camera. It has the best field of view for this type of work and it has an adjustable focus (once set you never have to adjust again). Back up cameras have too wide an angle of view in my opinion.

I bought a 19" tv which came with a protective plastic film over the screen. I just left that in place since its clear and use a wet erase marker to trace the cutter on the screen. Overlay's seem popular as well. I chose not to my markers directly on the screen since they require a damp paper towel to be erased, I don't know how the screen would react to direct contact with moisture. For me a 7" monitor ended up being too small, one club member has a 32" tv which is way too big. I find my 19" to be just the right size, for me. Its not high def, fancy or expensive. Just make sure whatever you use has an analog video input (RCA type connection) as many cameras are analog, not digital.

 

[Karl Loeblein]

Karl, I use this camera from Swan. Many in our club use this camera. It has the best field of view for this type of work and it has an adjustable focus (once set you never have to adjust again). Back up cameras have too wide an angle of view in my opinion.

I bought a 19" tv which came with a protective plastic film over the screen. I just left that in place since its clear and use a wet erase marker to trace the cutter on the screen. Overlay's seem popular as well. I chose not to my markers directly on the screen since they require a damp paper towel to be erased, I don't know how the screen would react to direct contact with moisture. For me a 7" monitor ended up being too small, one club member has a 32" tv which is way too big. I find my 19" to be just the right size, for me. Its not high def, fancy or expensive. Just make sure whatever you use has an analog video input (RCA type connection) as many cameras are analog, not digital.

Damon,

I've checked for the Swan Microcam several times this year, and it always seems to be unavailable. I suspect this item is no longer being made, and Swan doesn't seem to make an alternative.

Karl

 

[Damon McLaughlin]

Damon,

I've checked for the Swan Microcam several times this year, and it always seems to be unavailable. I suspect this item is no longer being made, and Swan doesn't seem to make an alternative.

Karl

I didn't realize Swan had discontinued that camera. I found this one that looks similar with similar specs but I have no experience with it. Its inexpensive and might be worth a try.

 

[Richard Coers]

I use a USB inspection camera that I bought on eBay. Less than $10. I use an ancient laptop, so need to run the disc provided with the camera. I use a piece of acetate on the screen and use a dry erase marker. The video image is very close to full scale and the image is very clear. I don't need the LEDs on the camera for lighting. The camera diameter works as a direct replacement for the laser pointer that I used to use. I'm thrilled with the results. A lot of people don't believe I can get by with this, so I suggest you spend $10 and try it out. Certainly not much to loose.

 

[Dwight R Rutherford]

BlueFishCam Mini CCTV Camera Wide Angle 2.5mm Lens (with 3.6mm for Spare) CMOS 600TVL with IR Filter Mini CCTV Camera Color Security Camera Daytime Vision with Free Power Supply https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015MHKJNI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_.5hXDb813XW8Q

This is the camera I use.

 

[john lucas]

I purchased 2 cameras. I'm not at home so cant look them up. Both are to wide angle or short focal.lenth so the vessel.is too small or the camera has to be too close. Most I ha e.looked at dont list the focal length so it's hard to compare them. The first one I bought was a back up camera that came with monitor and camera. It works and was really cheap but if you are trying to get accurate very thin walls for piercing the image on the screen is too small. The second one was an inspection camera that is tied to my phone. Same problem. So I'm going to follow this thread.

 

[Doug Freeman]

I also use the discontinued swan camera. The blue fin suggestion looks like a good alternative. I use a 20” lcd vga input computer monitor I had sitting around. Required a small powered signal conditioning box from amazon to convert to vga for the monitor, about $25 I think.

I used double stick tape on the camera back, and turned a mount out of wood like a dowel with 2 dia, large and thin for the camera with a 1/2” or so dia rod 2-3” long which mounts in place of the laser on the Jamieson rig laser holder.

The actual size on screen is a function of camera lens and distance to the cutting tool. You decide what you like, mine is ~ 2:1 I think. Just place a ruler at the cutting edge, then measure a given length on the screen. You get 2 #’s, say 3” at the tool that measured 6” on the screen, so 2:1 magnification.

This is important to me because I made target style templates printed on transparency (acetate sheets) that I tape over the screen, with 1/4” graduation lines, like a target. Lines are different colors and solid or dotted making it easy to see wall thickness at any time. The template needs to be sized for the magnification.

It worth the time to put a camera system together. I only use it now vs the laser, much easier navigating corners vs a laser. Still use the Rons Best laser kit for hand held hollowing of smaller stuff.

 

[Keith Mombourquette]

Karl:

This is the camera that I use: https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/produc...0001-webcam-30-fps-usb-2-0-6ch-00001/10427304 . I was fortunate that I was given an old box of bits and this was in the box, so I did not buy it. I use it with a 10" tablet running windows 10. The software I use is IP Camera Viewer 4, which is a free download from here: https://www.deskshare.com/ip-camera-viewer.aspx . I use a dry erase marker directly on the glass screen of the tablet to draw the cutter shape and the wall thickness I want around the cutter. I have my tablet mounted on an arm so that I can swing it away when not in use, and move it directly over the headstock when in use. It works very well for me.

 

[Paul Winer]

I have the swan camera and it works okay. Picked up a new camera for use on my 2nd lathe and it works at least as well as the swan and seems to have a sharper image. The link is to my new camera: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0787T8NGQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[RichColvin]

I had a Swan, but a piece of very hard Padauk vibrated it terribly, and it won’t focus properly any more.