Impressioning Magnifier Idea: Illuminated Loupe

[MacGyver101]

I'm just getting into impressioning, and went on a search for a nice, compact way of both illuminating and magnifying the key blank that I was working on. I'd seen several good options, including the magnifying head for a Maglite from MBA USA that Barry had reviewed in his blog a while back: Blackbag: "Can You See the Light?!?"

I happened to stop into a jeweler's supply shop last week, looking for some small files, and ran across this 10x magnifying loupe with a built-in LED light:



It was a bit of an impulse purchase, but I'm quite pleased with it: it works well, and has just the right level of magnification and illumination to make impressioning marks visible without over-powering the area with too much light. Battery life should be okay: it's weaker than some of the keychain LED lights that I've had in the past, and houses three batteries (included), rather than the traditional single button cell. (Surprisingly, they even include a small micro-screwdriver for opening it up for battery replacement!) The only down-side is that you obviously can't independently move the light-source, so you may have to rotate the key a bit to see particularly light marks. I think it more than makes up for that, though, with its compact size: it comfortably dangles off your finger, allowing you to keep it more easily at hand than a separate flashlight and magnifier.

I paid about $15 in the store, but a quick Google search shows them as cheap as $8-$10 from several on-line retailers. If you happen to find one, give it a try: I was quite pleased.

[raimundo]

somewhere there are commercial impressioning light boxes, and they may have a variety of different led colored lights for giveing different views. this is just something that I remember seeing somewhere, and it is probably referenced on LP101. so if the search function were working.....

[maintenanceguy]

I'm not sure that having the light source at the magnifying glass is the best location. It's been my experience that I can see the impression marks best with the light at an angle to the blank. I end up rotating the key back and fourth until I can see something.

I also think that 10x magnification is a bit much for impressioning. I've tried 10x and can see the marks clearly but when I pull the glass away, I have no idea what part of the key I was looking at.

[jimb]

I have experimented with several types of magnification. I have 3 printers loupes, 1 jewelers loupe, one Wal-Mart special and a visor with lights on both sides.

My eyes a not good so I will take all the magnification I can get. My favorite is a 10x printers loupe. It has about a 1 inch lens in it. My jewelers loupe is more powerful but the lens is too small.

I also like the visor, but it's a pain to wear. If you want to try one I picked mine up at Harbor Freight for about 10 bucks. I don't care much for the lights in it as I have found that sunlight when available is the best light source. Tilt the key at angles as maintenanceguy said and the marks are easier to find.

I recently read a tip on impressioning at night that said to use your parking lights for spotting the marks. Anyone every try this?

[gotta]

I recently read a tip on impressioning at night that said to use your parking lights for spotting the marks. Anyone every try this?

I've used parking lights, cell phone lights, dome lights etc. Up until about 5 years ago, I rarely had to use magnification. I remember my impressioning mentor when I was young. I was teasing him for using a jewelers loupe. He told me my day would come. It did.

[yoyoboy]

Opti-visor with a light anyone?

[TigerDragon]

I bought a double jeweler's loupe (one side had a 10x lense and the other side had a 20x) and a 30x jeweler's loupe while trying to finish the impressioning lesson for the FB course. I use a lamp with a flexible neck that I can adjust height and angle of my light source easily along with the 20x for best results. The 30x was too strong, and the 10x lense was too small in diameter.

[joseph01]

Quite interesting...

[nemesis61]

I use an otoscope - which is easy to find on Ebay at a cheap price. Also try this link: http://www.otoscopes.org/

[Eyes_Only]

I think LockMasters made a magnifying tool that clips onto a MAG Light and you run the key through it and you can see the impression marks on the key blade through its viewing hole. It was posted on BlackBag a couple months back.

[MacGyver101]

Thank you to everyone for the excellent tips and suggestions that have been posted... I hadn't replied back on this thread, but I have been checking in frequently on the responses. Much appreciated!

[JackNco]

hey i have a jewelers loupe and one of the Maglite things barry reviewed. the maglite attachment seems much better although i haven't tried it out properly yet. I do think you could use a loupe with practice.

John

[kg4boj]

I find that the spectra of light that the warm white compact fluorescent bulbs give out gives me the most recognizable marks and makes it much easier. sometimes I will draw all the curtains in my van and flip on the inverter to get that special light that seems to work even better than sunlight. As for magnification, I normally don't use any, but for tiny assemblies I have a pair of glasses with a surgeons light and magnifier on them, this can be handy for impressioning at night, as well as some of the forensic work I do.

[sparkster]

I recently saw a video where someone used a UV marker pen and black light to do impressioning, it wasnt a start to finish job, but an idea i never thought of.