Sizes on this microscope are not critical. Since lumber for the wooden parts can be obtained in 3/4" thickness, you might want to select aluminum channel with a 3/4" wide opening for the sides.
A suitable piece of wood is cut for the base. Holes are drilled in the end of the channel so that it can be screwed to the wooden base piece.
It is important that the channels are parallel - so take care assembling this. It is possible to make all of this from wood and/or masonite if desired.
The insides of the channels are lined with the two strips of felt. This felt will provide the limited friction to hold the sliding stage.
The moving stage is another piece of wood. This piece must fit snuggly - yet slide up and down smoothly within the channels. The felt will hold the stage in position.
There is a hole for light through the center of this stage.
On my microscopes I make the lens plate from brass stip. This is available from hobby shops and hardware stores.
The hole through the lens plate should be 1/16" in diameter.
The illustration at the right shows the assembled
parts.
The drop of water hangs suspended within the hole in the brass lens plate.
In use, the microscope slide sits on top of the sliding stage with the item to be viewed directly above the light hole.
A light source (night light, flashlight bulb, mirrored sun light, etc.) is placed below the light hole in the stage.
Focusing is done by moving the stage up and down. The slide will be very close to the liquid lens.
After building your own liquid lens microscope, you may click here to go to the lab activity.