Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2021/05/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I have been looking for a decent microscope ever since I retired 13 years ago.? A biologist w/o a microscope is like a photographer w/o a camera.? I have owned or had access to a microscope ever since 4th grade when I used my Christmas money to buy a Tasco. When in California I happened to look at Craig's List and found someone with a nice Nikon scope advertised "Like New" and two AO scopes missing some lenses he was tossing in all for $100.? It took a few weeks to hook up, but we met in a WalMart parking lot and I tried them out with power from my RV.? They were in sad shape.? The AO's were not bad, but the Nikon was really rough and the fine focus was seized up but it has nice "Plan" objectives.? I like a challenge so I offered $80 and he took it.? Transported them home and took the AO's apart, lubed them and got one working quite well with a borrowed set of eyepieces from the Nikon.? The second one as an alignment problem probably beyond my ability to calibrate.? I had been using penetrating oil and wrenches on the Nikon for days trying to free up the shaft, but to no avail. I finally figured out how the focusing mechanism might be disassembled on the Nikon scope and took it apart.? I had nothing to loose.? Got the fine focus shaft out of it with a hammer and a punch.? It was all corroded and I think the scope had been dropped as the sleeve was partially bend.? Cleaned it all up.? Used a long drill to clean out the sleeve and a rod to straighten it out.? It is now all lubed and put back together, but I need to replace three set screws that were sheered off either by me or by someone forcing the focus mechanism.? One I have no idea where it is suppose to go.? Small metric.? I will visit Tacoma Screw on Monday to see if I can find anything, or else I will drill and retap with SAE screws.? Still have a stripped focus nob and tensioner I need to figure out, and the fine focus eccentric bushing that has a spot for 4 set screws but there were none in sight.? I might get this thing working after all.? I took photos of the process so I knew how to put it back together.?? It is pretty complex but elegant.? Also a shot of the disassembled scope. Here is the scope disassembled: Nikon Scope-4193 (leica-users.org) <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Aram/misc/sc/Nikon+Scope-4193.jpg.html> Then the process involved in taking apart the focusing mechanism and then the reassembled mechanism starts here: Nikon Scope-4178 (leica-users.org) <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Aram/misc/sc/Nikon+Scope-4178.jpg.html> Comments welcome Aram -- Aram Langhans (Semi) Retired Science Teacher & Unemployed photographer ?The Human Genome Project has proved Darwin more right than Darwin himself would ever have dared dream.? James D. Watson