[Leica] Delicate Operation

[Aram Langhans]

The problem is that there is no model designation anywhere on the 
scope.  I have spend a lot of time looking online for similar scopes and 
only found one.  They give no model designation, either.  Only refer to 
it as a "laboratory microscope".

Nikon Laboratory Microscope | Minnesota Medical 
<https://www.minnesotamedical.com/product/nikon-laboratory-microscope/>

It is not rocket science figuring how it works, just how to gain access 
without some spring shooting across the room or causing more damage with 
the seized up shaft.  Thankfully none of that happened and it is nice 
and smooth now.  Just got to figure out these darn set screw holes that 
seem to have nowhere to go.  I have an idea that came to me while 
sleeping last night for the last major problem.


On 5/22/2021 9:47 PM, Jim Nichols wrote:
> You are braver than me. Have you tried to find a manual for it 
> on-line?  I found several, but don't know your model number.
>
> On 5/22/21 9:44 PM, Aram Langhans via LUG wrote:
>> 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