MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Perhaps this is a question of life strategy. Which includes bad decision making. The problem of course has been identified as a problem with used microscopes in general, not the problem of which specific ones were purchased. The problem with used microscopes is that they're, well, used . Many of th...

So, I will have an Orthoplan with all important mechanical parts and systems set for life (or several). Plus spares. This system is one that I am building not just for myself but for my children and perhaps their children, too :-) I found what looks like a late-model Orthoplan stand in very good co...

Are there any advantages to the black standards/universals over the grey versions? I don't see many black examples show up on eBay so I assume they're much rarer than the greys. Since they're older, are there any age-related issues to be wary of?

Some info on the Standard WL: Very interesting. Thanks. It’s tempting to do something similar to that guide and put together a nice Standard WL. It’s only a matter of finding components in excellent condition. Unfortunately, my track record in doing that on eBay has been dismal. :oops: Are there an...

Thanks 75RR, that was helpful.

I notice that the Standards in that document you linked to have plastic focusing knobs—were there earlier versions of the Standard that had all-metal focusing knobs, similar to the earlier generations of the Universal?

Is it some variant of the "Standard"?

Can anyone tell me what model the last microscope on this page is? Thanks.

http://www.usedmicroscopes.co.uk/zeiss.html

Anyone have an opinion on this scope? Good? Bad? Indifferent?

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3813236956

The other reason is that I suspect that you bought by reputation. That is not always a good thing, because reputations can be deserved and undeserved. You have already mentioned that you were advised to buy from one of the big four. The Big Four have only existed since about 1990. The term is used ...

In short. The microscope is way over priced and the sales ad is deceptive. Thanks. That's the kind of information I'm looking for. Do you know any (preferably U.S.) dealers that are reliable and actually do check out a microscope before selling it? How about this one? I've never heard of this compa...

I did some searching and found a dealer ... Feel free to post links to any microscope you are interested in. I am pretty sure members here will be happy to look the listing over and suggest questions you should ask. How about this one? https://microscopecentral.com/products/leica-dmlb-tilting-trino...

The older DMLS is a better built stand -- equivalent in features -- and could be had with the same objectives as a new DM1000 for well less than half that $4800 price. More like $1000. The DMLB is upgradeable to polarization and DIC and would also be much cheaper than a new DM1000. Maybe $2000 depe...

As to getting a newer secondhand microscope, do be aware that as in older ones, condition is everything. Good point. How does one evaluate condition? Since there are no local dealers, I assume anything I buy will come from a remote dealer or individual. I would have to trust the seller to accuratel...

I believe that such budget would easily get you a modern Olympus BX, 10-15 years old at the most, (or equivalent from the other majors brands). I've looked at dealer sites selling used BX40 and BX41 instruments. For a BX41 with trinoc head and Plan 2x, 4x, 10x, 20x, and 40x objectives the going pri...

I use a Zeiss Universal. The focusing mechanism is modular. It's a block that can be removed by taking out 6 screws. Then you can put a new one on. It is the same focusing rack as the Zeiss Standard WL, so it's possible to find a good one for under $100. I have changed out many over the years. I th...

One alternative would be: Have one or both microscopes professionally refurbished. Thanks. I didn't know this was an option. I assumed that anyone capable of rebuilding these ancient microscopes was long retired (or dead). Do you know where I can find a list of people/companies that do this work?

I got into microscopy as a hobby a few years ago, and, frankly, it's been mostly frustration for me since then. Almost all of this frustration has resulted from equipment issues. When I was first considering what to buy a few years ago, I read this site extensively and the general wisdom was that an...

93 images? How did you get it to sit still to take 93 images?

It could well be the case - is there a possibility that the casing that holds the wheel/control is a touch too-tightly assembled? I don't mean the leaves, just any casing that's holding the mechanism.... I don't think so. When I reassembled the unit I had to back off the screws about a half-turn to...

As far as I'm aware the iris should indeed be completely dry and lubricant-free. I went even further when I cleaned the field iris and completely removed all the blades and cleaned them and the other parts in solvent. Now everything is completely degreased, clean, and dry, and the iris opens and cl...

75RR wrote:

Then again this is not going near any lenses is it?
Perhaps someone can chip in on this.

The field iris assembly is immediately adjacent to the swing-out lens. When the swing-out lens is swung in, it's no more than 3-4mm from the iris assembly.

This should do: http://www.molykoteproduct.com/pdf/en/Molykote_33_L_Grease.pdf https://www.amazon.com/Corning-Molykote-Silicone-Temperature-Consistency/dp/B01HE9MOWQ/ref=sr_1_6?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1529561916&sr=1-6&keywords=molykote+33 I thought anything containing silicone was a big no-no any...

I got the scope back together and the field iris works, but it's a little hard to adjust via the thumb wheel. I suspect this is because it's now totally dry--I stripped all of the lubrication out of the unit when I cleaned and reassembled it. I know that the iris blades themselves should not be lubr...

Thanks for the advice. We got it back together and it works. My wife, who’s a master at jigsaw puzzles, and who has a lot more patience than me, finessed it back together. I also found that the 45-degree mirror in the sub stage assembly came completely loose from its mount. Fixing that should be a s...

I got the field iris unit out of the stand and tried soaking the whole thing in solvent. Even after six rounds of solvent, it was still frozen. I took it apart and found that most of the blades were stuck to each other, leaving me no other choice but to remove them and soak them in solvent. They are...

I would not recommend getting un-cured superglue anywhere near optics, especially objectives, as it gives off fumes as it cures and these can fog lens coatings.

Anyone know of an on-line resource that describes disassembling and re-lubricating the focus block on a Zeiss Universal, particularly the later version with the plastic focusing knobs? Is this task even doable by an amateur or do you have to be a Swiss watchmaker to take one of these things apart an...

I bought two sets of prepared slides recently and they had lots of dust and fingerprints all over them. I cleaned then with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) 91% and didn't have any issues with the cover slips coming off. Did you rub it with tissue or just pressed the tissue over it to remove the dust? Gentl...

apochronaut wrote:Do you mean aluminum as in focusing knobs, etc.?

Yes, the focusing knobs and also the slide holder and the graduated scales of the mechanical stage.

I'm kind of late to the party here, but just wanted to point out that when working on instruments like microscopes, hollow-ground screwdrivers work better than the more typical taper-ground versions. The photo below illustrates the difference: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51f9c543e4b0339e6...