MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Just use rattle can enamel, not lacquer. Valspar Tractor paint is good. Rust-Oleum, Dem-Kote. There is one called Dutch Boy that is supposed to be good. I heard Rembrandt used it from rattle cans. It's going to be a shelf princess anyway, isn't it? “Shelf princess.” I think that’s what I’ll call it.

Some of the black paint is much tougher to strip than other. After stripping and polishing three of the largest pieces (of the base and the arm), I’ve arrived at the inclination joint. After 4 separate soakings in KleanStrip stripper, that hasn’t even begun to soften the black paint on these three p...

Earlier you referred to the “slide control knobs”. Are you referring to the design of the iris diaphragm? Since we’re speculating, do the design of the diaphragm, of the mechanical stage or even the case, help to date it? Finally, I’ll be open to any and all recommendations on refinishing it…knowing...

Wow! All I can say is, wow. Someone should have warned me how beautiful unfinished brass can be. Who needs paint?

Ironically, though unique, the use of chrome bits doesn’t appeal to me aesthetically nearly as much as would polished brass (or even the unique yellow lacquer.) I wonder whether it’s possible to source these chrome pieces in the (more age appropriate) yellow lacquer? At least a few parts are definit...

And now with the very small (and initially, paint covered) set screw to the lever removed, the entire fine adjustment mechanism “A” is disassembled. Interestingly the original lubricant could be found at the top of the spring and it was a green color. Can you see the stamped numbers 43 and 48 in the...

I am still intrigued by the parts being what appears to be chrome on brass. Chroming wasn't really done until the 20's. You might consider that your instrument is newer than your edtimate. The mechanical stage is also a more recent design...late 20's maybe. I have never seen chrome on any of them b...

That would be clockwise to unscrew a left handed thread. In my description I mentioned that counter clockwise drives it down and thus tightens it. Turn it clockwise and it should just thread out. I stand corrected . And thank you. Clockwise to remove a left-handed thread as in the case of fine adju...

Thank you! This is very helpful. I can see the aft end of the lever and realized the relatively shallow mechanism that you’ve described (given the space constraint caused by the finger holes of the jug handle.) And I’ve collected the pin; though I was uncertain where it would go back in. So, continu...

I’m going to practice with my ShopGoodwill.com find and try to restore the Spencer Model No. 36H that I’ve recently purchased and posted in a recent thread. It was a little rougher than it initially appeared and I’m not convinced that all of the black paint was original. Others might object that I d...

Good evening. I am new to the forum and this is my first post — and microscope. How do I determine the model numbe r of this vintage Spencer? As you can see from the image, it is a black (not brass) Spencer “jug handle” microscope. It is stamped on the base as "Spencer Lens Co, Buffalo, N.Y., 19898,...