Another side by side comparison

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Radazz
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Another side by side comparison

#1 Post by Radazz » Fri Mar 16, 2018 2:40 pm

An old post, but I got the postimage pix to show..
Had to change all postimage.org to postimage.cc


Here is a comparison of the Spencer and B&L straight binocular body.
These are intended as a visual reference, and entertainment for those of us who collect these stands.
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And so you don’t have to search for them, here is the inclined body set again.
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Enjoy
Last edited by Radazz on Sun Apr 15, 2018 2:04 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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einman
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Re: Another side by side comparison

#2 Post by einman » Fri Mar 16, 2018 3:13 pm

I have the same stand to the right! They are beautifully constructed. I also have the same Vtech phone LOL.

apochronaut
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Re: Another side by side comparison

#3 Post by apochronaut » Fri Mar 16, 2018 5:50 pm

so do I ! maybe it's the MicrobeHunterVortex.

Radazz, I'm not sure what the year of mfg. on your Spencer is but up until at least the early 30's, and quite a while after they had introduced the inclined body tube, they continued to offer a vertical head with blinders that could be closed off, on both the right and left side. You lifted a little lever and a little metal door would be raised blocking the image to that eye. They also offered a combination binocular/monocular body tube, which could be shifted sideways, allowing the lightpath to go straight to the right hand eyepiece , if preferred. Sometime around 1932, they adapted it to the inclined body tube, and brought out the Monoinclinocular. It seems totally bizarre now but such was the adherence of the early microbiologists to monocular tubes, with their unfettered absolutely true image.
Here's a Spencer 7 from an old post with the combination monocular/binocular body and the blinders.

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=1042

MicroBob
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Re: Another side by side comparison

#4 Post by MicroBob » Fri Mar 16, 2018 7:56 pm

@Apochronaut: These bi-/monocular tubes are really an interesting piece of history. How common it is that people need a while to accustom themselves to new designs. In our microscopy group there always was a lack of binocular microscopes until recently. Now we have enough binocular microscopes but there is always at least one person who prefers a monolular tube becaues he is single-eyed or whatever! :lol:

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Radazz
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Re: Another side by side comparison

#5 Post by Radazz » Fri Mar 16, 2018 9:23 pm

Apo, the serial numbers indicate the 13 MH with the straight body as 1938, and the 13 MLH. With the inclined occulars as 1944.

Those are some wild options. Any way we can see some catalog pages?
Looking for them on line makes it seem like it’s classified.

The binocular body in your link looks very much like this 1926, but this one has a space between the body and the course focus rack.
Image
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apochronaut
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Re: Another side by side comparison

#6 Post by apochronaut » Sat Mar 17, 2018 12:56 am

That looks like Bausch & Lomb but with 1930's-50's Spencer eyepieces.
I do not have a scanner but I can make a photo of the catalogue pages , however the 1929 catalogue on Neeley's site has on page 9 the entry for the monocular binocular viewing body. and the Spencer research microscope catalogue, from Tom Woods http://user.xmission.com/~psneeley/Pers ... 5-1935.pdf has on page 7 info. about the combination bodies.

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Radazz
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Re: Another side by side comparison

#7 Post by Radazz » Sat Mar 17, 2018 3:46 am

apochronaut wrote:That looks like Bausch & Lomb but with 1930's-50's Spencer eyepieces.
I do not have a scanner but I can make a photo of the catalogue pages , however the 1929 catalogue on Neeley's site has on page 9 the entry for the monocular binocular viewing body. and the Spencer research microscope catalogue, from Tom Woods http://user.xmission.com/~psneeley/Pers ... 5-1935.pdf has on page 7 info. about the combination bodies.
That’s right. Esthetic value.
Great link. Better than anything I’ve found even for Spencer.

I have yet to discover a source of B&L catalogs and documents. Those are what I meant by classified.
Was there a fire at B&L that consumed them all?

Wonder if the library of Congress has them...
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MicroBob
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Re: Another side by side comparison

#8 Post by MicroBob » Sat Mar 17, 2018 8:48 am

Thank you for showing these beautiful instruments! I live in Germany where nearly no american microscopes were sold, so they are especially exotic for me. I like old well made things a lot but restrain myself from collecting them. (Most people would call my extensive, old and sometimes exotic work equipment a collection though :lol: )
So I enjoy these photos even more. The backround information about them is invaluable. How do they feel in the hands of a microscopist in year 2018? How did they stand the test of time, how do they compare to other makes and to todays instruments.

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Radazz
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Re: Another side by side comparison

#9 Post by Radazz » Sat Mar 17, 2018 1:56 pm

After I completely disassemble one and clean out the old stiff grease, relube the racks, and get everything moving freely, I clean the outside with warm water and wax it. Degreasing is where the safety equipment and naphtha are used. Cleaning stickers and tape off of a scope that came from a school can be a chore.

Once the stand and glass are cleaned, they’re a joy to play with, fantasize about and look at and through. A pleasure for all of my senses. I would choose one over one of the new Chinese scopes in a heartbeat. No plastic!
They can be repaired. Some of the newer ones are like a Bic lighter. If they break, it’s cheaper to throw one away and replace it than to have it repaired.

Still, I wouldn’t try to fairly compare a B&L to a Zeiss or a Wild Heerbrugg.

Jim
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apochronaut
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Re: Another side by side comparison

#10 Post by apochronaut » Sun Mar 18, 2018 1:32 pm

Radazz wrote:
apochronaut wrote:That looks like Bausch & Lomb but with 1930's-50's Spencer eyepieces.
I do not have a scanner but I can make a photo of the catalogue pages , however the 1929 catalogue on Neeley's site has on page 9 the entry for the monocular binocular viewing body. and the Spencer research microscope catalogue, from Tom Woods http://user.xmission.com/~psneeley/Pers ... 5-1935.pdf has on page 7 info. about the combination bodies.
That’s right. Esthetic value.
Great link. Better than anything I’ve found even for Spencer.

I have yet to discover a source of B&L catalogs and documents. Those are what I meant by classified.
Was there a fire at B&L that consumed them all?

Wonder if the library of Congress has them...
There are a few catalogues around from before 1920; maybe 6 or so on-line. I can't recall where exactly, but with a little thought and effort, I can locate them, They are in archives which also contain Spencer documents, those being more preserved in my cranium.
I did post a few pages from this 1937 Research Microscope catalogue a few years ago,with camera captures.
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=2215&hilit=b+%26+l+catalogue

Library of Congress for sure has some brochures,manuals,catalogues etc. related to B & L microscopes but only a small amount of it has been scanned.

I have a decent amount of Balplan stuff, which I will try to get to scanning. If anyone wants anything, just ask.; and here is a small amount of other http://www.science-info.net/docs/b-l/

I have second hand information that when the B & L factory was finally retired by Leica, all the archives went to the U. of Rochester.


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Radazz
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Re: Another side by side comparison

#12 Post by Radazz » Mon Mar 19, 2018 4:42 pm

Thanks so much,Apo.
The HathiTrust library is full of great stuff.
Wish I was an associate so I could download, but reading on line is just as good in range of WiFi.

Thanks again
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Radazz
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Re: Another side by side comparison

#13 Post by Radazz » Sun Apr 15, 2018 3:08 am

Just experimenting with postimage, had to edit the original post and replace every instance of postimg.org with postimg.cc. Rather laborious. Might be easier to copy the text to an editor and use find and replace, and write it back into the post.
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