New user- Hello!

[N3ptune]

Hello I am from Canada, French Canadian.

And I am primarily a stargazer with the telescope, my 8" Newtonian on equatorial mount, I like to sketch at the eyepiece. Lately I developed an interest in microscopy also. to sketch at the eyepiece of the microscope, cells maybe or anything interesting in the microscopic world.

So I work in the healthcare and I knew where they keep the old gear for spare parts including a couple of microscopes. I made a phone call to know if I could borrow one then it trigged a special cleaning operation of the storage room between the maintenance team and the biomedical team.. (Biomed was kicked out basically) it turned out that there was a Leitz Diaplan there, to be scrapped.. They simply gave it to me! Undeliverable.

So now I have a Diaplan, I replaced the complex transformer in it with a new one + an external dimmer for the 50w halogen lamp, works very well.

The microscope has the following objectives with 10x eyepieces.
Objectives: Magnification 10x Yellow, 25x Green, 63x Black +oil, 40x Phaco 2 and 100x white + oil. I can reach focus with all of them except for the 63x. it looks fine visually.. that problem will be addressed later.

The reason why I am here, I need some help with something else.. the focuser is in bad condition.. it's very stiff and it's about to seize in my opinion.

I am searching for a solution.. because I REALLY want to use that Microscope.

[DrPhoxinus]

Congratulations and Welcome to the forum.

There are a lot of helpful people here.

Many years ago I collected some fish at the University of Montreal Biological Station.

Dried grease can be a problem.

Someone in this forum said to use a hair dryer which might help liquify the grease somewhat.

Be careful not to heat the optics.

Maybe the stiffness caused it too be taken out of service

You are lucky

Gerard

[zzffnn]

Welcome to the forum, N3ptune.

I just repaired and released a frozen fine focus drive of my AO series 10 scope.

Best way is to find exploded view of your focus drive and carefully remove the outer-most layer. Typically two big screws or caps, one on each side. That will provide a pathway into inside of your focus drive.

Then you can unplug the scope, remove optics and pipette about 8 drops of mineral spirits into each side / each junction. Wait a few minutes and gently move the focus drive.

My frozen fine focus was released this way.

Does your 63x say "1.3" on it? If it does, it is not an easy objective to use, its tip needs immersion oil and will get quite close to cover slip when it is in focus.

[N3ptune]

Hello DrPhoxinus

Looking forward to learn about microscopes!

I am not a scientist but I am interested to know, you collected some fishes at the biological station? What was the purpose then?

***
As for the grease, it's a very thick grease, I will test the soft heating on stage to see if there is a difference, it's a bit difficult to move in in the X and Y direction, obviously, because of that thick grease.

But for the focuser, I think there is a broken part in one of the knobs, I published additional information in this new thread.

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=14989

Thanks for that information.

[N3ptune]

Welcome to the forum, N3ptune.

I just repaired and released a frozen fine focus drive of my AO series 10 scope.

Best way is to find exploded view of your focus drive and carefully remove the outer-most layer. Typically two big screws or caps, one on each side. That will provide a pathway into inside of your focus drive.

Then you can unplug the scope, remove optics and pipette about 8 drops of mineral spirits into each side / each junction. Wait a few minutes and gently move the focus drive.

My frozen fine focus was released this way.

Does your 63x say "1.3" on it? If it does, it is not an easy objective to use, its tip needs immersion oil and will get quite close to cover slip when it is in focus.

I would like to have an exploded view! I am searching for one. You can see the current state of the focus drive here, a new dedicated thread.

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=14989

Thanks for the suggestion of the mineral spirits, that's very special thick grease! If it needs to be heated and dissolved

The specs of the 63x are these:
*160/0.17
FLUORESZENZ
63/1.30 - 0.60 Oil
Black ring.

And at the highest setting of the stage, it's not close enough to reach focus, it's just about to appear. What I find strange is that I can reach focus with the 100x White objective, which is also oil immersion, It will focus without oil. (I don't have any oil right now) but not the 63x.

These are the specs of the 100x white
*160/0.17
PL FLUOSTAR
100/1.32 - Oil

[Greg Howald]

Check to see if 63x objective has a spring and if so make sure it is working. A stuck spring may be the answer to the problem.

[N3ptune]

Ahhhhhhh you were right!!

The noze of the 63x moves and it was caught inside of the tube because of the thick grease, the objective looked normal. I pulled it out with my nails and it's in the right position now, It's possible tu push it back down but it wont get out by itself.

This is good news this morning and the ring on that objective is dark blue! not black.

--> Would you put a tiny drop of spirit minerals in the joint or it's too risky to damage the optics?

I am very glad you helped me found this problem @Gred thanks!

here is the picture of it now.

[zzffnn]

I suggest you not to add any solvent to the objective, unless you know exactly where to add (i.e., you know the objective exploded anatomy diagram) and add in as little as possible (as in microliters instead of drops).

If the objective works as it is, then don't risk damaging it with solvent.

That objective has an internal iris that goes from NA 0.60 to NA 1.30, which is useful for fluorescence or darkfield microscopy.

[Greg Howald]

I'd try repeated exercise for the objective rather than trying to add any solvent. A solvent might do something like delaminating a lens. A little dry heat might help to free it up, something like an incubator set at about 85 degrees F. Or maybe placing it about 12 inches from a 60 watt light bulb for a couple of hours. I'd try those things first. Taking apart an objective is really tricky stuff. Oh, it will fall apart. The challenge comes in putting it back together. If nothing else, send it out for servicing.
Greg

[N3ptune]

I suggest you not to add any solvent to the objective, unless you know exactly where to add (i.e., you know the objective exploded anatomy diagram) and add in as little as possible (as in microliters instead of drops).

If the objective works as it is, then don't risk damaging it with solvent.

That objective has an internal iris that goes from NA 0.60 to NA 1.30, which is useful for fluorescence or darkfield microscopy.

I won't apply any solvent on it, but to get the iris of 0.60 to 1.30.. how do I achieve that? Would it be by turning the nose of the objective like some kind of zoom?

And since I don't have the options to do fluorescent and Darkfield, I guess the default setting must be 1.30 ?

[N3ptune]

I'd try repeated exercise for the objective rather than trying to add any solvent. A solvent might do something like delaminating a lens. A little dry heat might help to free it up, something like an incubator set at about 85 degrees F. Or maybe placing it about 12 inches from a 60 watt light bulb for a couple of hours. I'd try those things first. Taking apart an objective is really tricky stuff. Oh, it will fall apart. The challenge comes in putting it back together. If nothing else, send it out for servicing.
Greg

I will not open it! I have experience with telescope eyepieces and ruined one once by opening it. I'll put it under the light and exercise it a bit! It should be fine.

(Or l'll do nothing about it)

[zzffnn]

I suggest you not to add any solvent to the objective, unless you know exactly where to add (i.e., you know the objective exploded anatomy diagram) and add in as little as possible (as in microliters instead of drops).

If the objective works as it is, then don't risk damaging it with solvent.

That objective has an internal iris that goes from NA 0.60 to NA 1.30, which is useful for fluorescence or darkfield microscopy.

I won't apply any solvent on it, but to get the iris of 0.60 to 1.30.. how do I achieve that? Would it be by turning the nose of the objective like some kind of zoom?

And since I don't have the options to do fluorescent and Darkfield, I guess the default setting must be 1.30 ?

Yes and yes.

[N3ptune]

I suggest you not to add any solvent to the objective, unless you know exactly where to add (i.e., you know the objective exploded anatomy diagram) and add in as little as possible (as in microliters instead of drops).

If the objective works as it is, then don't risk damaging it with solvent.

That objective has an internal iris that goes from NA 0.60 to NA 1.30, which is useful for fluorescence or darkfield microscopy.

I won't apply any solvent on it, but to get the iris of 0.60 to 1.30.. how do I achieve that? Would it be by turning the nose of the objective like some kind of zoom?

And since I don't have the options to do fluorescent and Darkfield, I guess the default setting must be 1.30 ?

Yes and yes.

Right! Thanks for these information, to be continued tomorrow with the objectives.

[mikemarotta]

And I am primarily a stargazer with the telescope, my 8" Newtonian on equatorial mount, I like to sketch at the eyepiece.
... it turned out that there was a Leitz Diaplan there, to be scrapped.. ... I am searching for a solution.. because I REALLY want to use that Microscope.

Welcome. I, too, am an astronomer and came here to learn before buying a microscope.

Like you, I took apart an ocular. (When I bought the Celestron Lens & Filter Kit, I found that the standard Celestron 20mm ocular is not threaded. I thought that maybe the filters could be screwed in at the top. I was rewarded with a handful of small glass. It is a known problem, apparently. Celestron has a webpage on how to put it back together. However, the radial orientation was never right again.)

Anyway, you inherited a nice instrument. I am not alone in looking forward to your progress and viewing reports.

Best Regards,
Mike M.