Reichert Polyvar

Everything relating to microscopy hardware: Objectives, eyepieces, lamps and more.
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Phill Brown
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#91 Post by Phill Brown » Wed May 10, 2023 1:45 pm

Sometimes good to work on in a tub.
Parts should only be able to go so far.

Rorschach
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#92 Post by Rorschach » Wed May 10, 2023 2:06 pm

imkap wrote:
Wed May 10, 2023 1:37 pm
Rorschach wrote:
Wed May 10, 2023 1:06 pm
Rorschach wrote:
Wed May 10, 2023 11:55 am


Ok, that is reassuring to read :) Although I am not exactly known for calmness :oops: But I will certainly restrain myself on this one. The iris assembly can't be reached without first opening the whole condenser. So that in itself will be nerve-wrecking.

Edit: has anyone here opened up one of these condensers? Is there something to worry about, like small parts suddenly falling out if it is opened "wrong side up" or other similar things that Reichert maintenance people would know but a hobbyist not? Alignment things or similar to worry about?
I'd say that alignment is always something you'll have to think about when assembling microscope parts...
Nothing too complicated in a condenser, just after assembly one should be able to properly align different annuli or prisms...
Probably nothing will fall out, maybe there is a ball bearing inside.

Just go for it and take notes and/or pictures, take care not to scratch the optics. And clean the working place, desk from dust...
Okay, I'll need to check what tools would likely be needed and whether I have them in the correct sizes. Annuli and prism alignment certainly won't happen until I find or manufacture the wrenches for that, as the originals were missing...what a surprise!

Rorschach
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#93 Post by Rorschach » Wed May 10, 2023 2:08 pm

Phill Brown wrote:
Wed May 10, 2023 1:45 pm
Sometimes good to work on in a tub.
Parts should only be able to go so far.
What a great idea! :lol: Just that I don't have one. Almost nobody here in Finland has a tub...most everybody has a sauna in their house or apartment.

Hobbyst46
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#94 Post by Hobbyst46 » Wed May 10, 2023 2:08 pm

I never worked on a Reichert condenser. From experience with the Zeiss:
1. As said above, if the only fault is stuck aperture leaves, I would try to clean them and dry them without taking the whole device apart, if possible.
2. Lighter fluid is very likely a better solvent than alcohol for oil and grease residues.
3. A condenser can include tiny balls and springs. I would spread white cloth over the bench to catch all those from falling on the floor and getting lost.

Scarodactyl
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#95 Post by Scarodactyl » Wed May 10, 2023 6:31 pm

Rorschach wrote:
Wed May 10, 2023 2:08 pm
Phill Brown wrote:
Wed May 10, 2023 1:45 pm
Sometimes good to work on in a tub.
Parts should only be able to go so far.
What a great idea! :lol: Just that I don't have one. Almost nobody here in Finland has a tub...most everybody has a sauna in their house or apartment.
Not a bath tub, a smaller tub as for storage. I doubt you have rubbermaid brand over there but something along those lines.
Last edited by Scarodactyl on Wed May 10, 2023 8:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

wabutter
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#96 Post by wabutter » Wed May 10, 2023 8:10 pm

From the 80's onward, the Polyvar that were in the field morphed into the into the Polyvar SC and further iterations used in the Semiconductor business. Leica spun off a separate company that focused solely on the Semi Business including Lithography systems and other tools for fabs. . The Bio and standard Met versions were non existent in the 90's as the Leica branding and DM R line supplanted them. Only the MeF4 remained as a general white light platform from Vienna over the MM6 from the Leitz era. Actual timing for the Univar was early 70's until 1975 ish and the Polyvar was introduced in 75/76 time frame.

Rorschach
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#97 Post by Rorschach » Mon May 15, 2023 8:48 am

More bad news, regarding the HBO lamp house. When I detached it, there were loose glass shards coming out from within the compartment where the lamp is. They were of bluish tint but didn't look like parts of a mirror or a lens. Heat absorption filter? I did not yet open up that compartment as I had to leave for a work trip. Here's what the lamp house looks like from the lens side (i.e. that faces the back of the microscope):
20230514_163028.jpg
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When looking inside the microscope through the lamphouse hole, at the tilting mirror (that diverts light to transmitted or to reflected), I noticed some black marks/stuff on the mirror. Could be dirt or could be signs of a HBO lamp having exploded? Here's an image:
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This is what the other lamphouse, the one for a 150W Xenon looks like from inside. Again, I did not yet open the compartment where the lamp is. The Xenon lamphouse and it's power unit did not come with the scope, I got them from elsewhere.
20230514_163122.jpg
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Rorschach
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#98 Post by Rorschach » Mon May 15, 2023 8:56 am

So it seems that the scope wasn't quite "shelved in working condition". I have some work to to. However, I am not going to give up on it. I think it is gem or a diamond among scopes...maybe a little bit rougher along the edges than anticipated but a diamond nevertheless :)

MWK
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#99 Post by MWK » Tue May 16, 2023 5:22 pm

The Iris of your condenser should definitely be fixable. Just like everyone says, it's just a bit 'tedious'. But as long as your patient and careful, it'll work out. It's a matter of overlapping the blades perfectly and keeping them in place as you place the piece 'that holds and guides all the small pins of the blades together' (for lack of its proper name) ;)

Hobbyst46
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#100 Post by Hobbyst46 » Tue May 16, 2023 7:27 pm

The green-blue tint definitely reminds of a KG-type heat filter. Such heat filters can crack after a long period of exposure to a serious heat source like the 150W Xe. Also, IMHO, a 75 Xe bulb should do fine, if that HBO housing can be fitted with it.

Rorschach
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#101 Post by Rorschach » Sun May 21, 2023 5:57 am

Here's a pictorial on how to open up, clean and fix the iris of a Polyvar Universal Condenser.

The first step obviously is to the remove the condenser and it's carrier from the substage. The next step is to unscrew the single long screw that attaches the swing-in widefield optics sitting under the condenser. This will also release the thick, heavy prism disc that sits in the middle.

Pic1: widefield swing-in optics detached, condenser lying upside down:
20230520_102312_small.jpg
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Then one can remove the middle disk that contains the DIC prisms and phase annuli. It is held in place only by that central screw that you removed in step one. You may want to loosen the two screws that keep the top and bottom condenser disks attached to the condenser carrier. One of the screws is indicated by a red arrow in the next pic. In addition to the two long screws, the condenser top and bottom halves are also held in place and aligned by four steel pins (two each). After removing the two screws, the condenser top and bottom disks can be simply pulled off .

Pic 2:
20230520_110411small.jpg
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In the following pic you can see that the lower covering disk of the condenser has been pulled off and detached. What you see is the upper disk, on it's back, exposing the iris control mechanism. It's a freaking cord pulley system, augmented with a spring!

Pic 3, iris control mechanism:
20230520_110803small.jpg
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The next step was to use Ronsonol lighter fluid, a quite liberal amount of it actually, to get rid of hardened oil/grease residues and to loosen the iris blades. But before doing that you absolutely have to remember to first unscrew the condenser top optic. This sits on the top disk, attached by two screws, easily removed. The removal not only gets the top optic out of harms way (i.e. the Ronsonol fluid and whatever crap it dissolves) but it is also absolutely necessary to gain access to the pins that control the iris blades. Each blade has a pin that is supposed to go into an aligning slot in a white plastic disc.

In the next pic you can see the iris blades, their alignment pins and the slots on the plastic for each pin. As you can see, all the pins have jumped out of the corresponding slots. So the pic is of the upper disc/plate of the condenser, facing up and with the top optic removed.

Pic 3: iris blade mechanism
20230520_111322small.jpg
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Once the iris blades have been soaked a few times by spraying Ronsonol on them, then wiping it off each time (be careful not to have any optics close by while applying Ronsonol...it's a squirt bottle!), they became unstuck and mobile again. So it was easy to gently push each alignment pin back to it's corresponding slot in the plastic.

Pic 4: iris blades nicely back in alignment. You can also see that the blades are no longer unnaturally tensioned to a convex formation around the middle. They are now flat as they should be.
20230520_112417small.jpg
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Here's a link to a video that I uploaded on Youtube. It shows the mechanism fixed, in operation. I had to put it up on Youtube as the file size restrictions here are very preventive. The clip: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/l_PPcpI4-Po

Hobbyst46
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#102 Post by Hobbyst46 » Sun May 21, 2023 8:27 am

Well done and nicely presented!

Rorschach
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#103 Post by Rorschach » Sun May 21, 2023 9:50 am

Thanks :) During that work I unfortunately made more discoveries that will require further repair work but also replacement parts. More talk and pics on these later but for the moment this burning question: what solvents does Reichert suggest for cleaning various optical surfaces? I have not been able to find any lit on this, despite a lot of effort on the matter. I can't find a repair manual on any of the scopes in the Polyvar family. I do know that some manufacturers like Leitz specifically forbid the use of alcohol (I guess that includes isopropanol, that also being an alcohol).

I never spray/pour any solvents or even distilled water directly on the optics, always on Tiffen lens paper or similar. The very first step obviously having been the use of an air blower to get rid of loose stuff.

I have used this on some lenses: https://www.baader-planetarium.com/en/o ... fluid.html Baader is quite renowned especially in the astro world and if they recommend this stuff for all coatings, astro mirrors and the finest apochromats, it counts for something I guess. But your experiences would be valuable even so.

Hobbyst46
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#104 Post by Hobbyst46 » Sun May 21, 2023 10:47 am

AFAIK for any model of microscope.

Distilled water is very often the best cleaner. If the dirt can be removed with water, or slightly soapy water, no solvent should be applied.
In general, the purpose of an organic solvent is to remove old and dried oil and grease. As such it is liable to dissolve glass cements, absorb into rubber parts and penetrate and damage certain metal paints and coatings. Also, impure solvents tend to leave a residue after evaporation. Solvents often attack plastics !
Therefore, only certain solvents, that are not too powerful, should be used.

Isopropanol has been long identified as a suitable cleaner for microscopy.
The same goes for simple hydrocarbons like heptane, octane, petrol ether.
On stubborn residues, we sometimes try some other solvents.
Common alcohols: The oil-dissolving power follows the order isopropanol>ethanol>methanol. Methanol is not generally useful.
Alcohols frequently contain water (up to 30%) but water is not an impurity. So these dilute alcohols can be used.
Xylene is an excellent solvent of grease and has been recommended for microscopy. It is considered harmful though.

Try to restrict the use of organic solvents to glass surfaces, and unpainted metal if a must.

Use the solvent sparingly. Avoid flooding any part with solvent. Saturate the cleaning tissue - which by itself must be very soft and leave no sieves - with the solvent and wipe gently, in one direction only or in circular motion.
No rubbing. This holds for water and soapy water as well.

Since spraying can distribute solvent droplets onto the surface in an uncontrolled fashion, I would suggest to avoid sprays. They are appropriate for cleaning eyeglasses though...

Phill Brown
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#105 Post by Phill Brown » Sun May 21, 2023 10:54 am

Never rub or wipe a first surface mirror.
If it won't rinse off leave it.

Hobbyst46
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#106 Post by Hobbyst46 » Sun May 21, 2023 10:59 am

Phill Brown wrote:
Sun May 21, 2023 10:54 am
Never rub or wipe a first surface mirror.
If it won't rinse off leave it.
+1

Rorschach
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#107 Post by Rorschach » Sun May 21, 2023 11:57 am

Thanks for the tips! However, what exactly is a 'first surface mirror'? I have seen those mentioned but not really explained. Are all the mirrors in microscopes of that type?

Hobbyst46
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#108 Post by Hobbyst46 » Sun May 21, 2023 1:18 pm

A first surface mirror is any mirror whose front surface is the reflector. Unlike a common bathroom or dressing room glass mirror, whose back surface is coated such that there is a glass or acrylic layer between the reflector and the observer (or sensor). For example, a mirror made by coating sheet metal is a first surface mirror.
In a microscope, a first surface mirror can be found along the illuminating train. The 45 degrees mirror within the base for example. Such mirrors are free of optical artefacts introduced by the glass layer.

Rorschach
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#109 Post by Rorschach » Sun May 21, 2023 2:50 pm

Ok, thanks. That verified what I thought/guessed.

Rorschach
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#110 Post by Rorschach » Sun May 21, 2023 3:05 pm

Here's the worse one of the two new problems that were found during the iris diaphragm repair. All three phase contrast annuli have pretty nasty surface scratches on them, please see the pic:
20230520_102539small.jpg
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Don't be fooled by the 10 IC marking. The markings on the outer rim of the disk always refer to the disc/annuli that is located on the _opposite_ side of the disc. The DIC prisms do not suffer from this scratch problem.

Looks like the phase annuli were maybe set too high relative to the top of the disc or something was lodged between the rotating center disk and the top condenser shell/cover. I also noticed some signs of shoddy repairman work elsewhere: one optical part had a pretty strong scratch mark from a slipped tool in the metal around it. I guess this means that the phase contrast option just became of even less interest than before...

The other problem was the condenser height adjustment mechanism that is properly stuck with hardened grease. This one is no biggie, however, as I have another one in working condition. It came with a XY-table from a member on here. But I will probably fix the stuck one at some point just for the fun of it. Just not in the next few months :D

Edit: it occurred to me that the scratches may have been caused by the stuck iris diaphagm, because the center of it was bent into a convex shape that pointed downward from the condenser top plate, i.e. towards the center disc and the phase annuli. The iris obviously is located at the correct spot to have caused something like that.

viktor j nilsson
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#111 Post by viktor j nilsson » Sun May 21, 2023 3:34 pm

Those scratches on the phase annuli might not be a big problem, as long as they let thought a decent ring of light. That said, I never use phase since getting DIC, so I wouldn't worry about them anyway.

Scarodactyl
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#112 Post by Scarodactyl » Sun May 21, 2023 4:59 pm

I doubt those scratches will matter at all. Glad they're not on the prisms!!

apochronaut
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#113 Post by apochronaut » Sun May 21, 2023 5:11 pm

They will be a problem only if they perforate the black barrier and allow light through or cause ray scatter. The annular ring is the only active part of a phase diaphragm. Just to be safe, I would take a good permant pointed tip marker and black out each scratch. Since the bull's eye is spoked, it looks like your targets are not painted on glass like older ones were.
That area where the scratch has caused the bull's eye edge to glint ; dull that with some black. That reflecting surface on the inside of the annular ring will reflect and scatter rays, for sure affecting contrast some

Hobbyst46
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#114 Post by Hobbyst46 » Sun May 21, 2023 6:09 pm

In case the black markers do not remedy, 3M markets pitch-black adhesive sheets that are totally impervious to light.

apochronaut
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#115 Post by apochronaut » Sun May 21, 2023 10:41 pm

Hobbyst46 wrote:
Sun May 21, 2023 6:09 pm
In case the black markers do not remedy, 3M markets pitch-black adhesive sheets that are totally impervious to light.
I have used sharpies on the old AO diaphragms which were painted on glass. Sometimes it takes a couple of coats.

Rorschach
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#116 Post by Rorschach » Wed May 24, 2023 4:17 pm

Thanks again for the advice!

Finally had a chance to inspect the objectives more thoroughly, including the newly arrived heavy-weight Plan 1.25x lens. Outside of normal cleanable dirt on all of them, I wasn't able to detect anything serious. Same with both eyepieces and the DIC slider. Both of the high mag Plan Apos had working irises so that is a relief. Also noticed that the 10x Plan Apo seems to be an older series as it was engraved, not painted.

However, I noticed that it is very difficult to see any of the inner lens surfaces of the higher mag objectives. I tried both the basic 'see through both end against light' and the stereo microscope (with both bright and dark field, lens slightly tilted or not).

wabutter
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#117 Post by wabutter » Tue May 30, 2023 8:23 pm

I was review some of the earlier posts in this thread and thought I would update a couple of points.
Apochromaut did a very accurate listing of the time line for AO/Reichert corporate migration via MA activites. He referenced on hole, in regards to the Polylite. The first reference I have for the Metaplan/Polylite platform was in March of 1987. MetaPlan being the typical 4 inch stage for Metallurgical application and the Polylite a 6x6 stage for semiconductor inspection. From the Tube up, these used Diastar tubes and eyepieces. Below the tube, it was all Polyvar. Exclusively IL illumination and met nosepiece By August of 1988 the Polylite SC had evolved with an 8x8 inch stage. Essentially there as no difference in the platforms optically. The Polyvar offered up to a 30mm FOV while Polylite maxed out at 22mm. The Polyvar offered integrated photo documentation systems, while the Polylite offered attachable documentation systems. Of course the Polylite was a more affordable platform as well. The SC designation on Polyvars and Polylites indicated a platform for Semiconductor applications.
One added note, Reichert and AO based optics were not produced in Wetzlar. Reichert Vienna continued to produce the MeF4 into the early 2000 the PolyCon became part of the Semiconductor Divsion that was spun off in the early 2000's
Lastly, the original incarnation of Leica included what became three entities. Leica Camera, that was spun off in the early 90's on the German Stock exchange, Leica Geo Systems that was spun off in the mid 90's on the Swiss Exchange and Leica Microsystems that was planned for and IPO in 2000, but pulled back due to market conditions and was acquired from the VC ownership by Danaher in 2005. Subsequent to that Leica Biosystems was created and split from Leica Microsystems to focus on specimen preparation equipment and reagents.

apochronaut
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#118 Post by apochronaut » Wed May 31, 2023 12:12 am

So that's why I have this odd 40X .70 planfluor phase objective. It seems in all ways to be the 40X planfluor of the series 400 but is phase, which were not offered in planfluor for the series 400 and has s super small annulus. Thin and of a small diameter. It does not work with the 40X Diastar phase diaphragm but works with the 100X Diastar phase diaphragm, with which it gives a form of DF phase. It was probably native to the Polylite?

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labx
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#119 Post by labx » Sun Nov 05, 2023 5:55 pm

IREICHERT-JUNG POLYVAR Manual

https://disk.yandex.ru/i/0W5oFDyTyH-bbA
Last edited by labx on Thu Dec 07, 2023 2:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
Polyvar, Zeiss Imager Z1, Jenaval, Microtome Reichert Jung Biocut 2030,

MWK
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Re: Reichert Polyvar

#120 Post by MWK » Thu Nov 16, 2023 2:22 pm

How goes your restoration? I'm curious to hear about the progress you're making! :)

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