Re: Fine focus gone ...
Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 5:50 am
Agree. They are beautiful machines - in every sense of the word. I am very fortunate to have one.
Just for those with similar problems - I've just been inside an old Zeiss WL focus mechanism and was amazed to see the crud cementing the mechanism in place.
MicroBob's German link was useful, though my old black WL has a somewhat different attachment of the raising pin.
I'd suggest that if others come across an otherwise marvelous WL with a stuck fine focus, that they take a deep breath and venture inside to clean up the cement-like grease before forcing the fine focus gears and possibly stripping them.
Not sure why this one was so bad, perhaps the Zeiss grease of 70 years ago and incompatible oils added over the years? But it may be a common problem and the tiny fine focus gears -- and that swinging gear segment that raises a pin to raise the stage in 2 micron increments - look as if they could be easily stripped if the stuck grease is not removed first.