As I am new here to the forum, at least as a member, I am doing a lot of searching rather than posting. During my introduction, ChrisR mentioned this would be the place to share and document my tear-down and cleaning of the microscopes I bought. On a budget here so ordered an Ebay listing of a BH-2-BHTU and a binocular head. I also bought a Nikon Labophot 2 of which I'll do another thread when I tear into that one. I still have to resize and crop the images of the BH-2 for the as received and finish cleaning/setting up the work area. Even though I am retired it seems that time is now even more precious and hard to find for fun things, so I will post as I am able.
My first assessment of the BH-2 is positive, and encouraging. I could just use it as is, and live with a few quirks and foibles. But the engineer in me will not allow that though, seeing the potential that would be achieved. Alignment alone being a driving force to this project.
I shall try to get these pictures up in the next day hopefully, and till then
Happy viewing to everyone.
Tim
Olympus BH-2-BHTU Clean/Restoration Project
Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau
Getting Started
Already March, and things have not slowed down here, so my time to fiddle around has been at a premium.
I have been reading up on the materials Alan Wood suggested and find them very helpful as I approach this tear down.
I found a resizing program as well so I can get a few images uploaded, and seeing that there will be a lot of images, decided I would do many smaller posts with a few images, rather than try to cram everything into one big post.
So here is the creature I got off Ebay:
Tomorrow I'll begin the tear down images.
Tim
I have been reading up on the materials Alan Wood suggested and find them very helpful as I approach this tear down.
I found a resizing program as well so I can get a few images uploaded, and seeing that there will be a lot of images, decided I would do many smaller posts with a few images, rather than try to cram everything into one big post.
So here is the creature I got off Ebay:
Tomorrow I'll begin the tear down images.
Tim
Tear Down
I am removing all the peripheral items to work on as individual assemblies. Remove the stage from the stage holder and the turret assembly.The turret is held in place with 3 bolts through the top of the body.
So as not to lose the hardware I like to keep that with the item or assembly..
Remove the lamp housing and the back plate, lamp just pulls free from the body, there are 4 small screws in the corners to remove, I also put them back into the body once the plate is removed...
Remove the Stage and Condenser Assembly next, note the single cap screw that secures the assembly to the focus assembly, then this slides up from the assembly and comes away as a complete unit. It is helpful to lower the focus so the assembly clears the top freely ...
I shall continue this in my next post
Tim
So as not to lose the hardware I like to keep that with the item or assembly..
Remove the lamp housing and the back plate, lamp just pulls free from the body, there are 4 small screws in the corners to remove, I also put them back into the body once the plate is removed...
Remove the Stage and Condenser Assembly next, note the single cap screw that secures the assembly to the focus assembly, then this slides up from the assembly and comes away as a complete unit. It is helpful to lower the focus so the assembly clears the top freely ...
I shall continue this in my next post
Tim
The story continues
Somethings bug me, especially as I work on something, like imbalance and wobble. This BH 2 came with only one foot, so this must be corrected. Where to buy replacement feet did not pop up in an internet search, so the time to get creative has come.
So the one foot was rubber and happens to look like a rubber stopper, I ordered a pack of test tubes with stoppers and cut them to size, then used a forstner bit to place a hole.
[/img]
With a dab of silicone glue and let dry overnight on a flat surface this solution should suffice.
Back to the tear-down; Remove the 4 cap screws holding the gearbox in,
exposing the pinion and the old grease
Posting this since we are having power issues here
Tim
So the one foot was rubber and happens to look like a rubber stopper, I ordered a pack of test tubes with stoppers and cut them to size, then used a forstner bit to place a hole.
[/img]
With a dab of silicone glue and let dry overnight on a flat surface this solution should suffice.
Back to the tear-down; Remove the 4 cap screws holding the gearbox in,
exposing the pinion and the old grease
Posting this since we are having power issues here
Tim
and continues...
Well, not much to post tonight, just that the PC did survive the power issues, quite the brown out actually, then black. Thankful for the terra-joule protection now.
I wanted to say that the old grease didn't look terrible as I was figuring it to be, either way it will be out with the old and in with the new as I go.
I ordered some of the Ebay #233028536958 that ChrisR had mentioned, and will source some other similar types here, have a friend at a bearing plant, and I believe he can get his hands on just about any grease he desires, maybe a cup of or a pizza might yield what I will need.
Hoping to get back to this by tomorrow but probably Sunday before I can get focused again.
Have a great day!
Tim
I wanted to say that the old grease didn't look terrible as I was figuring it to be, either way it will be out with the old and in with the new as I go.
I ordered some of the Ebay #233028536958 that ChrisR had mentioned, and will source some other similar types here, have a friend at a bearing plant, and I believe he can get his hands on just about any grease he desires, maybe a cup of or a pizza might yield what I will need.
Hoping to get back to this by tomorrow but probably Sunday before I can get focused again.
Have a great day!
Tim
A small reminder about David (Spike) Walker's warning about damping grease, on Micscape - if applied to too many places, nothing moves any more!
There's a whole range of them. Nye used to sell a sample pack which would satisfy most of us for a lifetime, but unfortunately they stopped.
I was advised by a 'scope company repair man that in most cases, light lithium grease would be OK. I imagine - with zero evidence, that it's the fine focus gears which need the damping stuff, so the stage doesn't fall under gravity.
There are one or two other damping greases being sold on ebay at a few dollars per very small amount, for use in suspension dampers of radio controlled cars. They may be worth a try if your friend doesn't respond to pizza.
One application which has brought the exalted goo to fashionably acceptable daily life, is toilet seat closing - now apparently deemed too difficult for mortals to manage manually. The grease used in the hinges is a damping variety. When it leaks onto the seat, I can report that damping isn't the first adjective which comes to mind.
There's a whole range of them. Nye used to sell a sample pack which would satisfy most of us for a lifetime, but unfortunately they stopped.
I was advised by a 'scope company repair man that in most cases, light lithium grease would be OK. I imagine - with zero evidence, that it's the fine focus gears which need the damping stuff, so the stage doesn't fall under gravity.
There are one or two other damping greases being sold on ebay at a few dollars per very small amount, for use in suspension dampers of radio controlled cars. They may be worth a try if your friend doesn't respond to pizza.
One application which has brought the exalted goo to fashionably acceptable daily life, is toilet seat closing - now apparently deemed too difficult for mortals to manage manually. The grease used in the hinges is a damping variety. When it leaks onto the seat, I can report that damping isn't the first adjective which comes to mind.
Chris R
Update: Delays
I laugh at things like starting a project and then find that there are way too many other more important demands being made. But that is life! and life always takes funny turns.
So my update is my buddy would like to help but they too can not get samples and such it seems. I did go ahead and fill out the the Nye request for samples, but of course no one has contacted me yet. I have a few different damping grease's as well as white lithium, and a few others.
Now the clinker in things: I have to place this project on hold for a time as I am moving. It has come time to settle mom into a home or assisted program, and although we knew this day would come, and with that there are opportunities there for her, so this is where I have been spending my time the last 3 weeks. I am hoping to be settled myself in 2 months, and will begin back to this as soon as I can.
I did get more tear down pictures I am preparing and hope to get those up here before I move.
Until then I want to say thank you to everyone following along, all the nice comments and thoughts on where to get and what to plan for. Such a wonderful and helpful group!
Tim
So my update is my buddy would like to help but they too can not get samples and such it seems. I did go ahead and fill out the the Nye request for samples, but of course no one has contacted me yet. I have a few different damping grease's as well as white lithium, and a few others.
Now the clinker in things: I have to place this project on hold for a time as I am moving. It has come time to settle mom into a home or assisted program, and although we knew this day would come, and with that there are opportunities there for her, so this is where I have been spending my time the last 3 weeks. I am hoping to be settled myself in 2 months, and will begin back to this as soon as I can.
I did get more tear down pictures I am preparing and hope to get those up here before I move.
Until then I want to say thank you to everyone following along, all the nice comments and thoughts on where to get and what to plan for. Such a wonderful and helpful group!
Tim