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Zeiss (blc) 12x60 Observation binoculars

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Optics Apprentice
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DPI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/13/2020 at 15:03
This is one of the new, repro eye relief adjustment screws that I have had made.

Rubbish phone photo, but you get the idea. For the clueless, the new one is on the top.

So now I have to prime it with etching primer and then paint and grease it ready to install in the binocular body, then finally I can get on with the painting.

If you get offered any COVID-19, 'JUST SAY NO!'




Edited by DPI - March/13/2020 at 15:17
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dogger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/13/2020 at 15:10
Looks good Don. Is that the one machined from your CAD drawing?
God save the Empire!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DPI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/13/2020 at 15:15
It was from my CAD drawing, but not the one I posted, that was for a Pintle pin, which still in the workshop, they had hoped to have them ready to collect, but no luck. Anyways I told them there was no urgency on this.

I had five of the replacement screws made, thought might as well, what would be the point of just one, which I am going to use anyway?

The 70+ year old original I will keep safely in a box.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DPI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/18/2020 at 00:29
This video is showing how the new eye relief adjustment screw fits. Testing to see it it fits OK, using a spare Optical carrier tray I have.

The original is shown as well for comparison, but this has a slight bend making it stiff when turning.

The new one fits well


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DPI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/22/2020 at 08:30
Well both good news and bad.

The old broken adjustment screw has been removed. but the internal thread was so damaged, I have had to re-drill and tap the hole again. to 10mm, 1.25. This means its oversized for the replacement screw, so it looks like I am going to have to fit a helicoil insert to bring back to size again, 8mm, 1.25  or get a new screw made for this set.

It does mean that I can blank off the opening for the moment and get on with the painting at least.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DPI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/23/2020 at 04:10
So here is all the metal work primed up and ready for the next stage of painting.

I used gray etching primer, it looks a little darker in the photo than it really is.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DPI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/23/2020 at 07:49
Here they are in the final paint finish, German Ordnance Tan, two coats on top of the primer. Now waiting for them finish curing. Dry to the touch at the moment.

Partially reconstructed the facemask.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DPI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/23/2020 at 09:23
Finished, at last!

When I get a moment I will set them up on a tripod and mounting outside and take a quick walk round video

As they were received:

As they are now








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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DPI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/25/2020 at 09:28
Here they are mounted on the tripod in the glorious Belgium sunshine ready to target enemy aircraft.








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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/25/2020 at 09:46
Don, seriously, the amount of work and research you have put into these historical optics projects is truly amazing! You've amassed a tremendous amount of knowledge of the subject matter along the way! Outstanding work!

I always enjoy reading your posts, sir! Cheers!
Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DPI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/25/2020 at 16:51
Glad you like them. sometimes I wonder as for a site called Optics talk, there does not seem to be much talk.

Don't have large format optics needing work at the moment, several smaller ones under way, ROSS and Barr & Stroud mostly.

Still keeping my eye out for Japanese WW2 stuff and Italian as I don't any in my collection. Its a matter of getting lucky on price and condition.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tahqua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/25/2020 at 18:06
Now Italian stuff I would like to see!
Doug
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dogger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/25/2020 at 19:37
Ditto what Ted said, well done Don!
God save the Empire!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DPI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/26/2020 at 01:00
Well I have a friend in Italy who finds a lot of stuff for me. Currently he's in lockdown so that has kind of put everything on hold.

But he's catching up on repairing really, really old violins. And staying away from the infected, sounds like the Zombie Apocalypse.. Just waiting for the first one to show up.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote coyote95 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/26/2020 at 11:50
GREAT STUFF !!!   Excellent     Thanks for sharing.
"Life is like riding a bicycle . To keep balance you must keep moving" Albert Einstein
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DPI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April/17/2020 at 09:36
Well the proper pintle pins have arrived from the UK. I was supposed to pick them up, but had to have them posted instead.

Also the replacement, up-sized adjustment screw arrived and has been fitted.





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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DPI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/19/2020 at 01:39
*** NEW PROJECT ***

Just bought these, from Germany, the seller wanted 1500 GBP for them, I beat him down on that considerably, and even then I was being generous.

As you can see, they need a lot of work, but they appear to be an late model from the type of rubber used in the eye relief mask, cant read the serial number yet, so not sure.

They are in a pretty ropy cosmetic condition. Again the eye relief adjustment screw is missing, its been cut off this time. The ocular cover and strap assy is missing, the ID plate is missing.The doublets look OK, you cant tell with the oculars until you get them off and take a close look, but it does not seem to have any sign of impact damage externally. Prisms are generally robustly mounted, so most likely will be OK. There is what looks like a 'homebrew' mounting plate fitted on the base. Can't see internally from the photos what the rust situation will be, bound to be some. You may note that there are no trokenluft ports on the sides of the optical carrier plate, which again leads me to a late war conclusion.

So another tear down and rebuild job to be done.














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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DPI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/25/2020 at 11:36
Well, back in Belgium, The 12x60 from Germany has arrived and is in the project queue for work.
Overall the paint job is the worst of it so far. I have no idea how so many of these came to be painted black, unless it was some sort of de-mil program after the war.

These are early models, this is indicated from the red, natural rubber mask pieces. Unfortunately there is no real way to deal with this. Replacement, not that there are any, would take away from the history of what they are.

Also they have no trokenluft ports, which it seems came into being later in the war.

From an external look-e-see, the glassware seems to be in good order, but the objective doublets are a little grubby and need cleaning.
The filter mechanism is intact and functional.

The eye relief adjustment screw has been sawn off, leaving a stub in place, better than the last one though (I hope)

The cover for one of the reticle alignment ports is missing.

The mounting locking knob is seized.

It has a 'homebrew' mounting plate fitted underneath

The ocular cover plate and strap is missing

For the missing parts, I have some spares, The adjustment screw, I have some repro spares I had made from last time. So this weekend I shall lift the optical carrier plate and have a look at the guts of this thing
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Scrumbag Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/28/2020 at 01:20
Good luck as that looks to be quite a project!
Was sure I had a point when I started this post...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DPI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/07/2020 at 01:03
Well spent time yesterday dealing with the issues that this pair present.

Managed to extract the stub of the cut off adjustment screw and install a replacement. Problem is that some fool ground the ramp on the face mask frame flat, so that the adjustment screw, no longer engages the frame and cannot be adjusted for eye relief.

Also, presumably by the same fool, the optics carrier plate has been badly handled were it mates with the main body, leaving deep gauges. I am assuming in an attempt to separate the two.

The black paint chips off easily, but so does the ordnance tan. Underneath is a harder dark-grey paint. But is in line with the entry in Dr Seegers book about this serial number group, which says they were produced in dark grey. So it seems that's the original paint layer.

The filter frame assy is different to the other 12x60 I have. I shall post some comparative photos of this.

The mounting bar on the base is missing and the mounting screw is very stiff, old grease I suspect


Filter assy on other models.


This pairs filter assy

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