Info/Books on DIY binocular repair?
Sydney Guy
have a nice pair of 6X30 Japanese binoculars (brandname Zenith, metal
body, blue lens coatings) that my father bought new in 1964, but which
have some mould growing on the lenses and are badly out of collimation
after 38 years. I want to clean these up and give them to my 12yo
nephew as a replacement for his crappy Tasco cheapies. Since I've also
recently bought some other old binocs on eBay, I'd like to learn how
to do this myself.
I've already read Pete Rasmussen's & Ed Zarenski's excellent articles
on Cloudy Nights re collimation, but I'm not clear how applicable this
is to 1960s binocs and plus I need to disassemble & clean the lenses.
After a bit of googling, I've come up with the following shortlist of
relevant books:
1) Choosing, Using, and Repairing Binoculars, J.W. Seyfried, 1995,
University Optics, 176 pages.
- seems to be highly recommended in past threads on saa.
2) Repairing and Adjusting Binoculars, Alii Service Notes, 1996, 70
pages
http://www.deutscheoptik.com/product.php?cat=books&id=168
also author's website at http://www.montysmagic.com/bin.html
- Nearest I've come to a review is from Deutsche Optik:
"a very helpful notebook on binocular assembly, disassembly, tools,
techniques, optical adjustments, and even zoom binocular repair, with
more emphasis on technical aspects than the Seyfried book"
3) Guide to Riflescope Repair, J.W. Seyfried, 1985, University Optics
"103 pages, how to clean riflescopes, repair broken reticles,
re-cement lenses, other helpful stuff"
- not exactly binoculars, but most of contents probably relevant. But
does it duplicate #1?
4) Collimators And Collimation, Edmund Scientific 19??
"Optical technicians describe a wide variety of collimators. Includes
plans for building an alignment collimator, zero hand collimator, a
projector collimator, and an auto collimator plus others. Techniques
for collimating binoculars. 36 pages."
- looks interesting but is this material an excerpt from #5?
5) Popular Optics, An Amateur's Guide To Optics And Optical
Instruments, Edmund Scientific, 19??
"Written in an easy-to-understand, highly illustrated style, this
extensive self-education guide will teach you basic optics through ray
tracing and design, and build-it-yourself projects for all the primary
optical instruments.
Includes: the optical bench, focal lengths, imaging formulae, testing,
optical math, projecting and condensing light and much more.
Softcover, 192 pages"
6) Basic Optics and Optical Instruments, Dover Pubns; 4th ed 1969
"Presented as a training course for the Bureau of Naval Personnel,
this book provides a thorough coverage of the basic theory of optics
and its applications. The course begins with a discussion of the
composition of optical glass and the manufacture of lenses and prisms
for optical instruments. Over 6,000 charts and diagrams—all of
which help to clarify an already well-organized presentation."
Has anybody read any of these books and can comment on them? Bear in
mind that I am in Australia and will have to order them from the US
sight unseen, and return is not an option. Also, if you have any
advice on binocular repair or references to any websites with such
info, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks in advance,
SG
Peter Abrahams
The mould damage might be permanent, etched on the glass. Clean with
alchohol, acetone, or other pure solvent. Zeiss sells mold killing cleaner
to repairmen, but I don't know where to get it.
Collimation is difficult, and the procedure varies among binocular models.
It is possible to do it, if you like tinkering & are very careful, and
don't mind damaging the glass with mistakes.
It can be a very difficult job, and no book can steer you through the
pitfalls.
> 1) Choosing, Using, and Repairing Binoculars, J.W. Seyfried, 1995,
> University Optics, 176 pages.
Possibly the best single source, though some of the text has been described
by repairmen as less than adequate.
> 2) Repairing and Adjusting Binoculars, Alii Service Notes, 1996, 70
> pages
> http://www.deutscheoptik.com/product.php?cat=books&id=168
> also author's website at http://www.montysmagic.com/bin.html
Not quite as thorough as Seyfried, but ok to good.
> 4) Collimators And Collimation, Edmund Scientific 19??
> "Optical technicians describe a wide variety of collimators. Includes
> plans for building an alignment collimator, zero hand collimator, a
> projector collimator, and an auto collimator plus others. Techniques
> for collimating binoculars. 36 pages."
> - looks interesting but is this material an excerpt from #5?
From memory, this has more than Popular Optics, and if collimation is your
only goal it might be the best....but you have to disassemble to collimate.
Disassembling a binocular can be a real challenge.
> 5) Popular Optics, An Amateur's Guide To Optics And Optical
This is a great book, but not a repair manual.
> 6) Basic Optics and Optical Instruments, Dover Pubns; 4th ed 1969
This is about all you'd need for repairing US military binoculars; except
you'd also need a collimator, tools, and much experience.
If you're really interested in this topic & have lots of time to burn, buy
a bunch of junk binocs, all the books above, rig up a collimator, and have
a great time. It is a rewarding activity, but don't practice on Zeiss or
Nikon binoculars.
--Peter
Roger Davis
> I'm looking for some information on binocular repair and adjustment. I
> have a nice pair of 6X30 Japanese binoculars (brandname Zenith, metal
> body, blue lens coatings) that my father bought new in 1964, but which
> have some mould growing on the lenses and are badly out of collimation
> after 38 years. I want to clean these up and give them to my 12yo
> nephew as a replacement for his crappy Tasco cheapies. Since I've also
> recently bought some other old binocs on eBay, I'd like to learn how
> to do this myself.
There are Zenith and then there are Zenith and then there are Super
Zenith. Good fro practicing on.
> I've already read Pete Rasmussen's & Ed Zarenski's excellent articles
> on Cloudy Nights re collimation, but I'm not clear how applicable this
> is to 1960s binocs and plus I need to disassemble & clean the lenses.
> After a bit of googling, I've come up with the following shortlist of
> relevant books:
>
> 1) Choosing, Using, and Repairing Binoculars, J.W. Seyfried, 1995,
> University Optics, 176 pages.
> - seems to be highly recommended in past threads on saa.
Good book, not too technical. Covers the basics well.
> 2) Repairing and Adjusting Binoculars, Alii Service Notes, 1996, 70
> pages
> http://www.deutscheoptik.com/product.php?cat=books&id=168
> also author's website at http://www.montysmagic.com/bin.html
> - Nearest I've come to a review is from Deutsche Optik:
> "a very helpful notebook on binocular assembly, disassembly, tools,
> techniques, optical adjustments, and even zoom binocular repair, with
> more emphasis on technical aspects than the Seyfried book"
'Tis helpful. Technical aspects are covered well.
> 3) Guide to Riflescope Repair, J.W. Seyfried, 1985, University Optics
> "103 pages, how to clean riflescopes, repair broken reticles,
> re-cement lenses, other helpful stuff"
> - not exactly binoculars, but most of contents probably relevant. But
> does it duplicate #1?
No. Re-cementing of lenses is not a thing to be done halfheartedly.
Other helpful hints also in the pages.
> 4) Collimators And Collimation, Edmund Scientific 19??
> "Optical technicians describe a wide variety of collimators. Includes
> plans for building an alignment collimator, zero hand collimator, a
> projector collimator, and an auto collimator plus others. Techniques
> for collimating binoculars. 36 pages."
> - looks interesting but is this material an excerpt from #5?
Yes.
> 5) Popular Optics, An Amateur's Guide To Optics And Optical
> Instruments, Edmund Scientific, 19??
> "Written in an easy-to-understand, highly illustrated style, this
> extensive self-education guide will teach you basic optics through ray
> tracing and design, and build-it-yourself projects for all the primary
> optical instruments.
> Includes: the optical bench, focal lengths, imaging formulae, testing,
> optical math, projecting and condensing light and much more.
> Softcover, 192 pages"
Very well rounded out book in all aspects of optics. There is only
one error in the book that I am aware of, but that does not come into
the field of binoculars and their collimation.
> 6) Basic Optics and Optical Instruments, Dover Pubns; 4th ed 1969
> "Presented as a training course for the Bureau of Naval Personnel,
> this book provides a thorough coverage of the basic theory of optics
> and its applications. The course begins with a discussion of the
> composition of optical glass and the manufacture of lenses and prisms
> for optical instruments. Over 6,000 charts and diagrams—all of
> which help to clarify an already well-organized presentation."
The equivalent of "The Bible". Excellent book, covers the expert side
of things. From cleaning to collimation and reconstruction and machining
of parts. Highly recommended.
Roger Davis
Binocular & Telescope Service Centre P/L
Melbourne Australia
www.batsc.com.au
Sydney Guy
Hi Roger,
you wrote:
>
> There are Zenith and then there are Zenith and then there are Super
> Zenith. Good fro practicing on.
>
These are actually quite good - not up to Leica standard but about on
a par with modern $A300 binocs, even miscollimated as they are.
Reasonably sharp, no SA to notice, and a 7.5 degree wide FOV. From the
code numbers on the frame (J-E3 & J-B78) and reference to Peter
Abrahams' website:
http://home.europa.com/~telscope/jbcode.txt
I believe the optics were made by a Japanese firm called Kuribayashi
Kogaku Seisakujo.
<snipped reviews of books>
I assume that you would recommend getting all of the books I listed?
Are there any special tools & materials required for binocular
disassembly/reassembly? If so, could you suggest sources in Australia?
Regards,
SG
Sydney Guy
thanks for your informative reply. Love your website BTW. Here's a
couple of articles you might be interested in re Australia's
development from scratch of an optical industry during WW2:
"Optical instruments in Australia in the 1939-45 war: successes and
lost opportunities"
http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/exhib/papers/bolton2.htm
"'Optical Munitions'"
http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/exhib/papers/mellor.htm
A couple of interesting observations:
- one of the key people in the production of optical glass was E.J.
Hartung. Professor of Chemistry at Melbourne University. In his bio on
that site it mentions that Hartung was a keen amateur astronomer. If
I'm not mistaken, he was the original author of Hartung's Astronomical
Objects for Southern
Telescopes.
- as related in the second article, after getting the cold shoulder
from the major British & American optical firms, the major source of
technical information turned out to be the US Govt's National Bureau
of Standards. to quote from the article:
" 'it is the only scientific institution in the world which has,
entirely within its own organisation, complete facilities for making
an optical instrument beginning with the raw materials and producing
in turn the glass, the optical design, lenses and prisms, the
mechanical parts and finally the finished instruments'[20]. Moreover,
during the years between the wars the bureau had conducted extensive
series of investigations on the relation between the optical behaviour
of glass and its chemical composition - investigations which were
published in great detail in its Journal of Research and were of
considerable help to makers of optical munitions."
Hope this is of interest to you.
Regards
SG
Roger Davis
Hi again SG,
> These are actually quite good - not up to Leica standard but about on
> a par with modern $A300 binocs, even miscollimated as they are.
> Reasonably sharp, no SA to notice, and a 7.5 degree wide FOV. From the
> code numbers on the frame (J-E3 & J-B78) and reference to Peter
> Abrahams' website:
> http://home.europa.com/~telscope/jbcode.txt
> I believe the optics were made by a Japanese firm called Kuribayashi
> Kogaku Seisakujo.
Yep, good pair, good fov.
> I assume that you would recommend getting all of the books I listed?
> Are there any special tools & materials required for binocular
> disassembly/reassembly? If so, could you suggest sources in Australia?
You don't really need the one on riflescopes by Jan, the others are useful.
the best is the "Basic Optics and Optical Instruments", and then the
"Repairing & Adjusting Binoculars", Alii Service Notes OR "Choosing,
Using and Repairing Binoculars", Jans' other book.
As far as tools go, Edmund Scientific do a good range of different tools,
but I made my own. For example for the OG lock rings I bought a good
set of dividers and ground the legs to half length and allowed a tang on the
end which was sharpened like a screwdriver blade. Works very well and is
about 30 years old now. Looks like ś on the end. Or if you have the
wherewithall to machine you could make something similar to the Edmund
tools (I've done that as well).
Sydney Guy
thanks for your advice. BTW are the prices for products on your website current?
SG
Roger Davis
Rog
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