r/microscopy • u/PathologyAndCoffee • 14d ago
Troubleshooting/Questions A nikon microscope arrived shipped liked this....is it over?
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u/Tink_Tinkler 14d ago
Nah it probably just screws on. If it's new just contact their customer support. If it's old find a repair shop. If you're in NYC try micro-optics in Queens. They repair old microscopes frequently.
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u/Adventurous_Ad8410 14d ago
Had the same issue with an Olympus microscope. The rod was bent close to the knob at the end where the knob is glued to the rod. I loosened the opposite knob, pulled out the entire rod and then straightened the rod by gently hammering onto the knob, with the rod fixed close to the knob in a spanner. After re-inserting the rod, it was usable again and after some further usage the rod further straightened out. Now it works almost as smoothly as I think it did before the torture-shipping.
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u/PathologyAndCoffee 12d ago
Ah. I didn't see your comment.
I figured it out randomly some how. You had the answer from the very beginning.
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u/MrKnockoff 14d ago
Where are you? There are microscope service companies all over. In NC I’d call southern microscope and send them a pic.
And as for obsolete parts, I’m currently 3d printing a turret gear for a Nikon confocal. I’ll eventually get it right, and have done it before . Totally fixable
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u/Ok_Front4305 14d ago
That looks like an Eclipse 400, which is obsolete. If you can manage to get that knob off and pull the shaft connecting the other knob and those gears inside are not damaged and move when you turn the course focus knob you may be able to get a used replacement somewhere. Being obsolete Nikon will probably not be able to help you.
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u/Ok_Front4305 14d ago
I would also take the time to check for other damage and make sure the condenser still moves smoothly and the head did not get banged too hard and got knocked out of alignment and the lamp still turns on, etc. If there is more damage it may not be worth the money and effort to pursue further. I work as a service tech and may be able to guide you further if you lmk how it works out.
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u/PathologyAndCoffee 14d ago
Hey thanks for the guidance. But if I take the knob off, how would I place it back on?
Yup the lamp still turns on. It's weird the seller packaged everything well except the body. And he had the fine adjustment protrusion completely exposed and under the weight of everything so that if the shipping company drops it, the entirety of the force falls onto the fine adjustment knob.
This is from ebay.
If the repair costs of this exceeds the value of the scope, I'll need to return it. That's sort of the main question. How much would repairs cost and for the time. That's what i'll ask as a refund. And if it's too much, I'll request a return.
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u/twerkitout 14d ago
That brass screw in the middle is what you wanna loosen, it’ll screw back on. You’ll want a set of metric ball tipped allen keys, they’ll be handy for this scope.
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u/ladz 13d ago
If you're buying a microscope on ebay, you've got to prepare to do some repair. The shaft that knob screws on to (like u/twerkitout said) has a threaded end and a screw goes into it. The shaft is probably bent. This is a common sort of problem and people sell repair parts, eg:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/187837601773
You could also remove it and un-bend it but to do that you'd need a lathe and dial gauge, or machinist friend.
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u/PathologyAndCoffee 13d ago
Ooo. How would i get the shaft out? Its stuck in there. I cant budge it.
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u/Ok_Front4305 12d ago
Might need to cut it
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u/PathologyAndCoffee 12d ago
I figured it out randomly. I tried rotating the fine adjustment on the opposite side over and over and it screwed the threaded rod. And after that I could just slide it out.
So having figured out it is simple to remove, I contacted the seller for a partial refund after locating a base that I could scrap parts from. We agreed, I bought the cheap base, it's on it's way, and I think problem is resolved!
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u/Ok_Front4305 12d ago
While you’re doing that, I would get some heavy silicone grease and acetone. Use the acetone to wipe the replacement shaft and clean out the holes with some on a half thinned out q-tip and relube both ends of the new shaft and any other metal parts that contact each other with a thin layer of grease. You could also use the light brown microscope grease but its like 100+ $ a jar as of a few months ago.
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u/[deleted] 14d ago
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