Printable View
So, I may have got over excited on that auction site and bought a pair of allegedly working no.2 mk2 with graticule. Sellers claims optics are a tad milky and there is evidently a some matter on the graticule, but they where £29.99.
Does any one service these, and if so is what I’m describing fixed by a quick optical polish, or have I just bought my self some expensive desk furniture?
Additionally no case + no purge points (odd?)
Photos
Are they collimated, as in do you see double vision? The optics don't look that bad for £29.99. You could carefully clean the outer surfaces of the lenses that you can see with lens tissues, available from camera shops, or were the last time I tried some years ago.
I recently picked up a pair of similar sized Bausch and Lomb 6x30 binos and paid £10 at a militaria fair. The overall condition wasn't as good as your pair but the Bausch and Lomb 6X30 seems less common on the UK collector's market than other makes of this size.
They look very nice for Mk2's. There is a short article about the various binos on this forum if you look hard or if someone can point to it. The Mk2's didn't have desiccation screws or stop-down ocular lenses. They were still floating around in service until 2008 or so along with the big No5 7x 50's
The reticles are glass plate etched (solid wire = graticle, plate etched = reticles) and so fine that you can barely see them with the naked eye, and what you see on the field lens is a x18 image of them. So the bits of coal you see in the image is really the finest particles of almost invisible dust you could ever imagine.
I keep a cheapo pair in my day-sack all the time. When I was on holiday in Oz a couple of years ago, on a boat on the Brisbane river, an Ozzie bloke opposite me said '....nice No2 binos, where'd you steal 'em from?'. Then he told me that he had a set of ex pommy ones that he'd 'liberated' in Vietnam. He'd gone there to liberate the Country but liberated a pair of No2's instead
This may help:
https://www.milsurps.com/content.php...No4-or-L42-CES
Got an old pair with now as I type, used them yesterday at the Longues-Sur-Mer Battery........ Gil you will be glad to know its a preserved site
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../d8CM5uQ-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../ruEGUgn-1.jpg
Geoff,
Good to hear, probably because the gun is in tact, albeit deactivated!!
Gil, I checked one over and it needed a few bits.... but the barrel is all there, even got the numbers of each Gun, apart from the first one, although it suffered some damage that was down to us..... when we occupied it, not a direct hit as some say........
The battery crew (200 aged between 40-45) surrendered on the 7th, To the lads of the 2nd Battalion the "Devonshires" I'll post a lot of pics when I get home of the casemates etc, it was quite moving looking out of the observation bunker and I guess there ar** holes were going 50-20.
Is the gun of French origin or is it German, do you know, please?
I think from memory these were ship built guns housed along that stretch of the battery wall.
Thanks Geoff looking forward to those mate.
I often look at the original camera work taken beside the German soldier on Omaha beach on the 6th June from his MG42 position. He was proud to say he cut down 1000+ US servicemen on the day. Not something I would be proud of.
This harrowing piece of video especially as the landing craft doors come down, and probably where Speilberg got his inspiration for the opening shots of Saving Private Ryan!!!
Heinrich Severloh killing machine - YouTube
That would explain why the gun is mounted in a turret.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gil Boyd
As Gil said, The Guns are Navy ones (150mm) not all the guns were German though, a lot of captured French ones were used the Longues-Sur-Mur were Skoda made ones.
Great place to visit, I found out where Longues-Sur-Mur sister's command post is, although the author of the book states a name he doesn't disclose the exact place, so a bit of google satellite of the area and I've nailed it, quite a trek from where I was so thats on the cards for next time, For anyone going I would avoid the days before and after D-Day, if there only transport is car, I'll say more when I do a post later, lot of pictures to upload etc.
So they have arrived, and to be honest I am really rather happy with them. However in an ideal world they could be a little clearer, there appears to a some internal dust. But other wise they would appear to be the best binoculars I have to date owned for lack of eye strain and double vision.
I appreciate from Peter’s comments on another threat that these are not simple to service, and if one where too finding some one experienced is imperative. So would any one know a uk based person who is still servicing these?
They look like very nice binos, especially at £29.99!
Bound to be a bit of crud on the optics after all this time, but they look better than 99% of the ones I've seen at shows, and generally going for more than £29.99.
The few black flakes probably a result of the internal black coating breaking down a bit, but nothing much to worry about. Taking them apart to clean them would do more harm than good, unless you can find a real expert. And what might that cost?
Mike, I've had quite a few apart but as for servicing only ever cleaned them and replaced lens etc, Charlies correct on the inside paint breaking down, you can go chasing your own tail trying to sort this at time, as in Peters post the smallest bit of dust can look like something a lot bigger.
I once purchased a pair of bins on eBay that were supposed to be "good" and one side had a thick yellow pee-souper of a mist and the "best side", you could almost make sense of the image that greeted you when you looked through the eyepiece. The vendor was ok about and we resolved the matter between us. Apparently the vendor had forgotten to "check" the optics before listing them.
Yeh right!!!:)
So, I now apparently own 6 pairs of No.2 Binoculars ranging mk.1-3. So as they all need work, I’m giving serious thought to having a go my self. Does any one know where I might be able to acquire some drawing or more ideally some maintenance manuals?
My advice would verge between tread VERY carefully and don't bother yourself. You will be dealing with sintered cheap aluminium alloy, part threaded radiuses, left hand threads 10BA x 3/32" long grub screws dissimilar materials with (slight) corrosion between the two. If you really do want to have a go, just get a really cheap dirty pair and where you do come across a problem - like one locking grubscrew on top of another - a good little trick played on the unsuspecting - or a thread that's crumbled away then you can learn from it. Likewise, if you have to force a prism out of its housing........ That's just the body of the binos. Then there's the two eye pieces made up of a series of ocular, first and field lenses AND a plate.
And then stripping one side down again after you've assembled them because the ocular assemblies have magnified a fingerprint you left behind on a prism. Never ever touch the prisms with your bare fingers. Always neoprene gloves and economy paper kitchen towel that doesn't contain chemical additives.
Never but never ever mix up prisms or lenses between sides nor mix up a front to rear prism or a prism side to side. Always mark the side of the prism with F-R-I for Front, Right side I= inside facing or whatever markings you choose to invent. Or if some other instrument Tech has been there first and put his marking on the prism's or lens edges, then WRITE then down to indicate the exact position
Hi Peter,
As ever thanks for the advice, they sound a fiendish instrument to service. Is the a written record of the methods for servicing these, or where they junked once damaged? I have two pairs of optically dubious quality that cost sub £8, when I have set me self up I will give them a look before attempting any sort of work on my more functional sets.
They certainly weren't junked!!!! They were relatively valuable and classed as V&A, Valuable and Attractive stores and subject to close security. They would always be repaired except when the crap alloy casing failed, usually through corrosion or a chattered thread and even then the plate threads could be tapped oversize or inserts fitted (or was that on the No5's?????). The axis bar would become loose too but not very often in my experience and that was a fitter shop job to re-bush and ream. From this, you can see that the old Mk2's and 3's plus the odd occasional US Bausch and Lomb binios lasted well into the 2000's.
I haven’t had much luck searching the internet for any drawings or servicing procedures. You wouldn’t happen to know names or references for the MOD docs that would be useful would you? Some times a specific search can yield wonders, but so far “drawing O.S.108” or “service manual No.2 prismatic binoculars” hasn’t thrown up anything useful.
My best advice is to poke around cities with Navy installations for optical repair benches. I happen to live in an area with a large Navy base. When my father needed a pair of WWII U.S. Army M17 glasses serviced I found out that Navies typically have some large glasses aboard that require servicing, so there are usually a few contractors around the bases. Check Portsmouth, etc. You might get someone to take a look at all of your glasses and choose the best candidate for restoration. Ours came out great. More HERE.
https://www.milsurps.com/vbpgimage.p...6&d=1319646126
Bob
One repairer I have bookmarked in the past is WW2 Binocular Repairs & Servicing - Optical Repairs
I haven't dealt with them so far, but I thought it worth noting.
Cheers, I had in fact already ask these guys for a quote and I plan to (price dependent) at least get the two best sets serviced by them. I continue to have a dangerous urge to look at what I can do my self in this area. However given the comment on anti clockwise threads and tiny grub screws I think I will hold off that project until I have sourced some reference material.
I assume that you were referring to this: https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=67860Quote:
Originally Posted by MAYAM
The real problem with the old Taylor Hobsons, the Kershaws, Watsons and PB's is one of economics! If you are offered a pair cheap and they need anything doing to them then it's simply not worth buying them and paying £50 (you'll be lucky.....) or so to get them fixed because you can buy a half decent see-throughable pair for that. To be honest, the Mk3's are a real PITA with gummed up mastic everywhere that makes stripping down a real palava
Hehe, you brought those binoculars from me... Glad they went to a loving home.
I have a nice set of 1943 Taylor Hobsons.
Hi Scouy_Snipet,Quote:
Originally Posted by Scout_Sniper
I am very happy with them. They have just had an optical clean and are looking great.
Thank again for the sail.
Wow, brilliant news! Its really nice to hear what happened to something i sold.
I only joined here a week or 2 ago and was browsing the forums and come across this thread. Couldnt believe my eyes, hey i took those pictures!!
Good score!
Here are my 1943 TH... These are what i replaced those with. I only paid £45 for these. Came with matching 1943 case and strap. Also original canvas strap!
Attachment 102221Attachment 102220
Very nice. The webbing strap is nice, I have a couple of original leather straps (2 serviceable 1 broken) but none yet with the webbing, pattern. How is there clarity? Every pair I’ve seen under £75 ish seems to be in mead of an internal clean.
The webbing strap is nice, they are also more hard wearing than the leather.
Very clear and not milky, but could still do with a light clean. Its the graticule side thats always the issue. Im happy that they remain as they are, i dont want to mess with the integrity of them as they are sealed and i dont want to risk losing their charm by opening them.
I have a nice Scout Regiment MkII telescope for clarity if i need it. That all screws apart so the lenses can have a light polish and lubricate the draws with french chalk.