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I know this is a shot in the dark but does anyone have any spare Aldis scope parts kicking around. One of my scopes has the later adjustable ocular lens and it is all there internally but it is missing the outer ring. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
A good machinist should be able to knock one up on his/her smoko break.
Here in the US finding an old school machinist is harder than finding Aldis scopes…lol. Seems like everything is CNC now and nobody does small one off jobs like this anymore.
There is one group around who can easily replicate this sort of thing. They are the model engineers....., you know the sort....., who make small scale traction and steam engines on old machine tools, operated by hand and not robots. You'll need to put an advert in your local newspaper to find them. CNC and mass production is a totally alien concept to them. I regularly used to have No32 parts machined by these old real machinists. In fact, just had a small batch of Mk3 ocular lens retaining rings (counter cells) made.
Like Bindi rightly says, they'd do this kind of thing in their dinner break.
If you can find the right person the sky is the limit. The nearer of the two SMLE/Aldis/Purdey front bases was made by my new machinist. I picked it up on Friday evening. He is a Biker of all things, but really enjoys reproducing small & often complicated shaped parts. He of course charges me, but is very reasonable. He does it because he enjoys it, & prefers to do one-offs or small numbers, as the kick is from figuring out how to do it.
I think the part you need hatrick is the threaded objective cover for later Aldis scopes with the deflection prism fitted. If I am correct in this I also need one, & it is on my list of things to ask machinist Dave, but it might be a few months away..........I never hurry him, & he's busy on some other stuff in the interim. I can ask him if you're not in a hurry.
Roger, that is indeed the Aldis part I’m looking for. All the internals for the adjustable prism are still there but that cover is gone. Definitely count me in for one if Dave ever makes you up one. I really appreciate the help.Quote:
Originally Posted by Roger Payne
Great job on that Purdey reproduction! It seems like there are still talented machinists on your side of the pond.
Ok, I'll ask him, but it'll take a little while as he is both talented & kind hearted & I don't want him to feel put upon. I just let him take his own sweet time. He's doing a couple of P'14 bits for me at present, & it will be quite time consuming, but when he's done that I'll run it by him. If you still have my email rattle my cage in a couple of months!!
Will do Roger! I’m in no rush and just glad someone skilled can hopefully eventually make these. All the most talented and skilled artisans always take time and our patience.
Slightly off-topic but relevant to some of the posts: when did shop classes stop being offered in High School? During my five years (1967 to 1972) in Canadian high schools I took Woodwork, Metalwork, and Power mechanics classes. In the metalwork class we learned to use a brake, shear, and soldering irons to make items out of tin, sand casting to make tools, oxy-acetylene to weld and cut (no MIG or TIG), lathes to turn round stock down and many other skills. In Power mechanics class we learned to analyze problems with internal combustion engines and repair and rebuild them. All these skills held me in good stead as a starving college student who wanted to pay his own way through college and had little extra money. Somewhere along the line elitist educators felt such classes were irrelevant because a college education was the only way to go hence, today there is a profound shortage of machinists that can make something from scratch.
Exactly the advice I have given once or twice: visit a model engineering show, take the desired parts or drawings along and and get talking to exhibitors. A bit of asking around will soon turn up some likely candidates.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Laidler
Well, when I first asked machinist Dave to have a go at a couple of these he said 'no', which somewhat floored me, although he said it was because he didn't think he could do them without them deforming as he thinned the brass down. However, he hates admitting defeat on anything, & about ten days later I got a call: 'I've been mulling it over.........bring your pattern over & I'll give it a go'. Appended are the results. I don't have them yet, as he is completing some M1903 bases for a friend, & once both jobs are finished we will go over together & collect the parts.
Afraid I don't know the price until I get there.........I just have to accept that - but he's never robbed me yet.
Some folks are just so skillful, it's embarrasing that I cannot even saw in a straight line.
GOOD JOB - a master at work.
Roger.... those look great!! Aside from not having the knurling on the outer edge they look spot on. Please count me in for one if you have a spare available. I so deeply appreciate the help!!
Yes, I think the knurling may have been just enough to cause the thin brass to distort. There's no obligation, but one is yours if you want it. Might be a couple of weeks before I get them, though.
The knurling is certainly not a game changer for me. I definitely would like to get one so thank you so much for thinking of me when having these made! Just let me know when they come in and how much I owe you. Awesome getting these done!!
Okey dokey.
Q
Roger Just a dumb question from a retired Cocky (grain grower) to ask your machinist could the knurling be done first before the internal cutting and threading... As some say just asking for a friend
Not at all Bindi. That did actually occur to me as well, but only after he'd finished them.....! I'll ask him. I can't see why not, in principle.......but I'll grab them anyway.
Might be a week or so. Got a health scare on at the moment so this coming week a bit busy.
I'm inclined to think the originals were actually spun rather than machined; some are that thin.
Picked up the end caps a couple of evenings ago. I asked the machinist about the lack of knurling, trying not to come across as nit picking a great job, & his response was that he did not think it was knurling, but that the originals were probably pressed, resulting in the lines appearing for this reason. I must say I'm pretty sure it is knurling (it's too uniform for a start), but I didn't want to make him feel awkward, & they are very good indeed, so I didn't press it. More than anything I was glad to have them. He's looking at some more SMLE mounts for me for the first new year project. He's a real find, & a nice bloke with it.....
Roger... I think you took the right course. He did us a great favor even trying to make these and it is better to have them without the knurling versus having nothing at all. You also want to keep everything on great terms as it sounds like he is going to get some of these other mount projects going for you. I'm excited to see what is next. Fingers crossed for H&H rings to go with the bases you made a few years back. I'm always super thankful for all the items I've been able to get from you over the years! Thanks so much and have a blessed Christmas and wonderful New Year!
Like you I believe they were knurled Roger, but it was a very light touch to the knurl and one can see it was a concave knurl (the tool that is) as was used on some No.32 drums and many thousands of other instruments of various kinds. A "straight knurl" is the proper term I believe, rather than the typical diamond point or cross-hatch effect we now think of as knurling.
You could probably find such tooling on the used market in the UK from time to time: ePay etc.?