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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“There are invisible rulers who control the destinies of millions. It is not generally realized to what extent the words and actions of our most influential public men are dictated by shrewd persons operating behind the scenes.”
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