MiniatureBinoculars.com

Like roller skating, unicycle riding, surfing, and needlepoint, there is a learning curve to binocular repair. Like surgery, axe throwing, spitting across the room, and hitting the center of a dart board everybody is actually capable of doing it, even with practice. And good tools. Read the CAN YOU FIX THESE? page first. Be aware that your FIRST indication that you are incapable of doing this is normally a pile of ruined stuff. You may get frustrated and angry. So it is good to buy a beat up and cheap and junky pair of binoculars to practice on before tearing apart and ruining your best binoculars. Think of that junky pair as being “competence insurance”.

Disclaimers, warnings, weasel words and such.

More disclaimers, warnings, weasel words and such.

The things that are not my fault include (but are not limited to): You listening to me; You not listening to me; What I could have said to save you from yourself but didn’t; You having no/bad/inadequate tools or skills; What you ruin in your repair endeavors; Self inflicted injuries like a screwdriver through the palm of your hand or burns; Consequences (ruined binoculars, bad moods, upset spouses). This is supposed to be a fun learning adventure that enhances your enjoyment and makes you feel good about yourself. If and when it isn’t…(or when things get thrown at walls) then just stop.

Eyecup

Augenmuscheln

Ögonmussla

Oeilleton D’oculaire

Ocular

Okular

Oculaire

Prism cover

Prismengehäuse

Prismmahus

Ocular

Barrel

Okular

Rohr

Diopter ring

Einstellring

Dioptriring

Bague de Rélage

Dioptrique

Binoculars Parts Fernglas Teile. Pieces Jumelles. Бинокли детали. Kikare Delar. Piezas Prismáticos. Parti del Binocolo.

Parts names I use.

(Independent focus binoculars). Okular Einzeleinstellung.

Unscrew the eyecup. Sometimes the eyecup, diopter ring, ocular & ocular barrel will all unscrew from the binocular body as one unit, which is also OK. If so then unscrew the eyecup.

Unscrew the 3 small set screws that hold the diopter ring to the ocular. Use the exact correct screwdriver. Do not unscrew them so far that they fall out.

Do this over something to catch them when you do unscrew them too far.

Work the diopter ring off. Sometimes they come right off. Sometimes they rotate but because of tight tolerances and hard optical grease they don't want to come off. Try rocking while pulling energetically. It may help to attach your clamping tool. On rare occasions when they just won’t come apart I have had to heat the ring.

If your ocular and ocular barrel are still attached to the binocular body, unscrew them with your clamping tool.If they are already detached, go to next step.

This is the nasty rubbery solidified early optical grease that has seized the ocular into the ocular barrel. NO amount of brute force will free this. Nor will any solvent I have ever tried or heard of.

Use your butane pencil torch to heat the join between the ocular and ocular barrel. DO NOT use any other type torch other than a pencil torch. Do not use a hot air gun or oven. Avoid heating the glass. Avoid burning the paint off the ocular barrel. You want it just hot enough to soften the solidified grease so the ocular turns out of the barrel freely. It will often bubble a bit when hot. Do not be afraid to reheat a couple times until you get a feel for what is just hot enough. Handle with the clamping tool as the parts will get too hot for your fingers. Read step 7 before heating.

When hot enough the ocular will turn out with very little or no force needed. Use the special vice grips ( with non serrated jaws ) but with the adjusting screw turned out so it is not in a clamping mode. Grip with only modest force: these are easily deformed brass parts, and if you crush them you will usually also break the lens. Do not grip where the threads are. If it doesn’t want to turn very easily, such as you could do with your fingers if it wasn’t too hot for your fingers, then you need a bit more heat.

I like to use a hobby wire brush to remove most of the rubbery grease from the ocular threads and from the ocular barrel threads. I do not remove all of it. Ocular or optical grease is not a lubricating grease. The function is to mate parts so they move with controlled friction and without slop.

Binocular

frame

Text Box: Nature of binocular repairs. I classify these repairs as intended to allow a collector to reclaim operational function, as opposed to some higher standard of professional expert restoration intended to replicate a factory new specification. So if you follow my directions and you repair your binoculars and then take them out to watch for 12 interrupted hours for an ivory billed woodpecker to magically appear at your birdfeeder...and you get a resulting headache...not my fault.

If you can find true optical grease of a formulation you like and can obtain, then use it.

I use the expedient of leaving some the old coating for resistance, and adding some easily obtained silicone grease with a cotton swab to the threads to get a free yet solid feel in rotation.

Do this on a non flammable base material. In this case...an antique axe head. Do not get carried away. Do not assume red hot or more hot is better. Just hot enough is best.

Parts get hot

Direct flame here

Replace the ocular in the ocular barrel and run it in and out until you get a smooth pleasant, and free action. You should be able to do this with your fingers.