A new project

[philjay]

As my previous restoration projects (big and small brassy) have been sold over the past 2 years due to downsizing and not being able to get to use all my kit I had promised myself not to buy anymore.

 

That is until I saw this at auction

A J H Steward 55mm refractor with pancreatic zoom from 40x to 80x on superb mahogany and brass tripod.

It looks a bit of a basket case but its all there and the most important thing is the optics are good.

 

This is a terrestrial telescope used originally on rifle ranges and the military but they were taken up by the amateur astronomical set of the day because they were so good. I have actually had an Ottway version of this in the past where someone fitted a brass finder scope to it.

From the latter part of the 19th or early part of the 20th century I reckon but they are difficult to date due to these designs being built for decades. Certainly no later than 1920.

 

Its going to get a sympathetic resto by me as I do not want it looking like a Chinese / Indian repro. Leather is bad, may be rescueable  but I have some burgundy leather that can be used if not, that looks real smart on these.

Already tested on the moon and it gives excellent views for an uncoated achro. This will look nice in my conservatory for spotting birds and squirrels across the way when its done.

 

Edited April 10, 2017 by philjay

[Tweedledee]

I can see you are going to give that a lot of TLC, and then it is going to look great as an ornament that will be ready for instant use. It's good to have a project on the go. 

[tuckstar]

I do a love a classic scope. Another nice find there Phil.

[Doc]

Nice one Phil.

 

I like a good project. Take lots of photo's and post a restoration thread.

[Smithysteve]

A work of art... it will look even better when you have done it up Phil - no pressure ?

[philjay]

Made a start today. The leather was carefully taken off and I think that its not rescuable with my limited leatherwork skills but I shall revisit this later.

I wanted to get a look at the tube as I thought there may be some dents in the brass tube lurking under the leather. The leather can hide dents very well. If the old glue has gone to powder as this had (I thinks its rabbit glue) the leather springs out after a ding and the tube can look ok till you run your hand over it and find the leather gives where the dings and dents are.

 

This one had several at either end but no major ones in the middle of the tube. This is good cos it means I don't have to take the baffles out.

I made a nylon mandrel and started the first run of brass bashing (tapping with a small hide mallet actually). This has taken the majority out (see last image). Next I will clean the oxidised glue residue off (the green stuff) and then do some finer ding removal. The glue removal is not nice as it stinks.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2017 by philjay

[Doc]

You can see the difference that's for sure.

 

If you did have to take out the baffles how are they held in place with these old scopes?

[philjay]

Very tight push fit Mick. There's 2 in this scope, getting the second out would be easy as you can push them out with a soft plug but the 1st needs pulling or tapping with a stick, that deforms them. They don't usually want to come out either as they have got set in their ways for the past 100 years.

If there was a big dent in between the baffles I would smooth out as much as possible from the outside then use filler, this is covered by the leather so won't show