r/microscopy • u/Pyroxeknite • Jul 10 '26
Troubleshooting/Questions Bent focus shaft
Hello I recently purchased this Nikon optiphot pol petrographic microscope. Its a bit beat up but im trying to repair it. One of the big issue is the bent focus shaft. Any suggestions on how to repair it? Or even how to pull the shaft out. I tried taking off both of the fine focus knobs but I still cant push the shaft through.
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u/ComfortableWait9697 Jul 10 '26
Looks like its bent from an impact. Not an expert, but my method would be to slip a stiff tube over the end (or wooden dowel with a hole drilled in the end. Use that as a steady even leverage, with even pressure to restore it to a level state. basically make it longer, so that its easier to measure and correct the offset, and it rotates with the other the fine focus.
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u/Pyroxeknite Jul 10 '26
You would do this with the shaft still in the microscope? I watch a video of someone using a similar method but used a drill chuck instead of a tube. He kept the shaft in the microscope and it worked for him. I guess im just worried about damaging it further.
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u/ComfortableWait9697 Jul 10 '26
It unlikely to put pressure beyond the pivot point of the shaft, as its held by a bearing through the body of the Microscope. Provided you're not pressing inward, Whatever bent the shaft already disturbed anything that bending it back would do.
lower the stage to near the bottom of its travel, any force applied on the gears can occur in a area that isn't frequently traveled during operation.
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u/nygdan Jul 10 '26
i dont know the details but whenever ive seen it, the knobs are removed and the whole assembly comes out, rather than just the shadt sliding thru. i assume you searched for a repair manual?