I got a used Meade 36mm QX eyepiece yesterday, and precipitated a disaster upon myself. I am hoping someone with experience can help me get my eyepiece back together.
When I held it up to the light and looked through the eye lens, I noticed a couple reflections that looked like chips in the glass. Looking inside the barrel, I saw what appeared to be a 5mm long scratch. I decided to take a closer look by unscrewing the barrel (BIG MISTAKE!)...
I tried to keep it horizontal in the upside down position, but I got it off level enough that the first two thick lenses from the bottom slipped sideways, and are jammed in the barrel in that position. I tried gently shaking them back into position, but that only made things worse. Now I see all sorts of black flakes all over the inside surfaces of the lenses.
The only hope for this eyepiece is to disassemble the lenses, clean them, and put it back together. The first lens comes out okay, but the second one in is still jammed in the barrel. I tried heating the barrel to get it to expand a little with a hair dryer and a coffee plate warmer. Although it got the barrel noticeably warm to the touch, nothing is moving.
I feel sick, like I just flushed the money down the toilet. Anybody have any suggestions?
When I held it up to the light and looked through the eye lens, I noticed a couple reflections that looked like chips in the glass. Looking inside the barrel, I saw what appeared to be a 5mm long scratch. I decided to take a closer look by unscrewing the barrel (BIG MISTAKE!)...
I tried to keep it horizontal in the upside down position, but I got it off level enough that the first two thick lenses from the bottom slipped sideways, and are jammed in the barrel in that position. I tried gently shaking them back into position, but that only made things worse. Now I see all sorts of black flakes all over the inside surfaces of the lenses.
The only hope for this eyepiece is to disassemble the lenses, clean them, and put it back together. The first lens comes out okay, but the second one in is still jammed in the barrel. I tried heating the barrel to get it to expand a little with a hair dryer and a coffee plate warmer. Although it got the barrel noticeably warm to the touch, nothing is moving.
I feel sick, like I just flushed the money down the toilet. Anybody have any suggestions?
"Praise the Lord for the expanding grandeur of creation, worlds known and unknown, galaxies beyond galaxies, filling us with awe and challenging our imaginations." 2007 Reform Siddur