FAQ

Should I oil my scope for preventative maintenance?

Oiling your scope is a common mistake. I have received many scopes where the owner has thought they were doing the right thing by spraying oil onto the steel tube to prevent it from rusting. However, as there are very few scopes with a nitrogen tight seal it is important that oil is not sprayed onto the tube or where other parts join the tube i.e. windage and elevation adjusters. Once a combination of moisture and oil has got onto the lens set inside the scope, it is imperative that it is looked at as soon as possible, to avoid further damage.

How do I prevent windage and elevation adjustments from seizing up?

I recommend every once in a while to give the windage and elevation adjusters a bit of a turn. You can count the number of turns you do either left or right and return them back to the central position. This is just to give the components a bit of a work through as the grease inside becomes hard over time. You may have to do a bore sight prior to use depending on the quality of the scope. On another note with the windage /elevation there are a number of scope manufactures that use an opposing spring to compensate for the adjustment. This spring can soften over time due to the consistent pressure being exerted on it. So if the scope is not going to be used for an extensive period it is worth backing off the windage/elevation adjusters.

What is the best way to clean a lens?

Never clean your lens with your handkerchief. Always gently blow to remove any grit or particles with your mouth or preferably use a puffer brush (available from camera stores). It’s these small particles that cause the minute scratches on the coated lens and if not removed, just get rubbed in again and again and thus change the refractive order of the lens. Once clean, a gentle spay of isopropyl alcohol (lens cleaner) will remove any film or grease. Lens caps are always a good option when walking through the scrub to help stop dirt getting onto the lens and also (providing it’s a cap with no colour cover screen) stops the suns rays from entering the tube and causing heat build up. At the end of the day the objective lens is just like a magnifier lens.

Optical Repairs Services.

We have been offering a comprehensive range of optical repairs for over 30 years. We repair and overhaul a wide range of optical devices which include both vintage and more current types of riflescopes , binoculars and the like.

We also specialize in repairs of large telescopic gun sights, laboratory microscopes and even precision refractor heads as used by your optometrist to measure the refractive disorder of your eyes.

We predominantly specialise in the older European optical devices, however we will gladly look at most problems to see if they can be repaired or overhauled and all evaluations are at no cost.

Our customers over the years have come from wide and far. UK, Canada, USA, South Africa, New Zealand and we have also carried out work for the Australian Maritime Service, Australian Federal Police, QLD Governor General and a number of Specialised Hospitals and Clinics associated with Eye disorders both in Australia and overseas.