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Screw-up Eyecups (1 Viewer)

Arbu

Well-known member
I have two pairs of binoculars, one made by Weaver, the other by Olympus. Both have very similar eyecups which screw up to create a gap between the lens and your eye. The threads on the eyecups on each pair are the same, so I can interchange them.

Neither of them work very well. On the Weaver model one of the eyecups cracked and I have now lost it. On the Olympus model both eyecups are now very stiff and if I try to open them I need to exert so much pressure that the whole eyecup starts to unscrew.

Anyone got any ideas as to (a) where I can source new eyecups and (b) how to free up the Olympus eyecups? I've contacted Weaver to see if they can help with a new eyecup and am waiting to hear back. I've tried putting some foot powder (didn't have any talcum powder) in the Olympus eyecups to lubricate them but it doesn't seem to have helped that much.

Thanks.
 
Can you undo the Olympus eyecups? If so you might be able to remove the talc & whatever lube is there with something thinner?
 
Arbu,

I really don't know anything about lubricants, but in work related stuff, I've tried a few different things for metal plastic junctions. The two that I've had most most success with are 'white grease' or lithium grease, or PTFE spray. Neither are very expensive, but I've found a polite enquiry at a machine shop gets a dab of the stuff for free. My most recent pair of binos has some blue stuff. No idea what it it is, but it seems to be good on rubber/ metal.

Good luck,

David
 
Arbu,

I really don't know anything about lubricants, but in work related stuff, I've tried a few different things for metal plastic junctions. The two that I've had most most success with are 'white grease' or lithium grease, or PTFE spray. Neither are very expensive, but I've found a polite enquiry at a machine shop gets a dab of the stuff for free. My most recent pair of binos has some blue stuff. No idea what it it is, but it seems to be good on rubber/ metal.

Good luck,

David

Thanks. I found some "TF2 Lubricant Spray with Teflon" at home. A slight improvement but it's still difficult to open one of the eye cups without either it or the rubber cover coming off. A bit of a defect in the Olympus binoculars I think, which are otherwise really good.
 
The ideal lubricant for plastics is silicone grease. If you can remove the eyecups completely try to remove all the other stuff in a warm solution of washing-up liquid. Rinse off and dry completely before applying the silicone grease sparingly.

John
 
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