Gentlemen,

Does anyone know of an individual optics technician or company that could refurbish the external tube and some damage screw heads on a vintage telescopic sight?

The scope is a Zeiss Hensoldt Diavari 1.5-6x36 non centred reticule telescopic sight.

I have tried Paul Burke / Birmingham /UK and contacted both Zeiss and Hensoldt /Airbus Industries. The latter put me onto a small German company that works with older scope sights but they were unable to help either.

Thanks in advance.

Try somebody like J Roberts & sons, or Diggory Hadeoke at Vintage. They may well know a good specialist. Might also be worth trying Graham’s of Inverness as they still make the Grays Stalking Scopes.

I think the Hensoldt scopes were blued steel tubes and were designed to be easily dismantled for mounting - usually involved soldering etc.

https://www.opticalrepairs.com/notices.htm

Or http://www.actionoptics.co.uk/rifle-scope

Just found these on the Internet using search for vintage optic repair

[Thank you for the leads. I think I saw on the web your second post address but did not follow up because it did not mention specifically telescopic sight refurbishment.

What I am looking for is a strip and re-black of the scope body tube, taking out the worst scratches. I bought the scope on EBay. The gloss finish applied turned out to be some sort of paint - enamel modelling paint possibly. I want this removed and redone properly and the damaged screw heads replaced.

The apparent paint aspect suggests it may be dural, esp. if there is a rail. I think 4x-multiple variables of that range came up only after WWII (the golden age of scopes IMHO), so the exercise may make sense if you want to use it on a rifle. Were it a pre-war collectible, refinishing would probably destroy rather than enhance value.

I have a couple of those 1.5-6x36 variables, one labelled Zeiss, the other Hensoldt, and they are among the finest scopes I can think of - better mechanically, if not optically, than the image-movement ones Zeiss has made since 1975.

Hello robthom,

The Hensoldt/Zeiss Diavari as far as I know were never made with steel body. The fixed power scopes of the serie and time, were offered in light metal, the Diatal, and in steel, the Diasta. I have both in 4x32. Great riflescopes!!
Agree with sambarman about those Hensoldt/Zeiss (the same with different name)are one of the best riflescopes ever made. Fixed power or variable ones.
To me, others almost as good, with a plus of the sealing and the self centering reticle (or image moving...)are the next (1975 or so to the late 80s) Zeiss ZA series. May be this ZA serie is the BEST modern riflescopes Zeiss ever made. I includes the Schmidt & Bender of the 80's and 90's. VERY well made riflescopes!!
About refinishing your Diavari, I would not try to do it. The painting is a very well made one, VERY difficult to reproduce. Other is to fix their mechanics. It can be done very well by a service who knows it. Here we have at least 1 (ONE) optics repair shop, running by an "opticsmith" who repairs this scopes routinely. Leaving his shop for another 50 years of life!

Thank you all for the replies and information.

I bought the scope off ebay and it was as good as shown in the advert photographs / images. No gripe there - I knew what I was getting.

I just hoped to have it refurbished a bit more 'taste fully'. The scope body had obviously seen quite some use and even after repainting, scratches in the metal tube could be seen. Whoever did the pain job used, what looks to me, modelling enamel paint, the type used with plastic scale model aircraft and tanks.

having done the magnet trick, I agree the scope body is made of something like aluminium or dural. The damaged screw heads came about when my chosen scope sight restorer tried dismantling the scope for body refurbishment and it turned out the screw heads were 'bespoke' to Zeiss Hensoldt and you need their special tool rather than generic optics worker tools.

Apart from these niggles, the scope is in fine mechanical and optical working condition.

Hi robthom,

Good for you! Enjoy that fine scope!

It may be that the original finishes were baked enamels. You can't really redo that without stripping the whole scope, losing its dry air or inert gas and risking misalignment of something when it's reassembled.

The dural Nickel 1.5-6x36 on my old Sako reflects light where the paint has worn off. My humble answer has been permanent marker to blacken it up, which works for a while.

As to the screws, you might take them out one at a time, hold them in soft jaws and dress the tops with fine wet-and-dry sandpaper (dry). I would not put them in a drill chuck or lathe because this tends to wear the trailing edge, though you could perhaps change the direction after a second or two. Then you would wear both edges but it may not look good. When smooth, if steel, you could heat them over a gas ring until they turn blue or, better, use some bluing paste, which is much superior to the old liquid stuff.

If they are brass, they may still blue using the paste; otherwise try black paint.

PatagonHunter, if you look halfway down the 81st(?) chapter of the 458 Winchester Magnum thread in the Big Bore Rifles forum, you might see some pictures of bits on green towelling. If you look at them and read the spiel, you'll get some idea why I think scopes were better before they changed over to constantly centred reticles.

Cheers

Tank you sambarman! I will take a look!

Best!

PH