I just finished replacing fine crosshairs in a 10X Fecker scope (very similar to a Unertl). It was a pain working with wire that thin and fragile but I got’er done. Rather than send the scope off & wait several weeks to a few months, I figured I’d replace the crosshairs myself & also save the expense. So I bought 0.0005” diameter tungsten crosshair wire from a guy on eBay.

BTW, don’t get any ideas that I’m willing to work on replacing crosshairs for others. But if you’d like to try it yourself, here’s the link to the eBay wire supplier. You get 3ft for $10.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/CROSS...oWK0V_rcaPxQultIOyJQ

For more details on scope repairs and replacing crosshairs, see my article at
http://www.texas-mac.com/Wm_Ma...nts_and_Repairs.html

Wayne

I am curious how you purged the scope with inert gas and then sealed it to keep it from fogging.

quote:

Originally posted by Bob Nisbet:
I am curious how you purged the scope with inert gas and then sealed it to keep it from fogging.

Bob,

With the exception of the modern Leatherwood/Hi-Lux model, none of the original or modern copies of externally adjustable “tube type” period-style scopes patterned from the classical Wm Malcolm design are hermetically sealed and pressurized with nitrogen. That includes but is not limited to the following brands: R.S.O., Parsons, Unertl, J.W. Fecker, MVA, DZ Arms, etc. The Leatherwood is reportedly sealed and pressurized with nitrogen, hence it’s the only one I recommend for hunting.

Wayne

Working with a wire of that size??

I think you are the sort of person we call a glutton for punishment!

Well done, I am sure you are very proud of your job.

3 feet of 0.0005" wire? I hope he taped it to a piece of paper or put it into a plastic envelope as you could lose that under the postage stamp.

Frank,

It came in a standard 4.5"x5.5" letter or card envelope. The wire is wrapped around a 4" dia. round section of common cardboard. The ends were taped & marked.

The seller has obviously shipped a bunch of the wire & knew how to ship it & how to identify the ends of the wire for the buyer.

Wayne

These 60 year old eyes would never be able to see 0.0005" wire! I would have the tape in both hands and nothing in the middle.

I remember years ago when I replaced some crosshairs in an old Realist scope. I first tried human hair and the darned things covered over 2 minutes in width! Finally got down to unraveling a polyester thread down to a single strand and that worked along with a miniscule drop of some sealant or epoxy of some sort on the intersection. It made kind of a little diamond in the center. It worked but I remember it being pretty tedious. As it turned out the scope didn't end up holding zero terribly well and needs a complete disassembly I would imagine to beef up some springs somewhere...maybe someday

Some years back I damaged the crosshair in a weaver K2.5 scope. I was made before nitrogen filling, so I operated on it on a cold winter day that had very low humidity. for the cross hair I used a very fine blonde hair that I had clipped from our infant son. I glued the hair to the same locations that the wire had been attached, so it actually appears to be vertical and horizontal and cross at right angles. But I don't shoot it very much because I don't want to break it, I suppose I could remove one end and purge the air with nitrogen, but some other day.