NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: 1850s Metal Sextant - Hard to read the scales
From: Stan K
Date: 2016 Jul 26, 14:38 -0400
From: Stan K
Date: 2016 Jul 26, 14:38 -0400
Graham,
I'm not sure what to suggest about the scales. I have an early-1900s vernier sextant with similar issues. Just plain tough to use.
If the window you are referring to is rectangular, it is probably for a glass diffuser, to spread the candlelight that would have been used over more of the scale. If it is round and on a swingarm, it is for the absolutely necessary magnifier.
Stan
-----Original Message-----
From: Graham England <NoReply_England@fer3.com>
To: slk1000 <slk1000@aol.com>
Sent: Tue, Jul 26, 2016 1:30 pm
Subject: [NavList] 1850s Metal Sextant - Hard to read the scales
From: Graham England <NoReply_England@fer3.com>
To: slk1000 <slk1000@aol.com>
Sent: Tue, Jul 26, 2016 1:30 pm
Subject: [NavList] 1850s Metal Sextant - Hard to read the scales
My Aunt gave me my Uncles 1850s vintage sextant.
It all works but it is very hard to read the scales.
Both scales are silver and I cleaned them very lightly with a drop of oil.
The vernier scale (the one on the index swing arm) looks better but the main arc scale is still very light.
It all works but it is very hard to read the scales.
Both scales are silver and I cleaned them very lightly with a drop of oil.
The vernier scale (the one on the index swing arm) looks better but the main arc scale is still very light.
It there some way to make the marking on these scales easier to read?
There is also a window for a small piece glass.
The glass is missing.
What is the purpose of the glass?
There is also a window for a small piece glass.
The glass is missing.
What is the purpose of the glass?
Thanks
