Olympus BX51 Polarizing Microscope Assembly & Disassembly

Read the Edited Video Transcript for ‘Olympus BX51 Polarizing Microscope Assembly & Disassembly’

Hi, this is Chad with Munday Scientific, and today we’re going to talk about the disassembly and assembly of a BX-51 polarizing microscope. This customer just purchased the scope, and it’s about to go out the door. We want to walk you through a few things that may help you disassemble or assemble yours.

We just finished testing it, so we’ll start by turning it off and unplugging it.

There’s a 3 mm Allen wrench here. If you need to remove the camera tube, insert the wrench into this hole right here. That’s how you take the camera tube on and off.

Now, regarding the eyepieces—there’s a polarizing crosshair in this one. Notice the pin right here; this pin falls into the corresponding groove. When you bring the crosshair into focus for your eyes, the eyepiece doesn’t move because the pin locks it into place.

To send light to the camera, pull this rod here.

Continue with ‘Olympus BX51 Polarizing Microscope Assembly & Disassembly’

Next, we’re going to remove the head. There’s a screw hole right here. Loosen that screw to remove the head. This flange will slide underneath these sections here when reinstalling.

Now, let’s talk about the analyzer—the 360° rotating analyzer. This must be removed for shipping. To do so, remove this screw and slide the entire assembly out. We’ll reinstall it because we’re getting ready to ship the unit. Reassembly is simply the reverse of disassembly.

Next is the Bertrand lens. To remove it, use the same screw hole. It locks onto the same type of flange as the head. Take it off the same way.

Now we’ll lower the stage. This scope has already been centered. The polarizing stage and optics have been properly aligned, so we’re just going to lower the stage and remove the optics.

Here are the polarizing optics. We have the UTAD with a wave plate, which we’ll now lock back in place.

“Let me mention one thing: the 4X objective has plugs in it. That’s the factory-centered objective. The 10X, 20X, and 40X are centerable, but the 4X is fixed. That’s typically the one you’d use first to ensure your stage is centered.”

That was Scott Monday chiming in—he’s the one packing and prepping this scope, so he knows it well.

We’re going to leave the stage as-is. It’s ready to go. Scott has already centered both the stage and the condenser.

Speaking of the condenser, it’s located underneath. You can raise or lower it. To remove it, just lift it out like this. This pin clicks into the divot here when reinserted. Listen for the click to ensure it’s secured.

We’re going to remove the entire stage bracket with the condenser and optics for shipping, to ensure everything arrives safely. Just pull it up, and you’re good to go.

In Conclusion, Reassembly and a Few More Components

To reassemble, simply reverse everything I’ve done.

There are a few more components to cover. We’ve got neutral density filters with click stops, and a daylight blue filter labeled “LBD.” There’s also the open position setting.

Here’s your rheostat, and this is your tension control knob. If your stage ever drifts down on its own, tighten this knob.

At the back, you’ve got a 12V, 100W lamphouse. To remove it, use the 3 mm Allen wrench in this spot here. The lamphouse will pull right off.

When changing the bulb, make sure both the microscope and the lamphouse are unplugged. Use the 3 mm Allen wrench to remove the lamphouse. Once removed, press the two prongs to release the old bulb. Always avoid touching the new bulb with your fingers—use a protective wrapper, Kimwipe, or tissue. Oils from your fingers can shorten the bulb’s lifespan and cause a bad smell when heated.

That’s basically it for this scope. We’ve gone over the main parts and how to disassemble and reassemble it. If you have questions, feel free to email us. This model is a bit more complicated, so we didn’t cover centering the optics and stage in detail, but we can provide literature or connect you with a service technician in your area.

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at:
📧  (that’s mundymicroscope.com)

Or give us a call at: (919) 775-5596.

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