HEQ5 Polar Scope Cover Jammed

[johnyjf]

This evening I tried to remove this for the first time in a at least a year. I unscrewed and unscrewed until eventually the polar scope came off still stuck inside the cover. The cover will not unscrew from the aluminium ring the locates it. I have given the threads a soaking in WD40 and left it on a radiator in the hope that it will free up. In the event that it doesn't I'm going to have to sacrifice the plastic cover or buy another polar scope. Has anyone else had this problem and successfully resolved it?

[johnyjf]

Right, it appears the WD40 and radiator treatment fixed the problem.. I was easily able to unscrew the cover from the aluminium ring after half an hours warm up. Cleaned the ring up, a drop of Locktite on the inner threads and screw it back into place. the Polar scope screwed in place easily enough though i suppose it will need calibrating at some point, for the moment I'll be satisfied if I can see the pole star through it.

[Bemsha]

Right, it appears the WD40 and radiator treatment fixed the problem.. I was easily able to unscrew the cover from the aluminium ring after half an hours warm up. Cleaned the ring up, a drop of Locktite on the inner threads and screw it back into place. the Polar scope screwed in place easily enough though i suppose it will need calibrating at some point, for the moment I'll be satisfied if I can see the pole star through it.

This exact thing just happened to me. How did you get WD40 into the correct threading? I assume the little straw thing? And how did you heat it up? I’m at a loss because I honestly don’t know how in supposed to unscrew this when the cap is stuck to the metal ring but the polar scope itself is the thing that unscrews. Seems like a horrible design flaw. Any help is appreciated

[Graeme1858]

This exact thing just happened to me. How did you get WD40 into the correct threading? I assume the little straw thing? And how did you heat it up? I’m at a loss because I honestly don’t know how in supposed to unscrew this when the cap is stuck to the metal ring but the polar scope itself is the thing that unscrews. Seems like a horrible design flaw. Any help is appreciated

Hello Bemsha

I would say just use the smallest amount of WD40 and allow a couple of hours for it to work its way in. You could then use a large pair of grips but use a towel to protect the cup from the teeth of the grips and work as gently as you can.

Welcome to the forum.

[Bemsha]

This exact thing just happened to me. How did you get WD40 into the correct threading? I assume the little straw thing? And how did you heat it up? I’m at a loss because I honestly don’t know how in supposed to unscrew this when the cap is stuck to the metal ring but the polar scope itself is the thing that unscrews. Seems like a horrible design flaw. Any help is appreciated

Hello Bemsha

I would say just use the smallest amount of WD40 and allow a couple of hours for it to work its way in. You could then use a large pair of grips but use a towel to protect the cup from the teeth of the grips and work as gently as you can.

Welcome to the forum.

Thanks. Though I don’t think I can get any kid of any kind of pliers in there. It’s maybe a 1cm gap and that’s it. What kind of grips do you think would work? And how exactly did you heat yours? Just put a radiator heater right next to it? Thanks in advance!

[johnyjf]

I'm a bit lost on this post! haven't bin on here for a while. My issue was the locating ring came out with the cap so getting wd40 in there wasn't a problem, nor was access. You seem to have the entire assembly jammed while still on the scope. Ca I suggest brining it indoors and putting it near a warm radiator for a few hours. then gently spraying wd40 int the join between the cap and the scope body, use a rag to stop the spray going where it is isn't wanted. The cap should loosen, after this treatment, if you turn it backwards and forwards a few times. Go easy on the power stuff, the caps are plastic and Ive a feeling will crack if you're not careful. Good luck!

[Bemsha]

I'm a bit lost on this post! haven't bin on here for a while. My issue was the locating ring came out with the cap so getting wd40 in there wasn't a problem, nor was access. You seem to have the entire assembly jammed while still on the scope. Ca I suggest brining it indoors and putting it near a warm radiator for a few hours. then gently spraying wd40 int the join between the cap and the scope body, use a rag to stop the spray going where it is isn't wanted. The cap should loosen, after this treatment, if you turn it backwards and forwards a few times. Go easy on the power stuff, the caps are plastic and Ive a feeling will crack if you're not careful. Good luck!

Yeah the problem is when I unscrew the cap, I am also unscrewing the whole assembly. There is literally no way to prevent this from happening. I can WD40 the threads I need to, but nothing will hold the scope assembly in place so when I unscrew it, the whole thing will just unscrew right out with the cap.

I emailed the company I bought it from and they want me to mail the mount (at my expense) and it could take up to a month to replace to me.


At this point I strongly considering just using thread lock on the polar scope assembly threads. I need something to make sure that that thread is not the one that comes unscrewed when I unscrew the cap. It is the only way I can get leverage. Maybe some Teflon tape would work and be less permanent. I guess I’ll try that first.

This is very frustrating because it’s a design flaw that has left me with basically no way to unscrew the cap.

[Gordon]

Just for clairifcation.

I assume this is the "whole assembly" you are mentioning.

HEQ5 polar scope.jpg (15.28 KiB) Viewed 883 times

and this is the cap (area where arrow is pointing).

If this is correct, you should be able to grasp the narrow black end of the polar scope and the cap and twist them. I would soak the cap end in warm water before you start. That should help release it.

Once done, replace and remove the cap a few times until it moves freely.

[Bemsha]

This is what it looks like when I unscrew the cap. Once it unscrews out this far, it will just keep spinning but it won’t come out any further. So the metal ring is definitely coming out along with the cap, but I’m not sure what I’m seeing here exactly. Whatever it is, it has threads in the same direction of the cap’s threads and it’s stuck to the cap. So yeah…. Pretty bad design flaw.

[johnyjf]

That is exactly what I had. I unscrewed the assembly, freed the ring from the scope as described above and the screwed the ring back in using a drop of Loctite to make sure I didn't get a repeat.

[KathyNS]

A standard item in my astro toolkit is a strap wrench. If you are not familiar with it, it has a plastic handle, with a long rubber strap attached. You loop the strap around whatever cylindrical object is being annoying and hook the free end back to the handle. The handle is designed to tighten the strap as you pull on it. It is great for freeing stuck threads, especially when used in pairs.

In this hobby, we tend to use fine threads without lubrication, because of the danger of getting oil on optical surfaces, so stuck threads are an occupational hazard.

[Bemsha]

That is exactly what I had. I unscrewed the assembly, freed the ring from the scope as described above and the screwed the ring back in using a drop of Loctite to make sure I didn't get a repeat.

I don’t understand how you got anything off of the amount. It’s all still stuck to the mount for me. To soak the cap in water I would need to fill my tub and put the whole amount in there…. Or find a way to suspend everything that’s not the cap above water..

Nothing will come off of the mount. There’s nothing for me to grab a hold of to unscrew anything any further. Whatever it is that this thread is that I’m unscrewing, at some point it comes loose of the threading…. But it still stuck, I can’t pull it off. You can go a little bit left and it can go a little bit right ( see attached photos ),a little bit up a little bit down.. the only direction it won’t go out..

[Bemsha]

Eureka!!

I don’t know how exactly I got this thing off, but I finally did. I took the cover off on the top, but I don’t think that actually helped.. either way, I can now try to use the WD-40 / sitting by the radiator method.

Thanks to all!

[Bemsha]

Here is the picture. I’m trying to go back and attach it to my last message, but I don’t think it worked..

[KathyNS]

IMG_5390.jpegHere is the picture. I’m trying to go back and attach it to my last message, but I don’t think it worked..

Looks good. I would use a strap wrench on the polar scope tube, and a firm grip with your left hand on the dome.

Why the left hand, you ask? Because standard "right-handed" screw threads are designed for tightening by right-handed people. The fleshy pad base of the right thumb grips best when turning an object clockwise. Similarly, the pad of the left thumb grips best when turning the object counterclockwise, such as when loosening. I always open stuck jar lids with my left hand on the lid for this reason, even though I am very strongly right-handed.

[Bemsha]

IMG_5390.jpegHere is the picture. I’m trying to go back and attach it to my last message, but I don’t think it worked..

Looks good. I would use a strap wrench on the polar scope tube, and a firm grip with your left hand on the dome.

Why the left hand, you ask? Because standard "right-handed" screw threads are designed for tightening by right-handed people. The fleshy pad base of the right thumb grips best when turning an object clockwise. Similarly, the pad of the left thumb grips best when turning the object counterclockwise, such as when loosening. I always open stuck jar lids with my left hand on the lid for this reason, even though I am very strongly right-handed.

Unfortunately this won’t work because the polar scope tube is just loosely sitting between the metal ring and the cap. The only thing I can do is try to get a hold on this back end of the metal ring and try to unscrew the cap from it. I’m going to try some WD-40 today.

[Graeme1858]

Can you get a tool or make a tool that has two pegs that go in the two holes in order to grip the metal section and unscrew it from the plastic cup? A tool like the one you use for changing the disc on an angle grinder.

IMG_5444.jpeg (27.41 KiB) Viewed 699 times