"TL3000 Ergo" stand + Leica Wild M10

[szh-user]

Got a "TL3000 Ergo" stand and a Leica Wild M10 body used from a laboratory surplus sale. Question: What's the cheapest way to get these two together for exploring some pond life? Maybe someone here has already tried a comparable "marriage". I assume it should be possible to machine some sort of an aluminium wedge. Otherwise, might there already be a Leica adapter for the job? Thanks for ideas in advance

1.jpg (118.3 KiB) Viewed 250 times

2.jpg (132.81 KiB) Viewed 250 times

[Scarodactyl]

This could be an interesting challenge. Late wild or early wild-leica started using those proprietary track stands. It isn't easy to find them, but you would probably need a longer track than is on the boom stand mount you currently have. You can take that whole coarse/fine focus mount off but the track currently on your stand is coarse only which would be lame. You might need to get a new coarse/fine focus column, take off the current one and make an adapter to bolt the M10 body onto the new column, plus an adapter to bolt the column to the stand.
That said I can't remember if these use the same track stand as the later M3s. If so it would probably be easier to get an M3 with a long column, swap them and resell the M3 with the boom stand mount, then just make an adapter to the base.

By the way congratulations, the M10 is awesome and I like the TL series of bases.

[szh-user]

Thanks for the feedback. I was thinking in a comparable direction. Basically there are two options here. First one adapt to the new focus column and ignore the fine focus (yes: ). I assume the adapting part would also require some more complex 3d-machining. Second one get a rather plain M3Z base and use a simple rectangled aluminium plank with some holes for the column and the stand threads. Probably like the one pictured below (imagine the top bar of the "C"-shaped stand cut off, drilled and screwed to the base with the M10's objective centered on the light source:

[Scarodactyl]

You won't need to cut anything, these tracks are generally held on by three bolts.

[Rorschach]

There was a Leica made adapter to attach the M10 trapezoidal column to these Leica bases. But pretty much impossible to find these days. However, I have the blueprint for it from Leica and had a machinist friend manufacture one for me. You can see the adapter in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=18631

And yes, the track is the same for Wild M10 and the later Wild M3Z series (includes also M3C and M3B).

Edit: you'll find the adapter blueprint in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=18311&start=30

And congrats on the M10, it's about the best you can get for stereomicroscopy, especially if you can find a APO objective for it. The ergo head that came out with the scope is also apochromatic so that would complete the setup.

[szh-user]

Thanks for the great feedback - the simple kind of adapter of Rohrschach's outstanding setup is exactly what I had in mind and the TL3000 is also a Rottermann base, so yeah, this thing will hopefully "deliver" once finished

@Rohrschach: Could you possibly make a high-dpi scan of your adapter parts for the trapezoidal column to allow for easier reproduction (I have access to a good lathe and might help others here, too). The ergo head of your linked post is the one with apo optics? Thanks for info

[szh-user]

@Rohrschach: Ah, blueprint already found, was too excited and just started writing after seeing the first adapter pictures