Tamaya sextant

[Graham_Wright]

Been painted grey. Why?
Something to do with reducing sun glint?

 

[oldvarnish]

Mine is painted white. Being more reflective it reduces thermal expansion if used in the tropics, leading to more accuracy.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Mine is painted white. Being more reflective it reduces thermal expansion if used in the tropics, leading to more accuracy.

Is the coefficient of expansion so large on a metal sextant that it’s accuracy would be measurably different between hot climates and cold climates?

 

[Refueler]

Standard Tamaya was dark Gunmetal Grey near black ..... never seemed to affect sights on any ship I was on !!

Lets be honest - if you are leaving it out in direct sun for length of time - then may I suggest you don't ? Irrespective of colour ?

 

[Graham_Wright]

Standard Tamaya was dark Gunmetal Grey near black ..... never seemed to affect sights on any ship I was on !!

Lets be honest - if you are leaving it out in direct sun for length of time - then may I suggest you don't ? Irrespective of colour ?

Not like that. I wondered if it was a wartime ploy to avoid warning the enemy by reflections. Too romantic?

 

[Refueler]

Not like that. I wondered if it was a wartime ploy to avoid warning the enemy by reflections. Too romantic?

I didn't think Tamaya was around in Wartime ?? Maybe - if it was - I doubt it would ne anything like the Tamaya's I used ....

To be honest - the Tamaya was a great Stars Sextant having the powerful monocular ... but a standard Mates / KH sextant was better for sun sights.

 

[Deleted member 478]

Not a fan of the Davis Mark 25, then, @Refueler?

 

[penberth3]

Not a fan of the Davis Mark 25, then, @Refueler?

Indeed. I thought black crackle was standard finish for most optical stuff, back in the day. And what about binos?

 

[Refueler]

Most ships - the Sextants (two) are company supplied .... the days of guys carrying own were long gone .. unless you had particular wish to cart one around !!

TBH - for Sun sights .. any of the usual low power monocle jobs did the job fine ... no need for the more powerful monocular that Zeiss and Tamaya tended to have.

Plastic Sextants ?????? Sorry - I know some say they are OK - but I think if I had to use one again - I'd stick with 'gunmetal' ....

 

[Al Stewart JM]

I have seen pictures of Tamaya sextants from WW2, that were painted grey... guess you have one of those old ones! All current models are finished black.

 

[Refueler]

I have seen pictures of Tamaya sextants from WW2, that were painted grey... guess you have one of those old ones! All current models are finished black.

Interesting .... probably to match the battleship grey of the Japanese fleet !!

 

[[194224]]

The Royal Navy's Admiralty pattern 491 sextants that I grew up with were painted grey too.

 

[Refueler]

The Royal Navy's Admiralty pattern 491 sextants that I grew up with were painted grey too.

Grey was also common colour round Soviet Navy areas ... basically because that was the most common paint that could be 'repurposed' !!

 

[PabloPicasso]

I have seen pictures of Tamaya sextants from WW2, that were painted grey... guess you have one of those old ones! All current models are finished black.

Was the old picture you saw in black & white?