Graham_Wright
Well-known member
Been painted grey. Why?
Something to do with reducing sun glint?
Something to do with reducing sun glint?
Tamaya sextant
- Thread starter Graham_Wright
- Start date
oldvarnish
Active member
Mine is painted white. Being more reflective it reduces thermal expansion if used in the tropics, leading to more accuracy.
Praxinoscope
Well-known member
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
Well-known member
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 ?
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
Well-known member
Not like that. I wondered if it was a wartime ploy to avoid warning the enemy by reflections. Too romantic?
Refueler
Well-known member
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.
penberth3
Well-known member
Indeed. I thought black crackle was standard finish for most optical stuff, back in the day. And what about binos?
Refueler
Well-known member
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' ....
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
New member
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
Well-known member
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
Well-known member
Grey was also common colour round Soviet Navy areas ... basically because that was the most common paint that could be 'repurposed' !!
