cut off retaining ring?

PGG wrote:

 >I bought a better lens, but I can't for the life of me get the retaining
 >ring off of my hold lens. I have a nice spanner wrench and have put
 >oodles of force into the ring, but either I don't have the strength or the
 >wrench slips.
 >
 >I'm about to cut the ring off with a dremel tool. Its likely I'll damage
 >the threads of my old lens. Any other ideas before I further strip the
 >slots on the retaining ring?
 >

Now don't everybody freak....if PGG is careful and thinks about it a
bit, this should work...

Use a soldering iron or a soldering gun to warm up the ring (this is
assuming that you can touch the ring only with the heat element and not
touch the body of the lens). The hotter the gun you have the better as
it will heat the ring more quickly without the heat dissipating into the
body of the lens.

The heat should cause the ring to expand and hopefully it will loosen
enough to unscrew.

I would think (but don't know, so please correct me) that unless the
shutter or diaphragm blades are plastic or rubber, that you can apply a
fair bit of heat without damaging anything. By a "fair bit of heat" I
mean enough that you can still hold the assembly in your hand, but can't
touch the ring.

cheers

--
regards from ::

John Bartley
43 Norway Spruce Street
Stittsville, Ontario
Canada, K2S1P5

( If you slow down it takes longer
- does that apply to life also?)<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: cut off retaining ring? 

PGG wrote:
 > I bought a better lens, but I can't for the life of me get the retaining
 > ring off of my hold lens. I have a nice spanner wrench and have put
 > oodles of force into the ring, but either I don't have the strength or the
 > wrench slips.
 >
 > I'm about to cut the ring off with a dremel tool. Its likely I'll damage
 > the threads of my old lens. Any other ideas before I further strip the
 > slots on the retaining ring?
 >
 >
Can you figure out what the problem is first?

Is it that the ring will not move on the threads?
Or is it that the ring rubs on the lensboard?

Because different problems call for different solutions.

The spanner wrench should not slip. Is it the wrong size? Is it poorly made?

--
.~. Jean-David Beyer Registered Linux User 85642.
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 >> Stay informed about: cut off retaining ring? 

"PGG" <pa_paSPAAMgordygrapes DeleteThis @NO_SP_A_Myahoo.com> wrote in message
news:pan.2005.04.09.04.04.05.545000@NO_SP_A_Myahoo.com...
 >I bought a better lens, but I can't for the life of me get the retaining
 > ring off of my hold lens[...]

John Bartley's tip is right-on but if it still won't move then proceed with
the cutting wheel but like this - of course, first protect the rear lens;
flying cutting dust is murder. Cut using the small wheel, not the larger
one. You do not have to cut all the way through the ring! 70% of the way
will often do it. When you turn it with the spanning wrench the torque will
deform it just enough to turn on the threads.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: cut off retaining ring? 

this post is not archived.
 >> Stay informed about: cut off retaining ring? 

Ever see a lens with a plastic barrel?

--
darkroommike

----------
"John Bartley" <oldrad DeleteThis @sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:DRO5e.14624$6k4.1118624@news20.bellglobal.com...
 > PGG wrote:
 >
  > >I bought a better lens, but I can't for the life of me get the retaining
  > >ring off of my hold lens. I have a nice spanner wrench and have put
  > >oodles of force into the ring, but either I don't have the strength or
the
  > >wrench slips.
  > >
  > >I'm about to cut the ring off with a dremel tool. Its likely I'll damage
  > >the threads of my old lens. Any other ideas before I further strip the
  > >slots on the retaining ring?
  > >
 >
 > Now don't everybody freak....if PGG is careful and thinks about it a
 > bit, this should work...
 >
 > Use a soldering iron or a soldering gun to warm up the ring (this is
 > assuming that you can touch the ring only with the heat element and not
 > touch the body of the lens). The hotter the gun you have the better as
 > it will heat the ring more quickly without the heat dissipating into the
 > body of the lens.
 >
 > The heat should cause the ring to expand and hopefully it will loosen
 > enough to unscrew.
 >
 > I would think (but don't know, so please correct me) that unless the
 > shutter or diaphragm blades are plastic or rubber, that you can apply a
 > fair bit of heat without damaging anything. By a "fair bit of heat" I
 > mean enough that you can still hold the assembly in your hand, but can't
 > touch the ring.
 >
 > cheers
 >
 > --
 > regards from ::
 >
 > John Bartley
 > 43 Norway Spruce Street
 > Stittsville, Ontario
 > Canada, K2S1P5
 >
 > ( If you slow down it takes longer
 > - does that apply to life also?)<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: cut off retaining ring? 

You might also be able to drill some very small holes in the ring, then the
ring will break when you apply force, BTW have you considered just buying a
new lensboard and ring for the new lens and selling the old lens on eBay as
a mounted enlarger lens?

--
darkroommike

----------
"jjs" <jjs RemoveThis @nowhere.you.know.net> wrote in message
news:115fqak3h6gf215@news.supernews.com...
 > "PGG" <pa_paSPAAMgordygrapes RemoveThis @NO_SP_A_Myahoo.com> wrote in message
 > news:pan.2005.04.09.04.04.05.545000@NO_SP_A_Myahoo.com...
  > >I bought a better lens, but I can't for the life of me get the retaining
  > > ring off of my hold lens[...]
 >
 > John Bartley's tip is right-on but if it still won't move then proceed
with
 > the cutting wheel but like this - of course, first protect the rear lens;
 > flying cutting dust is murder. Cut using the small wheel, not the larger
 > one. You do not have to cut all the way through the ring! 70% of the way
 > will often do it. When you turn it with the spanning wrench the torque
will
 > deform it just enough to turn on the threads.
 >
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: cut off retaining ring? 

Mike King wrote:

 >Ever see a lens with a plastic barrel?
 >
 >--
 >darkroommike
 >

Nope - never have Mike. Good thing to know about though,

thank you

--
regards from ::

John Bartley
43 Norway Spruce Street
Stittsville, Ontario
Canada, K2S1P5

( If you slow down it takes longer
- does that apply to life also?)<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: cut off retaining ring? 

PGG wrote:
 >
 > I bought a better lens, but I can't for the life of me get the retaining
 > ring off of my hold lens. I have a nice spanner wrench and have put
 > oodles of force into the ring, but either I don't have the strength or the
 > wrench slips.

You may need to refinish the slots for the spanner wrench. If your spanner
has conical/round points it may be easier to drill 2 small holes in the ring.
A sharp chisel can be used to cut the notch shoulders square - a slight
undercut is not a bad idea.

My method:

1) A few drops of WD-40 in the threads
2) Let it sit for a day or two
3) Put the lensboard in a vice, clamped between wood pieces
4) With a small sharp cold chisel or sharpened screwdriver
and a hammer gently try to 'tap' the ring off using the
spanner notches.
5) Try the spanner wrench

Repeat 1-5 until the ring comes off. The reason for the hammer taps
is to send a shock that will loosen the threads for a few milliseconds
so the WD-40 can find its way into the contact area between the ring
threads and the barrel threads. When the WD-40 has completely penetrated
the ring will come off easily. "Liquid Wrench" ("Liquid Plumber"?) works
better but stinks to high heaven and gets all over everything, great on
pipes, though.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
To reply, remove spaces: n o lindan at ix . netcom . com
psst.. want to buy an f-stop timer? nolindan.com/da/fstop/<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: cut off retaining ring? 

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 >> Stay informed about: cut off retaining ring? 

John Bartley wrote:

 >
 > Use a soldering iron or a soldering gun to warm up the ring (this is
 > assuming that you can touch the ring only with the heat element and not
 > touch the body of the lens).

Would a vindaloo not work better?





apologies...

--
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.petezilla.co.uk" target="_blank">http://www.petezilla.co.uk</a><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: cut off retaining ring? 

I do these things. Which lens?Plastic or metal barrel?
Bob AZ
 >> Stay informed about: cut off retaining ring? 

I do these things. Which lens?Plastic or metal barrel?
Bob AZ
 >> Stay informed about: cut off retaining ring? 

this post is not archived.
 >> Stay informed about: cut off retaining ring?