I finally stopped fighting with stuck lens barrels on old SLRs

For years, I'd just grab a strap wrench and muscle them off, which sometimes worked but often just chewed up the rubber grip. After a Leica M3 came in from a collector in Savannah with a completely seized 50mm Summicron, I tried a trick from a watchmaker friend: a few drops of lighter fluid around the seam, let it sit for 15 minutes, then gentle heat from a hairdryer. It broke free with almost no force needed. Has anyone else found a better penetrating fluid for this that won't harm coatings?

3 comments

3 Comments

irisw732mo ago

Honestly sounds like a lot of fuss for a stuck lens.

terrymitchell2mo ago

Wondering if this is even worth the risk. Lighter fluid near lens coatings and heat on old glue sounds like a recipe for haze or separation. Sometimes a stuck lens is just telling you it wants to stay put.

the_derek2mo ago

Used to agree with you completely, thought forcing a stuck lens was asking for trouble. Then I got a lens so stuck it was basically junk anyway, so I tried the lighter fluid trick out of pure frustration. Worked perfectly, no haze, no damage. Changed my whole view on it. Now I see it as a legit fix for a lens that's already broken if it stays stuck.