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PSA: A stuck aperture ring on a vintage Pentax Spotmatic took me almost a full weekend to free up.
It was just a simple CLA job, but the ring was totally seized. I tried the usual gentle heat and solvent... nothing. Ended up having to make a tiny clamp from a binder clip and some rubber to apply even pressure while I used a penetrating oil. Even then, it took about 15 hours of soaking and working it back and forth over two days. What's your go-to method for a truly stuck aperture ring?
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the_olivia2mo ago
Ever try using a drop of lighter fluid as a solvent? It's thin enough to creep into really tight spaces and sometimes works where thicker oils fail. I've had decent luck with it on old, gummed-up rings.
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daniel5112mo ago
Yeah, lighter fluid is great for that. I ended up using a mix of naptha and a tiny bit of ATF, letting it soak overnight with some gentle heat from a hairdryer.
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