My repairman destroyed my Leica Lens

[4season]

Solvent soak for several weeks is the only way to safely separate uv adhesive bonded doublets. In all the time I’ve been working in optics and especially repairing lenses, I’ve never attempted separating uv adhesive bonded doublets with heat.

What sort of solvent would you use?

 

[BMbikerider]

Thanks to everyone for your thoughtful comments and suggestions.
Yes, my Summarex was easily worth between $3000 and $4000, if the fungus could have been successfully removed.
This Summarex is the first version, complete with original caps and shade, and is the lens pictured in one of Jim Lager's Illustrated Leica Lens Guides.
I had no idea that attempting to remove the fungus was so dangerous.
The worst outcome that I anticipated was the failure to remove the fungus due to the internal glass having been permanently etched.
I could have lived with the etching because the lens was still useable.
But, my repairman did not disclose the possibility of total lens destruction, prior to accepting this job.
Maybe I would have taken the risk anyway....I don't know.
In the end, the 40-year relationship with my repairman is worth more to me than this monetary loss.
I've learned an expensive lesson with respect to future repairs of rare vintage lenses.

Apart from anything else, has he even offered to make some sort of recompense? Friendship is something that can be more valuable than money, but as you say, you remain friends but if I had damaged someone else's property, I would feel dreadful about it and make some sort of offer.

 

[cowanw]

What sort of solvent would you use?

Paint remover worked a charm for me.
Also it might be of interest to crazy glue the cracked elements together. Flare aside, I remember a very broken Pinkham and Smith from Jim Galli doing remarkably well.

 

[Arthurwg]

I see you can at the moment buy an ex-factory cut-away version of this lens on Ebay for $6624.41, with caps.

 

[lobitar]

I don't think I have ever seen fungus in this type of cement. A slight mist or separation of course, but not fungus. Thus I have to say this business has an ever so slightly fishy smell to me. Of course the repairman may possibly just have dropped the lens group on the floor? Not intending to be abusive, but does seem to be a little bit fishy.

 

[pentaxuser]

In the end, the 40-year relationship with my repairman is worth more to me than this monetary loss.
I've learned an expensive lesson with respect to future repairs of rare vintage lenses.

So as long as we all know that the problem for the OP was solved on Jan 3 which is why he has withdrawn from the thread and we are still in it for the sport only, that's fine

pentaxuser

 

[__Brian]

Do not use Crazy Glue as a substitute for optical cement. It will most likely etch the glass.

Use Index Matching Gel, the type used for optical connectors if you are doing a table top repair on a cheap lens.