stuck lens flange...

Hi all,

So I nabbed an Ilex lens off of ebay for $9. That's cool.

The flange is there, and it's screwed on _very_ askew. That's not so cool.

Moderate force with pliers has done nothing. I'm thinking of putting it in a ziplock bag and into the fridge to see if the cold can loose it up. Any other ideas on how I might get this thing off?

allan

How about a little 3 in 1 oil? It works for me when I have a stuck filter - just be careful, you only need one drop.

kaiyen said:

Hi all,

So I nabbed an Ilex lens off of ebay for $9. That's cool.

The flange is there, and it's screwed on _very_ askew. That's not so cool.

Moderate force with pliers has done nothing. I'm thinking of putting it in a ziplock bag and into the fridge to see if the cold can loose it up. Any other ideas on how I might get this thing off?

allan

Click to expand...

I don’t think cold will do. That would probably shrink the ring more than the base making it even tighter. Heat might work with care. The problem with regular tools is that they deform the ring when applied. There are filter wrenches available at reasonable cost that may help. See S.K. Grimes for help.

If all else fails, the ring can be cut off. I have used a Dremel Mototool with a cut-off disk to slice enough of the ring to enable it to be broken with a blade (screwdriver, chisel, etc.) It is more important to preserve the threads of the lens than those on the ring (which are probably damaged already).

I agree with DR BOB... In theory heat will work, but the chance of damaging the lens is too great. Cut partway through the ring with a dremel, or even a small file, and twist a screwdriver in the slot to break it.

I thought heat made items expand...making it a tighter fit?

I don't mind losing the flange - the one on my existing lensboard, believe it or not, fits already. I'll see what I can do with a bit of lubricant, then try to just cut it off. Hopefully it'll work.

For $9 it's worth trying whatever I can. the shutter is even accurate, too.

allan

Throw on some rubber gloves and you'll get amazing kung fu grip.