Stuck lens

OK, yet another silly question.

Anybody have any advice as to how to get a lens unstuck from the lensboard? I have a new lens to try out for my Speed Graphic, but the original lens is extremely stuck in the original lensboard. I know it must just unscrew, but it won't budge. The lens I'm trying to remove does need repair, but just the same I'd prefer not to cause any more damage trying to twist the thing off.

Words of wisdom? Thanks in advance.

- CJ

Sometimes a temperature change will loosen things. Put it in a ziplock bag and in the freezer or just put it outside. When it gets cold, try to loosen.

Righty-tighty, lefty loosie.

Spanner wrench. Go to a jwelery store and see if someone there will use theirs. I went to a JC penny once, then bought my own spanner.

Are you trying to unscrew the retaining nut on the backside or just trying to unscrew the shutter/lens assembly from the front? Reason for asking this silly question is that some older lenses have a set pin under the shutter to prevent rotation of the shutter when setting the shutter for firing. If so, not a good idea to do what I normally do, which is just gently grab shutter with a rubber glove and twist to release the retaining nut a bit. Then I can release the nut by hand.

If it has the set pin, you may have to get a spanner wrench to loosen and remove the ring. In case you dont have a spanner wrench you can try (... advice here is offered with no warrantee, guarantee, or even hint of being reasonable ), a pair of large needle nose pliers. Careful is the operative word here to prevent slippage and gouching oneself or worse, your equipment.

In an bind it works but only if you can grip and rotate without having the pliers slip. You can make sure of preventing the slipping open of the pliers jaws by using a another pair of long jawed vise grips to clamp tight on the pliers to prevent them from opening ... Wheeew ... sorry about the long winded workabout.

I invested in a lens spanner from SK Grimes. Well worth the money, now I only have one lens that seems irreversibly stuck. It used to be five!

I've not owned a Speed Graphic, but I think it is a standard 4x4 lensboard. There is usually a retaining ring on the back side of the board that needs to be unscrewed. If it has little square cutouts in it you may be able to use a circlip tool (retaining ring tool? - I'm unsure of the name) to get it to loosen. I think there are some tools pictured somewhere on skgrimes.com. See:

http://www.skgrimes.com/lensmount/shutmt/index.htm

If it is a flange instead of a retaining ring then the amount of surface area to grab is usually more, but there is less to grab. If you really can't get it off I'm sure SKGrimes can do it for you.

[I posted this before I saw the other replies - Sorry]
Good luck!

Will

why not just get another lensboard for the new lens?

You should just get another lensboard eventually as Eric suggests, but meanwhile, it's handy to own a spanner to test things out. I also have the S.K. Grimes spanner and recommend it highly, since it handles a wide range of tasks. There are some more specialized spanners at www.micro-tools.com, but I don't really see the need for them.

Is it a wood (anny speed) or metal (pacemaker) lensboard? I have a metal lensboard that has the flange srewed to the lensboard and wi th the lens in situ the screwheads are hidden. If you lens has a retaining ring, by all means remove that first. If it is attached with a flange, you can use a spanner or get a small strap wrench from one of those cheapo import tool joints (2 for a buck99 or something like that) and have at it(gently of course!) Good luck!

Thanks, all. Finally managed to get it off. Whew!

Eric, I'll definitely get another lensboard, but I'm on my way out of town tomorrow morning. No time to find one right now, and I need to be able to use the new lens. I'm sure I can find one easily enough when I have a few minutes to spare.

Will, I had already removed the retaining ring-thingy with no trouble -- it was truly the lens that was stuck.

I'm betting I'm gonna be sore tomorrow.

Cheryl Jacobs said:

<snip>I'll definitely get another lensboard, but I'm on my way out of town tomorrow morning. No time to find one right now, and I need to be able to use the new lens. I'm sure I can find one easily enough when I have a few minutes to spare.

Click to expand...

Dead Link Removed sell brand new, pre drilled lens boards for the speed and crown graphics. I've purchased three from them and am pleased with the product.