Does use of WD-40 to loosen "frozen" brass harm glass in old brass lens?
I was reading a post this morning where a member used WD-40 to soak an old brass lens to free up the stuck brass and then be able to remove the glass. Does WD-40 harm the glass? Does anybody have any experience with this approach to free up old stuck brass lens? I have used the rubber straps etc to free up the glass or brass lens hoods, but have not tried WD-40. Thoughts? Suggestions?
Re: Does use of WD-40 to loosen "frozen" brass harm glass in old brass lens?
WD-40 may do it, but I would worry about being able to thoroughly clean the glass after the fact.
Re: Does use of WD-40 to loosen "frozen" brass harm glass in old brass lens?
WD-40 Is a water dispersant. Try Kroil which is a very effective penetrating oil.
Re: Does use of WD-40 to loosen "frozen" brass harm glass in old brass lens?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Hermes07
WD-40 Is a water dispersant. Try Kroil which is a very effective penetrating oil.
+1 on the Kroil. WD-40 will eventually dry to a gunky sticky substance.
Re: Does use of WD-40 to loosen "frozen" brass harm glass in old brass lens?
WD-40 is paraffin in a volatile carrier.
Cleaning the paraffin off the glass might be a challenge.
WD-40 is designed as a water dispersant, as was mentioned above.
Its use as a cleaner (of sorts) comes from the solvent effect of the carrier.
Kroil is certainly the best penetrating oil, but it can be hard to find.
Look in a gun store or online shooting supply place.
- Leigh
Re: Does use of WD-40 to loosen "frozen" brass harm glass in old brass lens?
Re: Does use of WD-40 to loosen "frozen" brass harm glass in old brass lens?
I suggest trying Kroil on a test piece before you use it on the lens you like. I've used Kroil on rusty bolts, but never tried to remove it afterwards, as I threw the bolts away. I don't know what you'd use to clean off the Kroil.
Re: Does use of WD-40 to loosen "frozen" brass harm glass in old brass lens?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
E. von Hoegh
Liquid Wrench and PB Blaster are good, too.
It was probably my "Ancient Voigtlander" thread he read. I did use PB Blaster, but mentioned WD-40 as a comparision because I wasn't sure how many here are familiar with PB. I'll elaborate on how I did it. I made a small cup out of aluminum foil, sprayed the PB into that. I then folded the foil into more of a point to better collect the liquid. Using a needle & syringe, I sucked up the PB, then carefully applied it to the opening of the threaded part. I left the lens standing on an end so it would run down into the threads. Since the threads weren't really corroded so much as they were gummed/stuck, it worked like a charm! After I got the pieces apart I carefully wiped away all the PB. The glass was easy to clean with Windex, then I used a lens cleaning wipe (Zeiss from Walmart, $3/100,) and then dried with a microfiber cloth. No problems found. I was afraid the PB could get into the cemented balsam and dissolve it, but I used so little it didn't make it that far. What I did NOT do is spray the lens down with the little straw attachment and hope for the best.
I'll bring up something else here. I went to my local pharmacy and tried to buy a single syringe. No dice--they wouldn't sell me any! I tried to get one from a local clinic, and they turned me down even though they know me. I tried to buy one from the vetrinarian we take our cat to, and they said they legally couldn't sell me one either. SO, being a farm boy in a regional agricultural center, I went down to my local farm supply store. They had syringes for sale by the each or by the thousand, and a regular buffet of needles! I picked up a couple of fairly fine gauged ones, and a couple of big ones with large diameters. I used the large ones to apply heated hide glue to a tailboard camera I was repairing. The needles give me pin point application! So there you go. Our laws are designed to prevent addicts from getting needles, but addicted cows & horses can get all of them they want. :D (Our government in action.)
Kent in SD
Re: Does use of WD-40 to loosen "frozen" brass harm glass in old brass lens?
I've used a drop of two of solvent before on lens threads too, but here's the thing to think about: What will that solvent do if it get's on the edge of the cemented pair? Penetrate in, and cause separation would be the worst worry. So use it sparingly. CLP Break-free works wonders too.
Re: Does use of WD-40 to loosen "frozen" brass harm glass in old brass lens?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Two23
I'll bring up something else here. I went to my local pharmacy and tried to buy a single syringe. No dice--they wouldn't sell me any! I tried to get one from a local clinic, and they turned me down even though they know me. I tried to buy one from the vetrinarian we take our cat to, and they said they legally couldn't sell me one either.
They WHAT? You are in Zimbabwe, North Korea or some lunatic dictatorship in full denial of the existence of AIDS? I would have thought that in any civilized place syringes and needles would by now be easily obtainable, no questions asked, just in case you are a secret i.v. drug addict.
