lens wrench alternative?

[walter23]

You can sometimes do it with a screwdriver, but you have to be extremely careful not to slip and damage the glass on the lens. Better to get the proper tool, I think.

You can find a spanner wrench for $10 to $20 on ebay, or get the simple lens tool from badger graphic for close to the same (just a piece of metal cut to fit standard shutter sizes).

[walter23]

Just looked at the one SK Grimes makes - for $38 that's a pretty nice wrench. The one I got on ebay is a bit sloppy (two cross bars) - there's a lot of wobble and it's hard to secure to the correct spacing. Grimes' wrench looks simpler and better designed.

[Frank Petronio]

The big box hardware stores will sell a cheaper "General Precision" spanner sometimes. But I used a nail -- even tapping it with a hammer on some stubborn rings -- before I got a proper wrench. If you only use modern lenses in Copal or Compur shutters, the flat metal Toyo/Rodenstock $12 eBay ones are just as useful as the Grimes wrench.

[GPS]

You can sometimes do it with a screwdriver, but you have to be extremely careful not to slip and damage the glass on the lens. Better to get the proper tool, I think.

...

2 screwdrivers pressed against a ruler and used as a wrench hold better if the need is - still you have to be careful.

[venchka]

The Linos lens wrench doesn't work worth a hoot on Fujinon-W and Nikkor-W lenses. The ears are too short.

[Bob Salomon]

The Linos lens wrench doesn't work worth a hoot on Fujinon-W and Nikkor-W lenses. The ears are too short.

The wrench does not fit lenses. It fits 0, 1 and 3 size shutters on flat lens boards. Why doesn't it work? Are you using something other then Compur, Copal and Prontor shutters?

[venchka]

Copal & Kodamatic (X) shutters. I run out of wrench engagement before the lockring tightens. This is especially annoying with the Copal #1 and Zone VI boards which aren't flat. I encountered the same problem with Copal #0 and Kodak Kodamatic (X) shutters on Technika boards. It's a borrowed wrench. I'm glad I found out before buying one.

For the sake of accuracy, I will recheck tonight. The Zone VI boards cause a problem.

[Jon Shiu]

If there is no indexing pin sticking out of the back of the shutter, I just turn the shutter body itself to unscrew and usually the lockring will not rotate much against the lensboard. To tighten, just put your thumb on the lockring and turn the shutter body from the front.

Jon

[Aahx]

I got my wrench here (allong with a couple of other tools) and it works fine.

[domaz]

There is usually some kind of hole or tab in retaining rings so just use two really small metal pieces like tiny allen wrenches. That's what I do and it works fine so far.