Need Help Separating Front Elements of Zeiss Jena Tessar...

[fecaleagle]

I bought a 3.25x4.25 Speed Graphic for the FP Shutter, but it has a pretty nice Zeiss Jena Tessar (13.5 cm f/4.5) on it. Well, I'm peering through it and cleaning it up, and it turns out there's some fog between the two front lens elements (air spaced). There are hand screw notches on the back side of the front group, indicating that I can unscrew the rearmost element, but the ring that you twist is recessed, so the car tire trick won't work. Besides being stronger, what can I do?

Thanks,
William

[fecaleagle]

Answer: pliers & luck.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Doesn't the lens have spanner wrench slots on the front and rear element retainers?

[fecaleagle]

Sorry, I suppose I am not correctly distinguishing between elements and groups. The group/element behind the lens board is cemented. That was removed with a spanner.

The front group (in front of the lens board & diaphragm) is air-spaced. I was able to unscrew it from the shutter easily. On the backside of that group, it was apparent that you could unscrew the second "element" from the air-spaced front "group", but there were no spanner slots, just ridges to unscrew it with your hand. It was just odd, because the ring that you grip to unscrew it is actually lower than the "element". I can take a picture tomorrow if need be, but I was able to unscrew it with a pair of pliers, and luckily they did not slip.

Haze is all gone now!

Not a critical lens for me, but it's looking pretty nice right about now.