Dallmeyer 2B would you polish?

[goamules]

This one should sell cheaply, on ebay now. I'd be OK polishing off the "patina" on this one.

http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/rIwAAOSwzJ5XYVGI/s-l1600.jpg

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Damn! What a shame that someone would let this beauty get to this state. Absolutely some love needed.

[Jim C.]

Amazingly poor shape, and it's up to $227 USD too !

I'd be worried about the corrosion eating thru if the auctions description is correct in saying that it's aluminum.

[Peter Gomena]

Leave the patina. That lens served on the Titanic and is worth a fortune.

[DrTang]

if the glass was okay..I wouldn't care how the outsides looked..I might even paint it..like Olive drab or something..or orange

[Jac@stafford.net]

I night strip all the remaining paint, clean the body, paint it with zinc (very thin spray) and leave it be or paint it black.
.

[EdSawyer]

It is obviously aluminum.

[goamules]

Nothing a good sandblasting won't fix. If you could ever unscrew the elements, which are surely fused.

[brandon13]

Nothing a good sandblasting won't fix. If you could ever unscrew the elements, which are surely fused.

Yes even if the glass was cleanable I don't see anyway of unscrewing it. not worth anything IMO.

[LabRat]

Great example of item in excessive entropy state... Great for a zombie movie prop... Don't bother trying to restore, it is in rare condition as it is... :-)

Steve K

[Mark Sawyer]

A little Bondo and a coat of candy-apple red paint and it's as good as new!

[Chris7521]

Yes even if the glass was cleanable I don't see anyway of unscrewing it. not worth anything IMO.
I'm with you there. Look like it's off the Titanic 😂

[brandon13]

I am not even sure if someone said, "If you can clean this glass and get this lens back into useable condition, then you can have it." that I would take on the challenge. Looks like a nightmare of a project.

[EdSawyer]

for free I'd give it a try. The hood looks the worst, the rest could be salvaged somehow.

[goamules]

A toilet paper tube makes a handy lens barrel replacement.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Yes even if the glass was cleanable I don't see anyway of unscrewing it. not worth anything IMO.

PB Blaster! It will not hurt the glass.

[Steven Tribe]

It is obviously aluminum.
Correction! It used to be aluminium! There appear to be a couple of different alloys involved, but all rapidly becoming a collection of metal oxides etc. The knob has a dramatic corrosion fracture. Perhaps, the barrel parts are a better alloy?
Metal salts do damage glass surfaces too.

[franeq]

Really strange... on another listing there is camera with 2B in very good condidion for 645$. Repeat camera WITH 2B in good condidtion for 645$. I observe this listing for 3 months noone is interested... for this one eated lens 400$....

[anachromatic]

Correction! It used to be aluminium! There appear to be a couple of different alloys involved, but all rapidly becoming a collection of metal oxides etc. The knob has a dramatic corrosion fracture. Perhaps, the barrel parts are a better alloy?
Metal salts do damage glass surfaces too.

I think it could be an alloy known as zamak, like some early Heliars or Busch Nicola Perscheid.....

[Mark Sawyer]

I think it could be an alloy known as zamak, like some early Heliars or Busch Nicola Perscheid.....

It's possible, but it would have to be a pretty late 2B. Zamak was first made in 1929, and took a few years to reach Europe. Also, Zamak is known for its corrosion resistance...

[Jim C.]

It's possible, but it would have to be a pretty late 2B. Zamak was first made in 1929, and took a few years to reach Europe. Also, Zamak is known for its corrosion resistance...

and for zinc pest (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc_pest)