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Thread: Tips and Tricks for cleaning and storing old brass lenses

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Posts
    60

    Tips and Tricks for cleaning and storing old brass lenses

    Hello Gentlemen,

    since my collection of brass lenses is raising, I asked myself an important question.

    How should I store and clean my lenses correctly, so they can last for a lifetime or more than that.

    I´m very excited for your tips

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Collinsville, CT USA
    Posts
    2,330

    Re: Tips and Tricks for cleaning and storing old brass lenses

    For myself, I carefully take the lens apart (if I can) and very carefully clean the glass with Kodak Lens Cleaner and Kodak lens cleaning paper. If this doesn't work, I then clean the lens with Kodak Film cleaner followed by cleaning with distilled water. For the brass and other metal parts I use distilled water with a very soft cleaning cloth which gets washed after each use. Patina on the brass is never altered or changed in any way. Lenses are stored face up in a cabinet on a large sheet of archival 4 ply board. Humidity kept at between 35-45%. Lenses are taken out and used as I would any of my newer lenses. Getting proper caps for the lenses has always been a problem. When they are transported outside for use, I just wrap them up in a folding velcro lens protector.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    California
    Posts
    3,908

    Re: Tips and Tricks for cleaning and storing old brass lenses

    I never touch a lens with the sandpaper called "lens tissue." Look at it under a microscope. I only use finely powdered activated charcoal on cotton q-tip. Been doing this for at least 50 years. Never had even a microscopic scratch.

  4. #4
    (Shrek)
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Montreal
    Posts
    2,044

    Re: Tips and Tricks for cleaning and storing old brass lenses

    I have a repurposed china cabinet for lenses. Nothing fancy, I just pack all the lenses in there as high as I can stack them. I have 2 or 3 moisture control cans in there, basically the same stuff as in the moisture control packets that come with everything now, except they're in a larger container and I microwave them every spring to dry them out. Dollar store has them.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Mar 2021
    Posts
    5

    Re: Tips and Tricks for cleaning and storing old brass lenses

    To manually clean the lenses, you can find different guides, but the situation is a bit more challenging for tile and grout cleaning.
    I know what I am talking about as I had a lot of trouble with bathroom cleaning.
    Luckily, I found a company that provides tile and grout cleaning services.
    If you also confronted this problem and couldn't find a way to fix it, you may check the company I am talking about.
    They provide professional tile and grout cleaning, so if you are interested, go ahead and contact them.
    In case you would like to call them, here is their phone number:
    493 849 492.

  6. #6
    Tin Can's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Posts
    22,385

    Re: Tips and Tricks for cleaning and storing old brass lenses

    Listen to Jim

    I try to never clean a new lens, some are 20 years old/new. I only clean old glass if absolutely necessary

    Don't remove patina on old lenses

    High humidity is a problem in some areas, fungus

    I now store all glass in a dedicated 'outgas free' metal cabinet that does move a bit of air in and out

    Next lens I 'clean' will get activated charcoal and q tip as I just learned of that technique

    It was a big secret until recently



    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Noel View Post
    I never touch a lens with the sandpaper called "lens tissue." Look at it under a microscope. I only use finely powdered activated charcoal on cotton q-tip. Been doing this for at least 50 years. Never had even a microscopic scratch.
    Tin Can

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