How to separate (and re-cement) a doublet : Lens repair

[@ajgonzalez5109]

One of the best photography related channels on KZbin.

[@diyextravaganza]

Thanks a lot, please share that with as many people as you can. Thanks.

[@monkeyfinger7949]

I agree this was an amazing repair. I am pretty handy but, regluing lenses together is next level stuff. Great video.

[@diyextravaganza]

Thanks, There is a huge amount of work and patience involved :) , good thing it is not a repair that one must do often.

[@tutangol]

Con el metodo del horno hay quetenár mucho cuidado como dices la pieza se puede romper. Aunque imagino dependerá del tipo de pegamento tenga (si es Canadian Balsam o alguna resina sintética como Norland NOA #81) segun este pegada con una bálsamo de Canada o una resina sintética sera el mayor o menor calor al que se despegara. Yo hubiera incluido tambien el método de despegado con pistola de calor que creo es mas efectivo y no tiene tantos riesgos. Con una Heat gun de 1500w en unos 5 o 6 minutos se podrían separar si se utilizan algun dispositivo tipo morsa y se ayuda con papeles de aluminio.

[@diyextravaganza]

Hola, gracias por la précision. Si hay, que tener mucho cuidado cuando se calienta para evitar un choque térmico. No mencioné el método con la pistola de calor porque no lo conocía. Saludos.

[@tutangol]

@@diyextravaganza Omiti mencionar que esta muy bien los videos que haces y tu canal! Si, en Tokyo (donde vivo) el de la pistola de calor es el método que me han dicho usan los profesionales de reparación. Si te interesara estar en contacto, pásame algun email o usuario de red social y te escribo por privado por allí. Yo no soy profesional en el tema, solo me interesa para limpiar y arreglar mis lentes.

[@harlhequim]

Interesante el aporte de la Pistola de Calor. Estoy por iniciar el proceso de sepracion y tengo Pistola de Calor, podrias referirme aalgun ligar donde pueda encontrar detalles del procedimiento. Gracias

[@ianboard544]

Why not just 3D print a mold? Give about 5 mils clearance and it should be snug fit.

[@diyextravaganza]

@@ianboard544 I thought about that but didn't feel that the precision would be enough, but it is indeed a possibility. Best.

[@kennzo12]

Does the doublet get stuck in the holder when you glue it? I have 2 mamiya lenses that need this repair that i am hoping to fix. Awesome video!

[@diyextravaganza]

@@kennzo12 hi, they stick a bit, but a simple push suffices to remove. Bestie.

[@Jim-BobWalton]

So far as using “water”, could you use a pressure cooker to achieve the temperatures you need? Also, does isopropyl alcohol work, instead of acetone?

[@diyextravaganza]

@@Jim-BobWalton Hi, for the temperature, I'm not sure about the pressure cooker, also, the temperature raise will be too quick and you risk breaking the glass. For the isopropyl, I don't think it will work but I've never tried it myself.

[@Lawman212]

This is very helpful. Does the heat or acetone affect the multi-coatings?

[@diyextravaganza]

Hi, I have already given a detailed answer to that question in the comments below, please take a look. Best regards.

[@tylerfukuda]

Have you worked on Minolta Rokkor-X doublets? It seems that they use some sort of black/grey cement to join the lenses-applied by a brush or bristle tip. I began using acetone but this seems to be a very slow method. Do you have any recommendations on removing? Thank you!

[@diyextravaganza]

Hi, I've not worked on Minolta rokkor-X doublets but I've worked on these lenses. You're talking about the "paint" on the rim of the doublet, isn't that right?. The acetone or solvent method is the slowest as mentioned on the video but also the safest as you don't have any risk of breaking the doublet due to thermal shock. You can try heating the doublet (slowly) to fasten the process, with the associated risk of thermal shock. There is no real fast solution to do this repair. Best.

[@XFILES1976]

Hello, Congratulations for the clip! I found out some "secrets", but not all! I would like you to tell us how the coating behaves (SMC in the case of Pentax) in different situations. Does it burn (in the case of the oven), dissolve (in the case of acetone) or change its properties? I guess that a re-coating, in the case of DIY, is out of the question... Thank you very much!

[@diyextravaganza]

Hi, thanks, about the coatings, I tell you what I know. Coatings are metallic deposits made essentially to reduce the reflectivity of the glass (at each change of diffraction coefficient, you get some light reflected back), at air-glass is about 4% each time. So, the role of coatings is to minimize that. Therefore, as being metallic, it is not going to burn, it is not going to dissolve (or change properties) either. I'm no chemist but acetone is widely used in workshops to clean metal parts. About a re-coating, maybe possible, but not really an amateur thing. Keep following the channel and share it with your friends !

[@XFILES1976]

@@diyextravaganza Thanks!

[@thevoidedwarranty]

It's intresting that yly are performing the repair on a glass surfece that can scratch & chip the lens with a slight contact

[@diyextravaganza]

Thanks for the advice

[@dickviddicus]

Absolutely amazing. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@diyextravaganza]

You're welcome, you can share with friends! Best.

[@ambrosioflavio2266]

do i need to worry about rotational alignment with the back lens when putting it back?

[@diyextravaganza]

@@ambrosioflavio2266 Hello, what do you mean, between the two lenses?, yes, very important to keep aligned. Ideally, you should align with a collimator, which obviously near no one has, so, a very good mechanical alignment is the next best.

[@urionandon]

This is a nice tutorial. I tried separating 2 lens groups by boiling, oven up to 210C and also in acetone for 2 days - none of this helped in any extent. Maybe I just had to be more patient and wait more days, or heat in oven for more time.

[@diyextravaganza]

Hi, you put in oven and in water? That means that the lens will heat up to about 100Celsius and no more. Try without the water. Or you can try waiting longer in acetone, is it a recent lens? If yes, these are slightly more tricky as some use UV glues. Regards.

[@urionandon]

@@diyextravaganza Oven without water, then tried boiling, then tried acetone, all separately. It was an old Pen F Zuiko lens, so it was surprising that it didn’t separate. I guess I need to try oven for a longer period.

[@diyextravaganza]

@@urionandon you put what temperature? I found that 180-200 Celsius, but that can vary. Else, try leaving in acetone for a few days, more than 2days, between 3 and 5 is a more common waiting time. Best.

[@johnemmanuellaurente8937]

Can i use this info to clean my Tamron lens?

[@diyextravaganza]

If balsam separation is your issue, yes. Please share my content with friends.

[@gustavoschuster2665]

This information is gold ! Many thanks

[@diyextravaganza]

Thanks, please share it with friends.

[@KcnancKnG]

Thank you very much, I just did the resurrection rokkor zoom 75-200 f4.5 that I got it from an antique shop. I watched your video and fixed it until it was usable. I really need to thank you.

[@diyextravaganza]

@@KcnancKnG that's great news 😊 please share my channel with all your friends. Best.

[@sturiteee]

Do you have any advice on how I could seperate and reglue a canon L 28-70 2.8, I believe it uses UV glue. Would any of these processes work?

[@diyextravaganza]

Hi, I'd go with the solvent. I've got some feedback telling me heating does not work well with UV glues. Best.

[@ateliercunha2876]

Very good video! I´ve a doublet with the strangest blobs between elements. I need to do this procedure ,-) I´ve another single lens with a ver stubburn fog/haze that I cannot clean with Isopropyl alcohol or Oxygenated water .-( Should I try (kitchen) White vinegar, Cleaning vinegar (1% more acid), Acetone or some Hand Cream with NaOH (sodium hydroxide)? Thanks a lot.

[@diyextravaganza]

Hi, just remember that the most important thing for any repair procedure is patience. Don't rush anything, don't force anything. For the haze, try nose grease, and no, I'm not kidding, rub the lens surface with your nose, spread and then clean using alcohol (or vinegar). I've cleaned large format lenses this way with a lot of success. Just let me know if the outcome. Cheers.

[@ateliercunha2876]

@@diyextravaganza Hi mate, thanks for replying. Sorry to ask, but is that for real? :-) Fat from the skin of the nose?

[@ateliercunha2876]

@@diyextravaganza ¿Grasa de la piel de la nariz?

[@diyextravaganza]

@@ateliercunha2876 for real, learnt that from an old camera technician.

[@diyextravaganza]

@@ateliercunha2876 si hombre, creeme que es verdad.

[@kakotonma]

I put the separated piece in acetone, but it didn't clean the glue from the glass at all. any idea? Thanks.

[@diyextravaganza]

Hello, how long did you leave it in acetone? Best

[@averykevans6894]

I have the same phenomenon going on, I used methylene chloride to separate. One piece has nothing on it at all and the other had some sort of film on it that was hard - so soaked it in methylene chloride for two days and there was zero effect. Any idea?

[@diyextravaganza]

@@averykevans6894 you'll need to rub, when working in optics, we were using something else, but you cannot buy it if you're not a company (very toxic and disposal is regulated).

[@averykevans6894]

@@diyextravaganza stronger than methylene chloride?

[@diyextravaganza]

@@averykevans6894 I don't know about methylene chloride, but probably yes.

[@IsmailHossain-zy9mw]

Dear Sir Please name of the glu name??

[@diyextravaganza]

It's called Canada balsam. Best.

[@IsmailHossain-zy9mw]

@@diyextravaganza can i use B-6000???

[@harlhequim]

Sir. Im about to start the procesa of what I thought was a Lost lens, hopefully I'll be able to solve this. I would like to thank you for giving insights into on how experts to this, considering KZbin is filled with useless advice, is nice to see somwone who knows what He is talking about. As I go along I might ask a futher question. thks I'll share your channel everywhere, it deserves to be seen

[@diyextravaganza]

Hi, glad you appreciate my videos, feel free to aks questions anytime. And yes, please share my channel with as many friends as you can.

[@sapienproductions]

Very useful video. Thank you for taking the time to make it. Very appreciated.

[@diyextravaganza]

You're welcome, don't forget to share it with friends !

[@vocvoc9895]

I have a Nikon 20/2.8D that has been sitting on shelf as a memory and decoration item, now I will try to revive it, if I fail it will go back to the shelf ...Thank you for your very informative video.

[@diyextravaganza]

Hi, you're welcome, someone on the group "Lens repair" on facebook did exactly that using my method. Take a look here facebook.com/share/p/DAqerPXwLgErjciV/ Best

[@vocvoc9895]

@@diyextravaganza That's great, thank you!

[@alansmith4623]

Thank you so much. This video is really helpful.

[@diyextravaganza]

You're welcome, please share it with whomever you may think will find it useful. Cheers.

[@sarabeujekian7019]

Thank you so much for this amazing video. Do you by chance have one or planning to make one on how to remove haze caused by scratches?

[@diyextravaganza]

@@sarabeujekian7019 Hello, Haze caused by scratches?, I'm not sure I understand what do you mean. Best

[@sarabeujekian7019]

Like when you have so many tiny scratches on the lens that it starts to affect the image quality... I've read some people use car polish to buff them out but I don't know if that's the best option.

[@diyextravaganza]

@@sarabeujekian7019 it's not something I've really tried, I've used in the past some slurries for final polishing, but that's before coating. I've heard of cerium oxide to be an option. Cheers.

[@jhonatandavid9448]

Hello great video! I just wondered which glue do you recommend? Thanks

[@diyextravaganza]

The traditional one that has been used for generations is the "Canada balsam", this is the one I use.

[@jhonatandavid9448]

Thank you! I'm in the process of separating a doublet for a tokina 80-200 2.8 but in the acetone method is taking too long I will try the oven method if no success in acetone!

[@jhonatandavid9448]

It's is possible to separate again if any mistakes?

[@diyextravaganza]

@@jhonatandavid9448 it is possible, but you have to go thru the whole process again, which is lengthy. Best

[@WillBinks]

How did you make that mold?

[@diyextravaganza]

The aluminum one? In a lathe, in the video I also explain how to make one using wax. Cheers.

[@snoogly]

With the acetone method how do you do the alignment marking?

[@diyextravaganza]

I forgot to mention it, that would be the tricky part of this method. You'll need to do a tiny mechanical mark, otherwise, you'll need a collimator to do the alignment. Best.

[@WeeWillyWeiner]

​@@diyextravaganza would a score in the glass have the possibility of causing the glass to fracture? I'm talking from 0 experience but I know scoring glass and tiles is how you snap them (with relative ease) afterwards. Would you score using a razor? I'm planning on trying out this method on some worthless lenses to start with and work towards my nicer glass. Don't like the idea of the heat method...

[@diyextravaganza]

@@WeeWillyWeiner yeah, the heat method is somehow risky if you rush it. The solvent method is a good option, and what's used professionally, and we use a collimator to align afterwards (I have a small one myself). Marking with a razor blade is a good idea, only do not mark thru all the height because that is how you get cracks to propagate. Best.

[@selkiemaine]

Thank you! I needed to know how to do this. I have one question and one thought. My question is what paint you used to darken the outside of the doublet? I have a matte black acrylic paint here that I tried to use for the purpose, but it did not appear black through the glass when it had dried. My thought is that, while I don't have a working lathe here, I do have an old 3 jaw lathe chuck - I'm wondering if I can use that as a "universal" mold for aligning the glass elements. The idea would be to put a spacer into the chuck so that the doublet protrudes from the top, preset the chuck so that it has exactly the correct opening, put it down on a table and use it like that.

[@duncanrae7504]

I have heard of black permanent marker pen being used to blacken the edges .

[@diyextravaganza]

That's actually what I used. Best.

[@diyextravaganza]

The lathe chuck sounds like a very good idea. My guess is that you need to be very careful when tightening as those can be very powerful. And I used permanent marker for blackening the outer rim. Best.

[@selkiemaine]

Thank you! @@diyextravaganza

[@diyextravaganza]

You're very welcome, do not hesitate to share my content with your friends !

[@lenovergueiro]

Excelente!

[@diyextravaganza]

Gracias, un abrazo

[@philmtx3fr]

Very interesting video because the reparation of balsam separation issue is rare. Thx a lot for it even if it s not so simple :).

[@diyextravaganza]

Good thing it is a rather uncommon issue, I have two Nikkors 20mm 2.8 waiting for this repair (slightly common issue for the AF version). Video coming soon !

[@danartriatmojo]

@@diyextravaganza I am looking forward for the AF lens