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Fallisphoto
Tinkerer
Username: Fallisphoto
Post Number: 35
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 12, 2007 - 10:18 am: | 
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I have an Agfa Billy Record with a frozen focus. I'm pretty sure this is due to the green grease that they used. I've been periodically soaking it in Liquid Wrench for two days now, and it isn't working. Is there a better way to soften this stuff, so I can get the lens out and clean the green goop out of it? |
Dgillette4
Tinkerer
Username: Dgillette4
Post Number: 92
Registered: 04-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 12, 2007 - 12:11 pm: |
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If it's the grease that's the problem try lighter fluid. Don |
Paul_ron
Tinkerer
Username: Paul_ron
Post Number: 76
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 12, 2007 - 04:54 pm: |
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The grease wasn't green to start with, it interacted with the brass and turned green over the years.
Wihicking in lighter fluid is good as a starter. Then try some heat, leave it in the sun for a few hours, then use some brute force with a strap wrench. It'll losen right up. |
Fallisphoto
Tinkerer
Username: Fallisphoto
Post Number: 36
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 13, 2007 - 09:53 am: |
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"The grease wasn't green to start with, it interacted with the brass and turned green over the years."
If part of the problem is that it has corroded the brass, has anyone ever thought of trying something like Tarn-x on it? Yeah, using brute force is what I usually wind up doing. The lighter fluid usually only seems to work AFTER I've gotten it loose. |
Dgillette4
Tinkerer
Username: Dgillette4
Post Number: 95
Registered: 04-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 13, 2007 - 04:05 pm: |
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I once had that happen with the glue under the leatherette, I noticed it mostly on european cameras. I never used tarn-ex but would clean and put a dab of paint on the screw head. In electronics we use a special paste on dissimilar metals available from home depot. |
John_scott
Tinkerer
Username: John_scott
Post Number: 11
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 13, 2007 - 06:50 pm: |
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I tried many different kinds of solvents, and finally had much better results using heat to soften the old grease that was used on the focus threads in Germany in the 1950s. It's easy to damage glass and brass using pliers.
Put the two stuck elements in the oven, then turn on the oven on the lowest heat setting. Crack the oven door if you think it might get too hot. Wait a few minutes, then you can probably unscrew the pieces with your hands-- without having to use any tools. Then clean off all of the old grease, and reassemble with new grease.
If you can't disassemble the parts, then it's true that some solvents might free up your focus enough to use the camera, but that may or may not make the focusing action smooth enough for you. |
Marco1966
Tinkerer
Username: Marco1966
Post Number: 4
Registered: 12-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 14, 2007 - 06:16 pm: |
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Had a similar problem with an Agfa...go to the hardware store and buy two small hose clamps that fit the front and rear group of the lens. Use some rubber from an old inner tube to protect the surfaces and clamp these on. Put everything in the oven to about 150F then grab with oven mitts and unscrew... The hose clamps give you something to grap on. Good luck. |
Michalis_dk
Tinkerer
Username: Michalis_dk
Post Number: 16
Registered: 12-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 15, 2007 - 01:46 am: |
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Don't use brute force! That's how I destroyed a Solinar 75/3.5. Best way is to heat up the lens and, as suggested above, try unscrewing it with your hands after a while. If this doesn't work first time, heat up again. A hairdryer should do the job nicely. |
Fallisphoto
Tinkerer
Username: Fallisphoto
Post Number: 37
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 - 08:10 pm: |
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Just bought two small strap wrenches. I'm hoping that these, in combination with heat, will do the job, because the heat alone didn't do it. Neither did soaking it in Liquid Wrench for a week. |
Cheetah1
Tinkerer
Username: Cheetah1
Post Number: 1
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 - 07:19 am: |
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I have the same problem as the O/P, only, it's with a Agnar lens, on a Agfa Billy I.
I've read a lot about lighter fluid and heat and brute force, in several different places, but I haven't managed to find a guide or something telling me how to disassemble the beast. So if anyone got something, preferably with pictures, please post back or send me a mail on [email protected] |
Surpriz2002
Tinkerer
Username: Surpriz2002
Post Number: 3
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 - 09:16 am: |
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Hi Christian,
it`s the same problem with nearly all older Agfas. Here you will find detailed infos on how to disassemble :
http://www.rolandandcaroline.co.uk/repair/frozenfix.html
best wishes,
Peter |
Cheetah1
Tinkerer
Username: Cheetah1
Post Number: 2
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 - 11:44 am: |
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Thank you so much! |
Vdonovan
Tinkerer
Username: Vdonovan
Post Number: 1
Registered: 03-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 03, 2008 - 12:28 pm: |
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I just did this yesterday. Removed lens, soaked overnight in lighter fluid, heated with hair dryer, unscrewed using fingers, cleaned with toothbrush and lighter fluid.
Some good step by steps here:
https://kyp.hauslendale.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55209 |
Arnoldharris
Tinkerer
Username: Arnoldharris
Post Number: 29
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 03, 2008 - 01:09 pm: |
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Isn't ordinary hardware store naptha (Sunnyside VM&P naptha) more or less the same substance as lighter fluid, but a lot cheaper to buy? From my experience, its the same petroleum distillate with no residue whatsoever.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 293
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 03, 2008 - 01:37 pm: |
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Arnold,
In the USA I am sure your surmise is correct. Here in UK things can get a bit muddy - some of the products I have seen have a wider distillation range and are thus not pure naptha, still they are not sold as that. More importantly, lighter fluid is available from most News Agents, no searching for the nearest hardware store. |
Arnoldharris
Tinkerer
Username: Arnoldharris
Post Number: 30
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 04, 2008 - 06:37 am: |
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Glenn,
International availability of specific chemical cleaning compounds is a matter I had not thought about. Here in the USA, with smoking now considered a self-induced version of leprosy, I have not even seen a cigarette lighter in a long time. Which implies only a fractional market for cigarette lighter fuel. But it may have other uses besides lighters and classic cameras.
In general, non-residue petroleum distillates are excellent for removing dessicated lubricants from shutters. And unlike acetone, naptha does not destroy plastics or painted surfaces.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI |
Krafty5260
Tinkerer
Username: Krafty5260
Post Number: 6
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 04, 2008 - 02:01 pm: |
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I felt like the leper Arnold describes when I did it, but I bought a large sqeeze bottle of Rosignol lighter fluid at WalMart for about five bucks. It should last through about 250 camera repairs, so I don't have to do that again soon.
Michael |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 294
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 04, 2008 - 03:00 pm: |
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Arnold,
Yes, I agree with your thoughts on non-res pet distillates - the fact that you can flood the stuff on is a great benefit. Need a bit of care around the optics - streaking etc - but otherwise no problems. However I do use Acetone as my brush cleaner of choice, the ability to just rinse out in water is ideal. All the water borne residues pass through a filter box - this gets incinerated when clogged. Much better than having to get rid of gallons of waste thinners/white spirit.
,Your comments on smoking are interesting and very true. Certainly all the people I know who buy Ronsonol, buy it for degreasing/cleaning. My local news agent says he sell more lighter fluid to non smokers - like me - than people using the good old fashioned Zippo! The efforts of UK Government to marginalise/stop people smoking raises interesting questions. They raise millions of Pounds in tax revenues from tobacco. Wonder where they will get the shortfall from? The glib statement that the Health Service will not need vast sums to treat lung/heart diseases and thus will need less tax funding, does not even start to balance the books.
Glenn. |
Puderse
Tinkerer
Username: Puderse
Post Number: 18
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 05, 2008 - 08:07 am: |
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The lumber yard has dozens of nifty solvents in the paint department. Be carefull !!! Test first. Some make things simply dissappear, like styrofoam and other plastics. Naptha is the stuff that you buy at Wally World disguised as camp stove and lanturn fuel for about $3 a gallon ! Remove lens/shutters, soak, swish, and watch all the crud that accumilates in the bottom of the fruit jar. Perhaps the rest of the world doesn't have dust packed in every tiny corner like we do in west Texas. Old lens/shutters seem to work fine dry. Oil just attracts crud. Front focusing elements do need a little quality grease to make them smooth. That's the same advise I give on cleaning and oiling automatic weapons. My 2 cents of advise anyway.
SID |
