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Message |
    
Lars_o
Tinkerer
Username: Lars_o
Post Number: 7
Registered: 02-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 - 05:21 am: | 
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Hello everyone,
while cleaning the shutter in an old Ikoflex (ca. 1940) I noticed that the front element of the Tessar lens that I had to remove in order to get to the shutter was a little dull. It didn't seem to be dirt, at least I wasn't able to remove it with a lens-cleaning cloth. I am not sure what causes the dullness.
Do you guys know what might be causing the dullness and how one might go about improving the condition of the glas surface without? I didn't try around to much since I was afraid of ruining the lens entirely.
On the other hand, the advice I got here so far has been very valuable for restoring the basic functionality of the camera and I was able to shoot two rolls of film which I managed to develop myself (first time ever, what a joy :-) Initial results are here on Flickr. So thanks again for your help! |
Dgillette4
Tinkerer
Username: Dgillette4
Post Number: 283
Registered: 04-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 - 08:42 am: |
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Hi Lars: Those shots look fine outdoors. The haze on the front of the lens may be cleaning marks in the coating. This can be redone but is expensive. I would suggest using a nice lens hood This will help with flare outdoors. Images look sharp except as you said the hand held indoor ones. Don |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 845
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 - 08:37 pm: |
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I don't think there would be any coating in a 1940 Ikoflex. Many uncoated lenses developed an oxide haze on the surface with age; I have successfully removed this with a very small amount of Simichrome on a soft cloth. |
Ethostech
Tinkerer
Username: Ethostech
Post Number: 113
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 - 09:22 pm: |
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Hello Rick Oleson
"Simichrome" is obviously a US propriety product and the name is meaningless here in Australia. Might I ask you please to state the purpose for which the product is marketed - and anything which may give me a clue to a parallel domestic product.
Thanks |
Mndean
Tinkerer
Username: Mndean
Post Number: 139
Registered: 08-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 - 11:48 pm: |
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Simichrome is a polish meant for aluminum, a pink paste in a tube IIRC. Used to use it to brighten dulled aluminum parts on motorcycles and cars thirty years ago. Didn't know they still made it. |
Bossman
Tinkerer
Username: Bossman
Post Number: 44
Registered: 02-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 12:09 am: |
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You can use regular toothpaste and a soft cotton cloth rubbing it vigorously.....the more rubbing the better. Toothpaste has a very mild abrasive in it and I have used it often for"clearing up some dull lens surfaces. Art www.flcamerarepair.com |
Lars_o
Tinkerer
Username: Lars_o
Post Number: 8
Registered: 02-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 03:39 am: |
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Thanks for the good advice. I have also heard at other places that the lens definitely does not have any coating. I'll try with a bit of toothpaste... |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 846
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 04:15 pm: |
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That should work. Simichrome is actually a German product, but the name might be specific to the US. It's basically a very fine silver polish of toothpaste-like consistency. With this kind of polish you only need to rub very lightly, the haze disappears very quickly. Whatever you use, don't rub any more than is necessary to remove the haze... if you go lightly there is no meaningful risk of refiguring the lens, but you certainly are capable of it if you go crazy. Toothpaste will probably require a bit more rubbing. |
Rlc
Tinkerer
Username: Rlc
Post Number: 67
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 04:48 pm: |
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Regarding Simichrome: This product is excellent for polishing brass, aluminum, nickle, silver, gold etc.
Wenol is a similar product giving same results as Simichrome from my experience. Is Wenol available in Australia Ethostech?
While I have never used it on lenses I trust anything that Rick would suggest.
Richard. |
Harryrag
Tinkerer
Username: Harryrag
Post Number: 59
Registered: 05-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 08:31 am: |
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Don't worry about the coating, it will be gone after the polishing procedure anyway.
I have used a pink product to remove haze from lenses AND also coatings so heavily affected by scratches, fungus and fingerprits that picture quality was poor and there was no other cure.
No matter whether you use Simichrome, Wenol or other brands, this one, definitely German, had been dubbed Rolossal, its polishing particles being a wee bit bigger than those used in Wenol.
All this polishing business is a kind of worst case measure, it usually signifies the beginning of the final stage in the lifetime of a lens. |
Sauli_särkkä
Tinkerer
Username: Sauli_särkkä
Post Number: 22
Registered: 03-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 10, 2009 - 01:10 am: |
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Perhaps I should consider the toothpaste method. I have an Olympus 35 RC that has a scratched front element..but I'll first need to shoot a test film with it to see whether it's really in need of a slight polish.
-Sale |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 857
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 10, 2009 - 06:57 pm: |
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Sauli, this post began as a discussion of removing a light oxide haze from the surface of the glass.
If your lens has scratches, polishing enough to remove them will totally destroy the lens. It will perform much better with the scratches left in. |
