butch
Contributing Member
Posts: 19
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Post by butch on Aug 28, 2006 18:14:52 GMT -5
I've acquired a Nikkor 105mm f2.8 AI-S. Its focus is extremely tight. I don't feel competent to disassemble it but I don't want to send it off. It's just not that pivotal. Would there be any harm in putting a few drops of lighter fluid into the juncture of the focus ring and the barrel in hopes of softening the lubrication? you guys should feel honored since I'm not usually one who looks before leaping
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butch
Contributing Member
Posts: 19
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Post by butch on Aug 28, 2006 18:23:39 GMT -5
That's a 2.5.
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PeterW
Lifetime Member
Member has Passed
Posts: 3,804
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Post by PeterW on Aug 28, 2006 18:36:35 GMT -5
Hi Butch,
Don't know this particular lens, but talking of stiff focusing in general it might give you a temporary 'cure' but my experience is that the naptha (lighter fuel) dries out in a couple of days and, if anything, the focus is stiffer than before. The only real answer is stripping, cleaning and relubing.
However, having said that I did a 'temporary' cure of stiff focus on an Industar lens about two years ago by mixing a drop or two of silicon oil from Tandy in some lighter fuel and dribbling a drop or two of the mixture round the barrel at the edge of the focusing ring - just a temporary cure till I had time to strip and clean it, you understand.
I haven't yet got around to cleaning it, and it's still reasonably smooth and easy! There's nothing so permanent as a temporary fix!!
Mind you, I'm guaranteeing NOTHING. If you try it, then on your own head be it if the mixture migrates and gets on the glass, or the focus ends up so stiff as to be almost immovable. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
PeterW
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Post by herron on Aug 28, 2006 20:32:43 GMT -5
Butch: If it was the aperture that was tight, I would wholeheartedly recommend naptha (lighter fluid) to clean and loosen it...but it would have to be with the front and rear glass elements removed.
The focus ring is another matter, and I tend to agree with Peter. You really need to disassemble, clean and lube it properly. As he mentioned, a bit of lighter fluid mixed with a light silicon oil might work to loosen it a bit. However, I would always worry doing that, because you create a bigger problem if any of the solution migrates to the glass.
Not knowing the history of the lens, it could just be stiff from non-use, in which case a bit of "excercise" -- sort of like going to rehab for a stiff shoulder -- might loosen it up considerably.
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Post by kiev4a on Aug 28, 2006 20:59:06 GMT -5
I would probably advise against it unless the elements are removed. Lighter fluid will migrate into places you would believe it could go and you might wind up with a coating on some elements. I have any 85mm Russian Jupiter with hardened grease. Several times I have pulled out the elements (they come out as a group) and soaked the focusing assembly in Ronsonal. It's better for awhile but stiffens up again. The only permanent fix is to clean out the old lube and put in fresh lube. The 105mm Nikkor is a lot more complicated than the Russian 85 and I would bet the elements won't just screw out as a group.
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