The right tool

[belgiumreporter]

gets the job done... After trying all houshold remedies i was unable to unscrew the front ring of the Mamiya sekor c 55 mm in order totake it apart to take care of some nasty mold on the inner lens elements. Now finally i found a supplier for those rubber cups in different sizes wich are needed to tackle that job. At first i thought this wouldn't work either as the ring wouldn't budge, but after finding the right way to apply the force it gave in. I then took the lens further apart, cleand the elements with lighter fuel and hydrogen peroxide. The hardest part was putting the lens back together mainly the miniscule screws wich hold the front tube were nerve wrecking. After lasts week disaster with the contax RX and the topcor 13.5cm this was a little triumph for me and gave me back some confidence to take on the next project.
 Next thing i'm gonna  buy are some some pro level micro screwdrivers as the toy sets i have now often damage the screw heads.
Here's the 645 with the fungus free 55mm and the rubber cups besides it.

[raybar]

I was first advised to use the right tool for the job when I was about 8 years old and my father saw me using a screwdriver as a chisel. Good advise, but sometimes the "right tool" is unavailable and you have to use whatever is at hand, or stop what you're doing and go buy what you need.

But what do you do when you need a "special tool," specifically designed for one and only one job, and long ago discontinued by the manufacturer?

Other old "sayings" I heard as a child were "let the tool do the work" (when I was putting far too much effort into using a saw), and "it's a poor workman who blames his tools" (when I was making excuses for doing a lousy job).

[julio1fer]

Beautiful lens! and indeed good tools are critical for camera and lens repair. I am a complete amateur but that I have learned.