Balsam Separation Anamorphic Lenses FIX Working Method Re Glue Tested
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- čas přidán 10. 02. 2022
- In the video i'm sharing my tested method for fixing the balsam separation in my case for some anamorphic lenses elements. When you get the rainbow you know what it is. Is called balsam separation. The original thing is most probably a natural compound since the smell is like Fir Three. The original compound might be available but my choice is Epoxy UV compound used for mobile screens glue. It is sold like this and usually comes with a little UV LED light.
Here you can stop and consider.
If you consider doing it please follow some tips.
1. When you heat the lens make sure you gradually increase the temperature. I started the steamer and when a bit warm i stopped it for few minutes and then again and again until leaving it to boil for 2-5 minutes. This is important since if you put the glass directly under heat might crack. As well leave it gradually to cool down.
2. Handle the lenses with care. There is not too much care.
3. Mark somehow the original position to know it later.
4. Clean it with Methanol, IPA, or lighter fluid. White spirit will work as well.
5. Make sure you clean it very well then against a light source get rid of dust. You can use micro fiber cloth for glasses but the dust is the most difficult to get rid of.
6. The last touch is the most important. Blow on it and with a sensor cleaning swab is easy and gentle to remove any remaining particles.
7. The blue liquid is windscreen washing liquid.
8. The foam can is Glass Cleaner.
9. Make sure you align the elements and secure them before the UV Light.
10. When you handle the lens make sure your fingers are clean. Excess glue It will come out on sides and might touch your fingers and then touch other parts. Before putting the V light make sure the glass is clean. If happens Acetone will help but i'm not sure if will affect the lens coating.
11. Few seconds exposing to UV light and is done.
12. When you put the UV light make sure you press a bit the elements for the last time without moving them. Gentle.
13. With luck...IF YOU TRAP DUST, BUBBLES, NOT ALIGNED you are screwed! Make sure the glass have room temperature.
I don't think you will be able to remove the elements ever again so is one chance. If you use the original optical compound is ok but might be hard to find.
DO IT ON YOUR RESPONSIBILITY in a clean place. On daylight might be even better. Take your time for every step. Rehearse every step in your mind before and keep the tools, and something to wipe your hands close.
If you have more questions ask. Read and watch before you ask.
Good luck.
2024 sidenote:
I will explain below in all the details i can if you want to give it a go....
The coating are on sides not between.
Maybe just cleaning the lenses for fungus and dirt will make them better.
This a bit complicated process but now that you seen the process put down the steps and get all you need around and make it as a project. Make sure you read as well the description. Binoculars lenses might be smaller and you need a kind of jig to keep the lenses aligned when you put the UV light for good. No turning back easy.
Patience and when you are sure press a bit and put the light for a second first the light on it and check.
Even a second might be too much. The resin will cure very fast. Electrical tape around the lenses elements on top of each other worked for me. If you are scared exercise the steps first. These are few more tips. Maybe somebody else will read them as well. The resin again is used for phone screens. In the video you will see the bottle and search. Is a must to watch all the video if you want to do it like me. I used the method on several lenses already. For maintenance make sure you use the lens wise avoiding temperature extremes. No lens will benefit from that.
Personally wanted to try and got it right. Use your own risk. I cracked a lens and got one a bit misaligned and i had to polish a side of the lens to enter in the body. It ended right. The cracked one i tried to mark a side. My sign marker i know that will be washed when i clean the lens. I used a pair of scissors or a cutter and is when the crack appeared. I did it in my stupidity in a way. No metal on the glass. A wood stick end will enter in the sides groove and displace the old patches of paint while cleaning with acetone and rubbing alcohol. varnish.
Wash with distilled water or screen wash with a soft brush. A makeup brush or a watercolour brush the edges.Dry the brush and attract the dust with it. Use Q-tips and rubbing alcohol and for fungus Peroxide and as upgrade you can blacken the inside and clean with distilled water. I used a sensor swab made in China very well and was used in the final stage of removing stubborn residues and for the final wipe by steaming the lens with your breathe and wipe several times in straight direction several times and when your mouth breathe stay without any patters you leave the lens to dry and lower the lens in the position. - Jak na to + styl
Thank you for this. I have a pair of Zeiss Jenoptem binoculars that have fungus or something inside the larger lens that allow the view into and was wondering how to seperate them . From what I can make out the cemented together lenses are also called a doublet . If you make a mark on the edge of the lenses before seperating them they should be easy enough to re align.
Thank you for the detailed steps to follow, I understand it needs a lot of skills to be prefect.
It's been very helpful to be able to watch this process. Thanks!
The exact video I needed, and you posted it only 8 days ago, what are the odds haha. Thank you very much for this!
That is great. Happy that it was helpful. Please read the description for a bit more infos since i believe is a one way. If made wrong will be tears.
Great video! So interesting to watch. So, the Canadian balsam can be removed by heating and steam? Is it like in a cooking steamer? It seems to me that the main problem here is not how to separate the elements from each other, but how to align them afterwards so they become optically centered :( This is the most difficult part. You need to have a collimator or some more modern projection solutions. Otherwise, I don’t understand how you did it. You what, just did everything by eye? Especially if you use such a powerful glue that instantly polymerizes under ultraviolet light, then any subsequent adjustments will be impossible. I wonder if it is possible to somehow align the lenses at home. At the factory they are using collimators, microscopes to center elements.
would bet they're 'nested' enough to simply fit together. like unless you're bouncing lasers off the moon, no one on earth would ever notice an imperfect 'collimation'. to try to get it nanoscopically perfect would be overkill. nobody has a collimator rig bc most of us don't need that
Bold move using resin on anamorphic glass.
Hope it lasts well.
Hello. Your work was excellent. Can you please tell me what kind of glue you used to glue the two lens pieces together? Thank you for your help.
What temperature used? Solvents cannot work at room temperature?
Thank you for showing a really detailed step by step process on how to remove the grouped lens. Can this process also be done with camera lenses?
For sure. Just on small lenses is a bit more hard to work with and align. The features might be not that easy to see like for an anamorphic lense. The hard part will be to be aligned with some sort of jig. I think will work.
Do you offer this as a service? I'm contemplating buying a specific rare camera lens that has haze between the cemented elements. It would be glorious to give it new life.
I do it time to time. I have 4 lenses now from people for restoration. If you want to know more you can enter in chat on Facebook page to talk about. Happy to help.
how do you separate cured optically clear cement? what did takumar use in the 70s & 80s? i've got two great lenses but with with creepy fungus webbing between cemented elements. actually if it's just balsam maybe i can just heat them too squeeze out the decay?
Pretty much the same with heat. Heating them can help but usually it gets worse and you have to be prepared to separate them completely. Not sure what they used but is something resin-based and smells like pine three. In one moment I was searching for that resin but I could not get hold of something similar. The resin I'm using was not available in that era and is used for gluing screens on mobile and on that thickness and even thick is crystal clear. The only thing is that there is just one shot to glue them right. Not sure how can be ever separated again. For sure with heat again but much more. The good part is that you only apply the UV light when there are no bubbles and aligned. The good direction is to have some kind of jig. Not even know if anybody offers services like this for vintage lens restoration or very expensive since is a tedious process. Maybe you can find some directions online regarding that resin or what you need. If you find something related please let us know. Thanks for reaching out with your question.
Great, can i use this method for my canon lens?
I don’t see why not. The important part is to align them right on top of each other. A jig will help to be sure. I would mark exactly the position before separating them. If you want to do it for the first time and is an expensive lens maybe a good idea will be to send it to somebody to do it for you…I don’t know but the preparation, cleaning some tools and chemicals are essential for this.
Many thanks for this instruction. Will this metod works for binoculars, since they are coated? What is the name of the song?
For sure will work done properly.
I will explain below in all the details i can if you want to give it a go.... The coating are on sides not between. Maybe just cleaning the lenses for fungus and dirt will make them better. This a bit complicated process but now that you seen the process put down the steps and get all you need around and make it as a project. Make sure you read as well the description. Binoculars lenses might be smaller and you need a kind of jig to keep the lenses aligned when you put the UV light for good. No turning back easy. Patience and when you are sure press a bit and put the light for a second first the light on it and check. Even a second might be too much. The resin will cure very fast. Electrical tape around the lenses elements on top of each other worked for me. If you are scared exercise the steps first. These are few more tips. Maybe somebody else will read them as well. The resin again is used for phone screens. In the video you will see the bottle and search. Is a must to watch all the video if you want to do it like me. I used the method on several lenses already. For maintenance make sure you use the lens wise avoiding temperature extremes. No lens will benefit from that. Personally wanted to try and got it right. Use your own risk. I cracked a lens and got one a bit misaligned and i had to polish a side of the lens to enter in the body. It ended right. The cracked one i tried to mark a side. My sign marker i know that will be washed when i clean the lens. I used a pair of scissors or a cutter and is when the crack appeared. I did it in my stupidity in a way. No metal on the glass. A wood stick end will enter in the sides groove and displace the old patches of paint while cleaning with acetone and rubbing alcohol. varnish. Wash with distilled water or screen wash with a soft brush. A makeup brush or a watercolour brush the edges.
@@FlyHighWavesSounds again thanks for the details. What about the name of the song?
Is it impossible to disassemble the lenses that cemented with uv compound?
I tried once in acetone but not worked. Maybe if soaked for months. I would say not since the solvent will not enter between them. I would say if is made right will be no need so only when is aligned right and no bubble the UV light should be placed.
what cleaning solution did you use to remove the old balsam, once the lens cools down?
isopropyl Alcohol. Ipa, & paint thinner aka Acetone. Lighter fluid work as well.
@@FlyHighWavesSounds thanks
What solvent, temperature and how long did it take to get these elements apart?
Just heat. Boiling water. In this case the steamer. A steamer is great. Just the glass needs to be heated slowly to accommodate. If something cold will be on it when hot it can crack.
Methanol and IPA, lighter fluid. 10 min in 100C will be ok. 7-10 min. Glass is a heat insulator but it will get hot deep inside in 10 min for sure.
What is a full name o uv resin you used to cement lenses again?
I catch Olax Cristal uv resin only but what type of is it?
UV Resin is used for screens. Sorry for my late reply.@@szosomirszosowski5401
Whats glue
I have a freaking slooz finder that can’t sort out… you’re making me feel useless lol
What glue is used? Will it no yellow over time?
It is used to glue mobile phones screens. UV cured. What i got had a little torch light with UV LED . I don’t think it will. No phone has yellow screens over time.
@@FlyHighWavesSounds mobile phones glued with the LOCA UV Liquid
@@juliusvalentinas This is what i've got and used on multiple lenses so far.: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251849837936
I want help Please,
I want uv lamp and chemical link............👍
weirdo
my method for removing optical doublet is cooking the lens with cooking oil, with small fire and stirring it with wooden chopstick until it loose.
Interesting method. Distilled water i think is more clean but thanks for sharing your method.
@@FlyHighWavesSounds no damage to the optic, the cooking oil is pure and thick. also cooking oil is made to heat more evenly. by the way for sticking the doublet I use cheap cellphone uv glue (dry by uv lamp), one time i made mistake gluing the doublet optic and the image is terrible, so i separating the doublet again using cooking oil and its work. so it can be repeated (separating the doublet)
Wow this is awesome ! Would you be able to work on a lens recementing for me for a fee?
I have two lenses to adapt and clean and i hardly able to find time. Maybe but it depends also what lend you have.
@@FlyHighWavesSounds it’s sankor type 5e , yes let me know i can send it and we can exchange contact info and Agree on service fee and time . What country you located in ?
@@chicobraz4335 UK. You can find the FB page and send me there a message. Waves Sounds. There you can send a photo to see it. I have a Sankor but overall happy to help if i can.
@@FlyHighWavesSounds thanks just messaged you
Please do not use methanol for cleaning, it is very very DANGEROUS, without gloves above all !!! If the lenses are glass made you can use acetone.