CZJ 80mm f/1.8 Pancolar (stupid?) cleaning idea

visualopsins · Expire: 2025-04-11

Actually acetone is the stronger solvent, although much harsher, than naptha. Naptha is much milder, does not dissolve paint nearly as quickly, does not melt plastic, for example. Both are toxic, acetone is extremely toxic, both are easily absorbed by skin. Wear gloves, have adequate ventilation...check the MSDS before using either naptha or acetone! Acetone is typically very pure, evaporates completely, and leaves no residues. Light fluid is also very pure, but it will leave a residue on lens surface that is easily cleaned off with lens fluid.

Methyl alcohol (Eclipse) is also toxic, easily absorbed through skin contact, read the MSDS!

Jieffe · Joined: 04 Nov 2007 Posts: 754 Location: Belgium

What don't you try to lubricate the blades with graphite ? Rub a black pencil on a file and apply the resulting fine powder on the blades.

visualopsins · Expire: 2025-04-11

Jieffe · Joined: 04 Nov 2007 Posts: 754 Location: Belgium

visualopsins · Expire: 2025-04-11

Spotmatic · Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 4045 Location: Netherlands

Interesting ideas! I think I will try the "dunk in naphta" method first. I'll check back in this topic to let you all know my experiences Twisted Evil

Scheimpflug · Expire: 2011-11-18

Himself · Expire: 2013-05-30

It doesn't matter.
30%, or 50% or 80%, it simply doesn't matter.
It will always be a difference between a perfectly snappy diaphragm and a 80% working one.
More than that there is a lot of time involved, especially in the first procedure, immersing the whole diaphragm into the bath.
That is, you let it there for at least 24 hours, dry it carefully with a hot air blower, put the lens together and voila! the bitch doesn't work 100%.
And then start dismantling again. Doing what? Bath or clean one by one?
I chose cleaning even if putting the blade together was a painful job. I have a lot of tweezers but I wouldn't touch those fragile things with a tweezers. They bend so easily.
I worked only with flat surfaces.
Of course the idea came after couple of hours, 2 whiskeys and 4 cigarettes ( worry not, I don't smoke inside the house). Did I mention the nervous trembling?
Anyway, I magnetized a Robertson bit, a long one, and I put the blade into the position, keeping it there with Q tip( there was a moment when I prayed for a third hand Very Happy

).
But they wouldn't stay there, because they are so light, and the sill they are sitting on is so small, and there is a huge hole in the middle. Couple of more cigarettes, a whiskey and a hour later I came up with another solution:I cut off part of the wooden handle of the broom, I wrapped around it some gaffer tape until it fit the hole perfectly, coming through it, of course. Now the blade would stand still while I put them together, around that wooden thing.
Everything worked 100% not 80 or 50.

Spotmatic · Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 4045 Location: Netherlands

Despite the comments above I just decided to give it a try (the "dunk in Naphta" method).

It looks it worked like a charm. I didn't just immerse it, but I opened and closed the diaphragm over and over again while immersed. I did the same with the focusing helicoid. The lens appeared to be very dirty inside.

After this treatment I also had to regrease the helicoid. This worked well too.

Before cleaning, look at the dirty blades:

Immersed:

After cleaning:

A lot of thrash came from the inside...

The diaphragm is clean now...

The first shot at f/8

pich900 · Expire: 2012-12-27

YEEEEEEEEEES Very Happy

........thanks Peter Wink

just hope that it will now works more than few weeks Laughing

.....

Spotmatic · Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 4045 Location: Netherlands

Well, at least I can guarantee my work for a few weeks Laughing

hasan · Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 313

Hi guys!

I found Pancolar 80mm 1.8 for little little little little money Smile but the aperture doesn't work.

Can someone please take a picture from the place, where the blades should sit actually?
Because it seems there is no blade at all.

On the other hand the lens doesn't look reassembled, or touched. It's like mint.

PS: Sorry for posting this in 2 different threads Smile

Regards
Hasan

hasan · Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 313

Thanks to Spotmatics photos and the description here: http://www.digicamclub.de/showthread.php?t=15881
I managed to open the Pancolar.

And yessss; the blades are not missing, were just hiding deeply Smile

In next step, I will bath it, like explained by Spotmatic.

And if that works out aswell, I will post some photos.

This lens has incredible IQ, even wide open.

Regards
Hasan

asterinex · Joined: 04 Nov 2012 Posts: 311

Hasan, Keep us posted please. I have the same problem.
Would it be possible to photograph your different steps ?

Srdjan · Joined: 11 Apr 2012 Posts: 316 Location: Nis

I usually use medicine gasoline for cleaning blades separately, and then use alcohol just to clean gasoline. This is the best combination for now.
I m very confused with you lens you showed photos because you out it all together with inner ant outer thread. Didi you relube it after cleaning?

simplex · Joined: 09 Jan 2024 Posts: 18 Location: Germany

I'm happy to have found this forum and, even more, this thread. A few days ago I acquired a Pancolar 1.8/80 alongside with a Pancolar 1.8/50 and a Praktica super TL 1000. All items require a thorough internal cleaning.

After giving the 80mm a 1st quick external cleaning, it looks much better. Not mint, but pretty close, IMO.
UV lamp shows some shades at the edges, which appear to be inner elements. Can't tell for sure. Hope there's no fungus.
Focusing of both lenses is way too stiff, so regreasing is required. Also the aperture blades of the 80mm are stuck wide open, as described in the opening post.

So obviously naphta is the way to go, but I'll start something different at first: Around 6 weeks ago I bought a bunch of cheap vintage lenses (6 of them for 45 Euros) to practise.

2 of them I have already fixed:

The Tokina Macro 3.5 35-105 for Nikon F only had a very loose rubber ring which made zooming mostly impossible. A bit of padded doublesided tape, and it's like new. This is not a gem, but usable on my D7100.

The M42 Auto Universar PC 3.5 / 200 was more labour intensive: very stiff focusing with slighly screaching sounds. I found the occasional degraded grease and a decent amount of sand (!). Fortunately the optical elements are not affected. I managed to clean (Isopropanol 99.9%) everything, regrease (Liqui Moly LM47) and reassemble it. Works like charm now!

Back to the main topic: in that bunch of lenses was an Auto Hanimar 3.5 / 135, which also has a sticky aperture. This is still dismantled, because I don't want to reassemble it before this issue is solved. Applying Isopropanol drop by drop and agitating makes the blades move ever so slowly. Now I'll start by bathing the aperture assembly in naphta, agitating the mechanics from time to time. We'll see.

Then I'll need two weeks or so for my sprained left wrist to heal, and I can decide how many cheap practising lenses I'll take care of before actually dismantling the precious Pancolar 80. I want two healthy and reliable hands to start this serious task.

RokkorDoctor · Expire: 2025-05-01

simplex · Joined: 09 Jan 2024 Posts: 18 Location: Germany

RokkorDoctor · Expire: 2025-05-01