That moment I tried a brass hammer on a stubborn lens ring

I had this old Pentax 50mm f/1.4 that wouldn't budge at all, even after a week of soaking in solvent. Switched from steel to a brass hammer and it popped loose on the second tap without any damage to the helicoid. Anyone else stick with one type of hammer for this stuff or am I overthinking it?

2 comments

2 Comments

west.anna9d ago

Funny you mention that, because I actually keep a little piece of hardwood dowel handy for this exact thing. Sometimes even brass can mark up a ring if you're not careful, but wood just kinda gives a little and still transfers the shock well on tight threads. I do the same thing when a stubborn filter ring on a lens gets stuck, wood has never failed me there either.

oliver_wilson499d ago

Yeah but @west.anna you gotta be careful with soft woods like pine or cedar, they can splinter off and leave little bits stuck in the threads if you push too hard. Hard maple or oak is where it's at, or even a popsicle stick in a pinch. I learned that the hard way cleaning a jammed oil filter on my truck.