Warning: a sticky aperture ring on a 35mm lens ate 3 hours of my bench time

Amy Jones · 2026-10-17T22:10:03.136399+00:00

Everyone says just flood the ring with lighter fluid and work it loose, but that advice cost me a full afternoon last week on a customer's lens. I did the flush, the ring freed up for about ten minutes, then the oil crept onto the blades and they gummed shut completely. I had to pull the whole front group, clean every blade by hand with a swab and naphtha, and let it sit overnight in my shop here in Omaha. Three hours of work because I skipped the teardown, so has anyone found a flush that doesn't end with oil on the blades?

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Warning: a sticky aperture ring on a 35mm lens ate 3 hours of my bench time | Camera Repairers - Topic Shares