Got a talking to about using a heat gun on old Leicas

I was working on a Leica IIIf at a camera show in Chicago last month and another repair guy told me to stop using a heat gun to loosen the lens elements. He said I was warping the brass, but I've done it that way for 15 years without issues. Anyone else think the old-school methods are fine for most jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

johnson.lee10d agoMost Upvoted

Give that other guy some credit - he's probably seen plenty of brass mounts get slightly torqued from uneven heat, even if it doesn't show right away. A heat gun blasts way hotter than you need and can soften the solder joints that hold the optics in place, which is a pain to fix later. Slow and steady with a controlled heat source might take longer but it saves you from finding out the hard way that your 15-year streak just ran out.

danielmartinez10d ago

So did you ask him if he's ever actually seen a Leica warp, or does he just have a really good imagination? I've been using heat guns on old brass mounts for years too, your mileage may vary I guess.