tho60
Well-known
Hello,
I have just bought an LTM Jupiter-9. Optics seem to be good, but lens barrel is heavily damaged by corrosion. How to clean the aluminum barrel without harming the engraved (and then painted) insriptions?
There are special aluminum cleaners, but I cannot afford them- for a single cleaning operation why to buy a complete can? Some people recommend Trisodium phosphate. Has anyone tried it?
Tho60
I have just bought an LTM Jupiter-9. Optics seem to be good, but lens barrel is heavily damaged by corrosion. How to clean the aluminum barrel without harming the engraved (and then painted) insriptions?
There are special aluminum cleaners, but I cannot afford them- for a single cleaning operation why to buy a complete can? Some people recommend Trisodium phosphate. Has anyone tried it?
Tho60
btgc
Veteran
You are just thinking it will be single lens, single cleaning 
Sorry, can't help with your actual issue....
Sorry, can't help with your actual issue....
Steve M.
Veteran
Never tried that. Found this though
http://www.knowledgegalaxy.net/how_to_clean_aluminum/how_to_clean_aluminum.html
My experience w/ aluminum is to use a very fine sandpaper to remove stuff, then use a wore out Brillo pad, then polish w/ polishing compound. It will look shiny like chrome after that. It's all tedious work, especially if you have the lens assembled.
http://www.knowledgegalaxy.net/how_to_clean_aluminum/how_to_clean_aluminum.html
My experience w/ aluminum is to use a very fine sandpaper to remove stuff, then use a wore out Brillo pad, then polish w/ polishing compound. It will look shiny like chrome after that. It's all tedious work, especially if you have the lens assembled.
MartinP
Veteran
A good quality metal-polish would be ok. The FSU lenses were lacquered with something-or-other, but it sounds as though that has long disappeared on your lens so polishing the grey from the aluminium is what you want to do? Smoothing out any cavities and deep corrosion would be a bigger sort of problem that would need more than metal-polish.
I have used a small tube of Autosol which works fine, but there are lots of different brands available depending largely on where you live. If you have a Dremel or similar, then a small buffing wheel might be handy too.
I have used a small tube of Autosol which works fine, but there are lots of different brands available depending largely on where you live. If you have a Dremel or similar, then a small buffing wheel might be handy too.
BobYIL
Well-known
Buy a small can Nevr Dull for about 5 dollars, polish everything alu, brass, bronze, chrome, etc. without needing to worry about whether something will leak into your lens or camera. Using it since decades on cameras, motorcycles and almost all metal articles.
johannielscom
Snorting silver salts
In the past I cleaned the yellow off my Jupiter-9 using alcohol. The yellow actually is a sort of laquer that the factory applied to the aluminium to keep it from going grey but in time it turns yellow. A soft cloth, alcohol and a lot of rubbing cleaned it off.
Anything else in the corrision department is not remedied with this though.
Anything else in the corrision department is not remedied with this though.
fanshaw
Well-known
If it is just tarnished then rubbing with a microfibre cloth will remove it leaving a bright finish and no residue.
tho60
Well-known
Thank you for your advice. Does not Nevr Dull remove the inscriptions?
They are engraved, and then filled with black paint.
tho60
Well-known
BobYIL
Well-known
Thank you for your advice. Does not Nevr Dull remove the inscriptions?
No.. it's soft like cotton, smelling kerosene. Since the inscriptions are imprinted or milled below the surface it won't affect. While rubbing a piece of Nevr Dull you'll notice how it works only "over" the surface.
(For renewing any missing inscriptions use acrylic type paints sold in tiny bottles for DIY modeling..)
wolves3012
Veteran
Trisodium phosphate is very alkaline and aluminium will dissolve in alkalis (and acids) so I'd suggest that would be a bad course of action. Use an aluminium (metal) polish, there are many to choose from. Yes, it may remove some of the markings if you're unlucky but you can get paint pencils to re-fill them.
Dez
Bodger Extraordinaire
Cleaning aluminum
Cleaning aluminum
If you use a normal alloy polish such as you'd use for the cases of a motorcycle engine, something like Solvol Autosol, it will clean the aluminum, but you will be left with a too-shiny surface that doesn't look right, and makes the engravings hard to see.
I think I have just the stuff.
For significant corrosion, use something like very fine emery paper, maybe 2000 grit, but after you have done your thing with the sandpaper, rub the surface down with the type of cleaner used for ceramic stovetops- I use something called Ceramibryte. This is a very mild abrasive that will leave a slightly matte finish, and not leave you with the directional scratches that even the finest of sandpaper creates. But DO make sure you wipe it all off when you are done. It is an abrasive, and not something you want to get into moving parts.
The same stuff does wonders for satin chrome surfaces that have become a bit porous, abraded or mottled. I have used it to good effect on many an old Russian clunker.
Cheers,
Dez
Cleaning aluminum
If you use a normal alloy polish such as you'd use for the cases of a motorcycle engine, something like Solvol Autosol, it will clean the aluminum, but you will be left with a too-shiny surface that doesn't look right, and makes the engravings hard to see.
I think I have just the stuff.
For significant corrosion, use something like very fine emery paper, maybe 2000 grit, but after you have done your thing with the sandpaper, rub the surface down with the type of cleaner used for ceramic stovetops- I use something called Ceramibryte. This is a very mild abrasive that will leave a slightly matte finish, and not leave you with the directional scratches that even the finest of sandpaper creates. But DO make sure you wipe it all off when you are done. It is an abrasive, and not something you want to get into moving parts.
The same stuff does wonders for satin chrome surfaces that have become a bit porous, abraded or mottled. I have used it to good effect on many an old Russian clunker.
Cheers,
Dez
Last edited:
Bill58
Native Texan
I used lacquer thinner to remove the coating on the body, then used this to polish: http://restorationproduct.com/preliminfo.html and finally this to preserve the polish http://restorationproduct.com/renwaxinfo.html.
Monochrom
Well-known
Anodized
Anodized
Hi, many aluminium pbjects have a finishing called anodized...this is a very resistant coating made of aluminium crontrolled oxide.
A current is applyied under some circumstances and this layer of "al oxide" leaves the raw surface of aluminium with a thin coating that protects it and leaves also a semishining look.
the problem with this is that many times the process has not been done properly and it may corrode...or siply wores out, when this happens the layer goes away and you cannot restore it.
You may clean the dust, grease and other stuff left in the corroded surface, but if the anodized i gone, there´s not much you can do.
Bye!
Anodized
Hi, many aluminium pbjects have a finishing called anodized...this is a very resistant coating made of aluminium crontrolled oxide.
A current is applyied under some circumstances and this layer of "al oxide" leaves the raw surface of aluminium with a thin coating that protects it and leaves also a semishining look.
the problem with this is that many times the process has not been done properly and it may corrode...or siply wores out, when this happens the layer goes away and you cannot restore it.
You may clean the dust, grease and other stuff left in the corroded surface, but if the anodized i gone, there´s not much you can do.
Bye!
tho60
Well-known
picture
picture
Thanks for your advices. I am trying to attach a picture, albeit system noticed that my quota had exceeded.
You are very kind, but you recommend chemicals which are available easily in the U.S., although hard to find in Hungary. E.g. Nevr Dull costs 5 dollars in the U.S, in Hungary it costs 10 dollars or more. I paid some 50 dollars for the lens (incl. shipping), so buying a whole can is not worth the money.
I admit that 50 dollars were bargain price for that lens, yet I would not invest in expensive chemicals which after doing the job I will not able to use.
picture
Thanks for your advices. I am trying to attach a picture, albeit system noticed that my quota had exceeded.
You are very kind, but you recommend chemicals which are available easily in the U.S., although hard to find in Hungary. E.g. Nevr Dull costs 5 dollars in the U.S, in Hungary it costs 10 dollars or more. I paid some 50 dollars for the lens (incl. shipping), so buying a whole can is not worth the money.
I admit that 50 dollars were bargain price for that lens, yet I would not invest in expensive chemicals which after doing the job I will not able to use.
Attachments
Greyscale
Veteran
Have you tried a bit of toothpaste on a soft cloth?
wolves3012
Veteran
Based on that picture - I'd just live with it.
Dez
Bodger Extraordinaire
I think this is a very good idea. You have to work at it a bit, but toothpaste is a very mild abrasive that could perobably do the job with a lot of rubbing.
Cheers,
Dez
