Filters stuck together

Skyline

Skyline

Emmet Brickowski
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Dave
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On my wifes A6000 kit lens she sometimes uses 3 close up filters. I had to buy her a step up ring as they are 49mm thread and the lens is a 40.5 thread.
Using a elastic band I have got 2 of the close up filters off. I'm stuck the the step up rig and the last one.
Any hints to loosen them up?

ps, they are not threaded, she has just tightened them to much.
 
Hair dryer to warm them up slightly, or conversely, put them in a freezer.
 
How do you tighten something that's not threaded?

If you have silicon type pot holders (or similar), lay one on the counter and set the lens on it filter down. Use pressure while twisting the lens to remove the filter. Or they sell filter wrenches on Ebay (I've never used them).
 
sk66 said:
How do you tighten something that's not threaded?

If you have silicon type pot holders (or similar), lay one on the counter and set the lens on it filter down. Use pressure while twisting the lens to remove the filter. Or they sell filter wrenches on Ebay (I've never used them).
Click to expand...
i think he meant cross threaded
 
niko said:
i think he meant cross threaded
Click to expand...
Ah.
That's very hard to tell... with cheap filters/rings the threads are often not cut to a high tolerance and they will cross thread (start to jump threads) when overtightened. Sometimes tapping them in/down with something like a screw driver handle helps get them back in place...
 
Thanks for the help everyone. If I ever need to do this again I'll use a hairdryer wearing pink Marigolds :D

The threads had been tightened to tight. Every time she put the close up filters on she had tightened to much. I went take them off for a weekend cleaning up and they wouldn't come apart. On the last one I got stuck with I used elastics bands on both of them again and it worked.

p.s. No it isn't my filters and I'm blaming someone else so I don't look like a plump. She did it banged to rights :)
 
sk66 said:
How do you tighten something that's not threaded?

If you have silicon type pot holders (or similar), lay one on the counter and set the lens on it filter down. Use pressure while twisting the lens to remove the filter. Or they sell filter wrenches on Ebay (I've never used them).
Click to expand...

They all have threads in them, the close up filters and the step up ring. Nothing was cross threaded, just very tight. The step up ring was a cheap one from ebay so that probably didn't help me.
 
Skyline said:
Every time she put the close up filters on she had tightened to much. I went take them off for a weekend cleaning up and they wouldn't come apart.
Click to expand...

Might be best to let your wife undo them next time if you struggle :LOL:
 
Hmmm!

Try putting a glass plate in the freezer for an hour
Take out and wipe any condensation off
Put the paired stuck filters onto the cold plate with the 'internal' one in contact with the plate (NB idea being to make that one contract slightly)
Allow say 5 mins > then using the two rubber gloves suggested try to unscrew them.

The theory being that holding them you will warm the uncooled side quicker than the cold = enough of a thermal difference to free them sufficiently to unscrew them.
 
Skyline said:
There was dust in there
Click to expand...
Dust in where ? I thought what you now had (in your hand) was the step up ring & a filter stuck together I.e. you can access both surfaces of the filter and the front element of the lens as needed
 
Box Brownie said:
Dust in where ? I thought what you now had (in your hand) was the step up ring & a filter stuck together I.e. you can access both surfaces of the filter and the front element of the lens as needed
Click to expand...

My mistake. There was dust in between some of the glass. That's why I started to undo them. Then I couldn't get the step up ring off and got a bee in my bonnet.

Yes. I could have left it. But I'm a man and refused to be defeated :D
 
Skyline said:
Should I pour a little oil on the filters first:thinking:
Click to expand...


No. BUT drawing on the thread with a soft pencil will leave a tiny bit of graphite on the threads to lubricate them dryly. Hardly needs any but it can help. If there's enough to cause dusty filters, you've used too much!
 
Just be careful with thermal shock if your using the freezer. Don't want to shatter them could turn out expensive for "your wife"
 
I use either filter wrenches or wide elastic bands (similar to Marigolds but without the look!).
To help prevent filters from sticking I run a lead pencil around the thread of the filter a few times. The deposited graphite really does help prevent this problem from occurring.

Andy
 
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