Spacers jammed together - how to separate?

[Martin-Devon]

I have two spacers in my imaging train which are just totally jammed together and I need to separate them so I can change my rig. One of these spacers is the very thin M54 to M42 adaptor to link things up to the Atik EFW2, the other spacer is a regular 6mm T spacer. I need to get the EFW2 thin adaptor off asap to change my rig but it resolutely refuses to separate from the other spacer. I've tried soaking in DWD40, placing in hot water, placing in the -20 freezer, but nothing seems to loosen the spacers so I can unsrew them.

If anybody knows of any tricks/tips here I'd be most grateful.

Thanks,

Martin

[pete_l]

Penetrating oil http://www.axminster...oil-prod849446/

and maybe combine with hot/cold cycling to help it get in to the crooks and nannies?

[JamesF]

I wonder if perhaps immersing them in boiling water and then putting only the part with the male thread straight into icy water might just give you enough to get it undone?

James

[Capricorn]

Would it take long and cost a lot to replace them?

Sounds as if they could be two different materials and they have reacted and formed as corrosive bound.

Only thinking that if they take a fair time to seperate you have lost time and they may then be unusable at the end.

Otherwise I can only suggest soaking in something for a few days, soak means a container full of something to immerse the bit(s) in. When this happened on car bits the guide was heat to red hot and let cool, then either stick a big spanner and bar on or hit very hard. Neither really applicable to this application.

How hot could you get the bit before dropping into a container of something like penetrating oil?

[astro mick]

One other surgestion,and it might seem implausable is to use a pair of thin latex gloves,bit like Medical ones,which you can buy.This gives you a lot more grip than you think,and i have used this several times which much success.

Try it,cant harm,where as other teatments can.

Mick.

[cs1cjc]

I have put rings in the freezer to help ease them in the past. I have also bought a filter spanner similar to this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=camera+filter+spanner&_sacat=0&_odkw=filter+spanner&_osacat=0&_from=R40

[Martin-Devon]

Thanks everybody for some excellent feedback here - I'll try a few of these suggestions, especially the small spanner wrench that Chris flagged up on e-bay.

[66mikeg]

Try squeezing the faces between the flat of your hands and turning, it stops them from distorting, it's worked for me separating macro photography extension tubes which seemed to have welded themselves together

[66mikeg]

PS I'm from Bradninch

[Martin-Devon]

Hello 66mikeg - then you live only about 5 miles away from me! I'm also a member of the NLO.

[swag72]

I had an adaptor stuck on my 120ED reducer. It was a low profile one and would not budge. In the end, someone gave me a very good way of doing it and they separated easy peasy.

A pair of plumbers adjustable pliers on on adaptor and a rubber strap wrench (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2PC-STRAP-WRENCH-SET-10-150MM-ADJUSTABLE-RUBBER-DIY-/350363969889?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item519351e961) on the other and they came apart really easily.

[knobby]

If you can ... Push down on a rubber mat and turn , it won't 'squeeze' the thing or distort it ... Quite often get filters of camera lenses like this . Back of a mouse mat sometimes works !

[MarkMayf]

What are they made of?