Cleaning haze buildup on port of Ikelite SLR housing

[scorpionfish]

Lwang once bubbled...
Scorpionfish,

The housing is from ebay. Seems that Ikelite knows anyone who calls about housings for SLR got them from ebay.

Also, the port is not glass, that is why it scratches so easy. If it was glass, I would have it easy, since many polish would grind away but is not hard enough for glass.

I don't think the port is defunct. The housing might be, but the port would still fit a new housing. Ikelite doesn't sell parts to retrofit old housing for different cameras.

Hi, Lwang!

I do not own an Ikelite housing, so I ran off to my LDS and got one of their catalogs. To quote Ikelite, "[The Dome is] molded by one of the world's leading optical lens manufacturers..." So, it appears that, at least, the dome is made of a plastic. If that is true, I guess the port could be, too. But that is another guess.

You must have a very sophisticated shop if you can polish glass to optical flatness! If you can do that, it would seem that, as long as you did not overheat the port in question, you could polish it similarly. But I got the impression that there was some sort of film on the port, not scratches. So, I would still suggest Softscrub or the like.

Scorpionfish

 

[caymaniac]

I had an Ikelite housing and it was suggested that I could clean the scratches off a bit with lighter fluid. I tried this and it didnt work that great......................I got another dome port.

Caymaniac:boom:

 

[scorpiofish]

I agree with Scorpionfish. Anything you use, including a mild abrasive, could alter the optical quality.

Anything beyond methyl alcohol could seriously cause damage.

Yes, it is plastic, but all but very deep scratches are filled in with water and not noticeable. Not so with glass.

Don't use acetone or other heavy solvents until you are sure you will need to replace. You should even test it to see if the existing problem causes an issue with the images.

If you get desparate, try MEK. It will either clean it right up or the plastic will start coming off on your cloth.

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

thanks for the info.

What is MEK? I heard people tell me Novus, others say Brasso. Is MEK a abrasive material or plastic dissolver. Are you saying it will dissolve the thin layer of goo that is on the port?

I don't think I would use it easily on a dome port, since it is hard to keep the curvature the same as before. But it should not be hard for a flat port.

 

[scorpionfish]

Hi, Lwang!

MEK is Methyl Ethyl Ketone. It is a "cousin' of Acetone, which is the common name for Dimethyl Ketone or, if you named it (improperly) the same way MEK is named (properly), it would be called Methyl Methyl Ketone, MMK! Now, after this diversion into chemical nomenclature, we can continue.

The solvent properties of MEK and Acetone are very similar, but since MEK has a higher molecular wt., it will not be as volatile--i.e., it will stick around longer before evaporating. In addition, it will be marginally better at dissolving some organics. So, I do not think it is your "white knight".

Brasso contains a mild reducing agent that helps to remove the corrosion from brass and copper. It also has some mild abrasive suspended in it. Again, I do not think this is your "white knight" either.

Have you ever figured out what the stuff is that you are trying to eliminate? If you have some clue, that would help. If the dome is made from polycarbonate, it is very resistant to many organic solvents. So, if the "stuff" is an organic residue, some solvent could help. If it is oil, for example, a little "white gas" could help.

Just out of curiousity, have your tried hot water and a detergent? Wonderful things, detergents!

Scorpionfish--a close relative of Scorpiofish--just added an "n" and resisted reading the astrology columns!

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

scorpionfish,

It is a flat port, not dome, so polishing it would not be so hard.

I was told Brasso would be good by some guy who refurbishes ikelite housings.

I heard about Novus from some places because it is a polish for various types of plastic.

I don't know what the coating is, but pointing a light source at an angle, I could see scrape marks across part of the lens, which corresponds to the location of this coating. I presume the coating was put there to cover up or smooth out the scrape marks. And it looks like the coating is on the inside and outside since from both sides, reflections on that area are not mirror clear (also, at a few points, the inside and outside coating does not match up exactly and I could see a clear refection from the top, bu the haze/blur from the bottom.) It seems that the coating did not dry completely smooth, resulting in the hazy look.

I tried to ask the seller what he put on the lens, but he keeps on denying anything was done. So I have to pursue this on my own.

I don't know what it could be made out of, it just feels like a hard epoxy like coating.

I tried hot water and detergent already and it was no use.

 

[vicky]

don't forget to try the material and make sure it doesn't make more damage to the port. Just try it on a small place on the side.

 

[kdietz]

why not just send it to Ikelite?.............they will treat you more than fair.............

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

Ikelite at first told me to buy a new one. They did say that I could send it in for them to check it out, but they do not do refinishing or change out the port plate.

 

[scorpionfish]

Hi, Lwang!

Well, I have been reading this thread again and I am of the opinion that it is time to declare a victory AND RETREAT!

My guess is that the port had leaked or had some damage to it that the former owner tried to repair in an amatuerish manner. The goo may even be epoxy or some similar substance. He or she recognized the failure and took the coward's way out by selling it on eBay. You could try to return it, but it sounds like the seller is not completely honest. You can complain to eBay, and that sometimes works. It depends on how much the seller wants to use eBay in the future.

Now, my last piece of advice! If you try to repair this port, you are flirting with two dangers:

(1) You will ruin the optical flatness of the port and have very poor photographs. I know that you think that you can polish it flat, but that is really not all that easy, especially on an inside surface. Even the outside surface will present a challange since polishing or grinding tends to generate a spherical surface unless you have very specialized equipment. I do remember somethings from university physics!

(2) The repair was made by the former owner because the port leaked and it will start leaking again after your repair. How much is your camera/lens worth? Surely more than you would be willing to risk on a port that will leak salt water!

So, my advice, again: DECLARE A VICTORY AND RETREAT!

Also, one last note: I use eBay often to buy various things. However, when I buy equipment that is to be used u/w I always have it checked by my favorite photo tech. Thus, when I bid, I always factor in the cost of that inspection--and a possible repair. So far, so good: nearly everything I have bought has been excellent. eBay is fun and useful, but it can also be a trap since you are depending on the honesty of the seller and the clarity of a photo!

Hope all goes well and that your diving is great!

Scorpionfish