Maintaining aperature blades and aperature rings

[Tristin]

Couple Qs

What are the possible causes for an aperature ring that is difficult to tun and what are the repair options?

Also, how difficult is repairing oily/stuck aperature blades?  If you send an Ai/Ai-s lens to Nikon will they fix it up for you?  General cost if so, worth it or diy?

Thanks in advance
-Tristin

[Erik Lund]

Very few Nikkors have issues with the aperture, one with moisture on the blades is the Micro Nikkor 55mm 2.8 Ais, cheapest is to find another sample that is clean sample...

There can be many reasons, latest I saw a lens that had impact damage to the ring so it would turn really tightly...

It can be from earlier diy project gone bad,,,

It is very different from lens to lens how to get to thee aperture, some, a few are 10 min work others take for hours.

[Tristin]

I have a 105mm 1.8 that has a difficult to turn aperature ring and the blades appear dirty at the edges, so I want to take my first dive into dis-assembly to see what I can do about it.  Anything I should have on hand beyond tiny screwdrivers, cotton swabs and alcohol?

[pluton]

An absolute:  JIS screwdrivers.  Attempts to work on Nikon[and other Japanese camera] screws with the "precision jeweler's screwdrivers" that they sell at the local hardware store usually lead to unhappiness...and destroyed screws.
Buy a small set with #00, #0, and #1...maybe a #000 as well.
Depending on the lens construction, lens spanners may be needed.  Spanners come in slot(flat) and pin types.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Can only repeat the mandatory condition: a complete set JIS screw drivers and in addition, drivers with clean not worn tips ...

If you can track down repair manual(s), you will appreciate these for the more tricky lenses.

[Tristin]

Thanks guys, will get a set.  Any experience on whether the 105mm 1.8 requires a spanner and, if so, what kinda spanner do I get?  Have no knowledge of spanners.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Lots of lens spanners available on eBay. Don't purchase the most fragile types though.

Erik probably can chime in with a recommendation.

I purchase JIS drivers from the microtools web site. Maybe they carry lens spanners as well.

[charlie]

Microtools do carry spanners at various price points. I can't vouch for which are the most reliable though and would also be curious to hear what sort of spanners other find to be of good enough quality.

http://www.micro-tools.com/store/~/C-SPN/Spanner-WrenchsLens-Tools.aspx

In a pinch, if you have a set of digital/dial calipers laying around you can use the smaller inside diameter jaws to loosen lens rings if they aren't to deep in the body of the lens.