M Diopter lost: anyone applied Threadlocker ?

[FrozenInTime]

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After a week of mist, rain, 50 mph winds, and more rain, necessitated the camera to be in and out of a bag every few minutes, I now find my MP no longer has it's correction diopter 😞

Should anyone find a +1 diopter while wandering around Orkney please let me know 😉 

 

Since these now cost £150 each, I am wondering if applying a tiny drop of Threadlock can help prevent a repeat, while minimising risk of future damage to the camera.

Threadlock comes in several grades: the weakest being purple then the more common blue; I know well to stay clear of anything more permanent such as red. https://www.henkel-adhesives.com/uk/en/products/industrial-adhesives/threadlockers.html 

Anyone gone down this path ?

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[RMF]

I’ve lost one of these in the past as well and really hate paying another $200 use for the replacement. I now check to make sure they are tight on my cameras nearly every time I pick them up now. Threadlocker blue would probably be the right choice as it’s easy to remove with a blow dryer.

 

[Danner]

Thread locker is an OK idea.  Don't rule out cleaning the threads and tightening the diopter to a higher torque.

In the Stares, we have Loctite brand thread locker, market leader.  You're idea of reading the manufacturer's tech. literature is the way to go.

IIRC, Loctite has a Green version for precision, fine-pitch, threads.  I just don't remember if its removable or permanent type.  I'd go with removable for sure, most likely Blue, as I've had good experience with it over the years.

As an aside, most anti-seize thread compounds have a grease base, which is bad ju-ju for cameras, IMHO.

[250swb]

The tightening it with the appropriate size wrench clamp exerts much more torque than trying to do it with your fingers, as would using a soft rubber surface against it like an eraser or the back of a mouse mat. It may also be an idea to use a thread lock, but if you are nervous about which grade to choose given they all have to deal with more complex problems like oil and heat etc. unlike cameras then use something super simple like clear nail varnish.

[Bobonli]

I thought about it for a minute then asked myself "What if I can't get it off or I accidentally get some of it on the glass?" and decided against it. 

[250swb]

7 hours ago, Bobonli said:

I thought about it for a minute then asked myself "What if I can't get it off or I accidentally get some of it on the glass?" and decided against it. 

Well if you used clear nail varnish you could use acetone to remove it, as happens time after time every single day.

[Bobonli]

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Yes people use acetone daily on their nails. Not on their $$$$ cameras!

[onelensman]

I use plumbers tape, very thin white PTFE tape, wrapped between fine threads to prevent components from unscrewing

[250swb]

17 hours ago, Bobonli said:

Yes people use acetone daily on their nails. Not on their $$$$ cameras!

It was only a suggestion in case somebody wanted to be proactive and didn't want to appear helpless. And you are right to be worried, some people are so helpless they simply couldn't apply a tiny dab of nail varnish, so maybe they should ask a female friend to do it for them? They could also be the same person who would apply thread lock over all the thread rather than just applying a miniscule dab, and these are life's natural victims because they have no common sense. 

[Pyrogallol]

On 9/14/2024 at 6:43 PM, FrozenInTime said:

After a week of mist, rain, 50 mph winds, and more rain, necessitated the camera to be in and out of a bag every few minutes, I now find my MP no longer has it's correction diopter 😞

Should anyone find a +1 diopter while wandering around Orkney please let me know 😉 

 

Since these now cost £150 each, I am wondering if applying a tiny drop of Threadlock can help prevent a repeat, while minimising risk of future damage to the camera.

Threadlock comes in several grades: the weakest being purple then the more common blue; I know well to stay clear of anything more permanent such as red. https://www.henkel-adhesives.com/uk/en/products/industrial-adhesives/threadlockers.html 

Anyone gone down this path ?

You can buy a used one for £40-50 on E Bay, I bought two.

[FrozenInTime]

Thanks all. I'm still wary, so will experiment on some old filters to see how much fluid flows and if it can easily be cleaned off glass without damaging the coatings.

I have some PTFE tape and liquid In my plumbing parts drawer, so thats a start. Will also order in some Locktite; I may have some blue already, but never used or even seen purple before.

[Fotoklaus]

Loctite 222 is purple and made for small screws. Less strength.

Loctite 243 is the Standard threadlocker anf blue. Medium strength. 

Loctite 262 is red and the threadlocker with the highest strength. Would not recommend that on your Leica.

Loctite 648 and 638 are green and used for high torque connections like gears and bearings, not for screws. Be aware that it just can be removed under high temperature.

[Kl@usW.]

Over the decades, I’ve lost quite a few screwed-on parts from my Leicas while hiking and traveling. The eyepiece cover of an M6, one or two diopters, the battery cover of an M7, and even a 1.4x magnifier eyepiece. This was probably because I always carried the cameras on a strap, without any protection, directly against my clothing during hikes and outings. Nowadays, I’ve gotten into the habit of regularly checking the battery cover and eyepieces. The battery cover (MP) still tends to loosen, but the eyepiece covers now seem to come glued from the factory.

As for using Loctite or other thread-locking adhesives: I’d advise against it. I fear that over time the base substance may outgas* and leave residues in the viewfinder and on the rangefinder mirrors. Teflon tape—a very narrow strip of it—or a piece of dental floss seems like a better idea to me.

*If you can smell it, it does outgas. And Loctite does smell, I have it in my tool-box. 

Edited September 21, 2024 by Kl@usW.