A few months after I joined this group I purchased a Goertz Dagor in Compound Dial Set shutter. The front element group was starting to experence balsam deteration resulting in a medium-light white haze in the lens. After a few post a few members finally broke my mental block and described the lens configuration to me.
I removed the cells from the barrel, heated them, but never got the cemented elements to seperate as I did not want to over heat it and damage it worse. I have comtemplated recementing the cell now that I have a better understanding of the process but never got around to doing it.
The lens/shutter has been in a insulated bag (like a lunch/ can cooler type) along with several other lens for about 5 years. Although I have taken it out of the bag several times when getting another lens out I have not unraped it until tonight when I took it out to use the shutter as a template to describe operation of dial set shutters in another post and to my suprize, the elements are crystal clear!
Gona have to load up the "Little Kodak" (8x10 commercial view) and go shoot with it.

I guess the warm storage has restored the balsam.

I had an Aero Ektar that was experiencing some seperation (I forget if it was the front or rear group) but I was able to get the cells apart by leaving them in acetone (in a sealed dish) for about a week. Everyday I'd check the level of the acetone and I could see the balsam slowly disappearing from the outer edge in until they just came apart. I recemented with a UV curing sement from Summers Optical it it now looks fine.

Which cement did you use? UV-69, UV-74, or another.
Charles

I have an old Conley anastigmmat that came in a box-o-crap. It had a very bad rear element. I soaked it apart in a jar of lacquer thinner. I'm awaiting delivery of the new UV cure cement from Edmunds Optics. J-91, I believe it is.