Lens grease? Need to loosen lens focussing

[Lilserenity]

Hiya,

I dismantled my Canon Serenar 50mm lens about 2 months ago to resolve the gritty focussing, it now focusses beautifully but the oil I used seems to have ended up leaving the focussing even but stiff.

What is recommended for 'greasing' the focussing thread to loosen this up a bit apart from some basic WD40?

Thanks!
Vicky

 

[newspaperguy]

Silicone grease works for me.
Usually found on in a small tube (like glue comes in) on display racks at your local automotive store. Haven't found it at W-M, etc.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

NOT WD-40! It can get into the glass.

It's best to get the stuff you used out, and use a thinner grease.I use a heavy vacuum pump grease for some of the Russian helicals that need it, and white lithium grease for the better fitting ones. I use a "few dabs".

 

[jmkelly]

I got a little applicator tube of "Synco Lube" from Micro Tools. It is supposed to be a very low-volatility synthetic. After soaking helicals and aperture mechanisims in Ronsonol I put just a few drops on and work them in. It is smoothed without being what I would call overly-damped.

 

[FallisPhoto]

Hiya,

I dismantled my Canon Serenar 50mm lens about 2 months ago to resolve the gritty focussing, it now focusses beautifully but the oil I used seems to have ended up leaving the focussing even but stiff.

What is recommended for 'greasing' the focussing thread to loosen this up a bit apart from some basic WD40?

Thanks!
Vicky

I hope you were kidding about the WD-40. It leaves a residue that has a strong tendency to gum things up, is almost impossible to remove from glass, and ... well, anyone who uses WD-40 on a classic camera shouldn't ever be allowed to own another one. Some of the better bicycle greases (that are formulated to strongly resist galvanic corrosion) are maybe the best, although plain white lithium grease works well too. The most notorious example of galvanic corrosion and it's attendant phenomena in a camera is Agfa's green grease, that eventually locks the lens in place. It didn't start off green. The green in it is from brass that corroded out of the metal and formed polymer chains in the grease. Along with WD-40, that's another type of grease to avoid like the plague.

 

[Pompiere]

My Super Ricohflex had that green grease that was hardened to the point that no solvent would touch it. I had to scrape it out with dental picks, after I forced the lenses apart with a pair of jar openers. It may not be the best thing, but I used some fishing reel grease that I had laying around.

 

[ZeissFan]

Vicky, what you want to use is a grease lubricant, rather than an oil or spray.

I've found that white lithium automotive grease is excellent for lens helicals. It won't liquify. It won't harden. It can stand extreme heat. And it's easy to apply.

The grease from Micro-Tools also is good, but I really like the white lithium grease. You can buy a small tube for about $2.50.

The process is to remove entirely all traces of the old lubricant and then apply the new lubricant -- sparingly. I apply it in three locations around the lens helical and then let the rotation of the lens handle spreading the lubricant.

 

[Lilserenity]

I hope you were kidding about the WD-40. It leaves a residue that has a strong tendency to gum things up, is almost impossible to remove from glass, and ... well, anyone who uses WD-40 on a classic camera shouldn't ever be allowed to own another one.

Ok I'll sell mine then shall I? 😉

That's why I asked the question, I now know that I am vindicated in asking the question as I have learnt something.

Thanks for the advice, except for the classic camera one.

 

[Lilserenity]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, very useful knowledge. I'm quite good at taking things apart and I know how to get at the required part so I shall check out what I can get and it'll either be some of the silicone grease or the Synco Lube if I can get hold of it. It's only now the colder weather is setting in I am noticing it gum up even more.

I'll let you know how it goes. Thankfully the 50mm Serenar is a pretty easy to disassemble lens compared to some I have had in the past!

As for WD40 I have learnt something new on that front too 🙂

Vicky

 

[FallisPhoto]

Ok I'll sell mine then shall I? 😉

That's why I asked the question, I now know that I am vindicated in asking the question as I have learnt something.

Thanks for the advice, except for the classic camera one.

Let me rephrase that. Anyone who uses WD-40 on a classic camera, knowing what it does, shouldn't ever be allowed to own another one.

This is a rather dramatically illustrative excerpt from a gunsmithing website: "Don't use WD-40 on your guns. It will form a thick residue in small areas that you cannot reach to scrub often. A good example would be a guy I shoot with often who used WD-40 to lube his guns. Over time it built up a thick coating inside his firing pin channel in a Glock 22. Well during a range trip the firing pin stuck, and caused a slam fire. The culprit was later found to be a mass of WD-40 residue built up inside his gun. I use Rem Oil on my pistols and shotguns, and CLP on my rifles."

One more thing: Typically, cameras don't get cleaned and lubed anywhere even close to as often as guns do. Over time, that "sludge" dries out and becomes a powder that gets everywhere. Sounds like just the thing to use on a shutter or a lens, doesn't it?

 

[68degrees]

I hope you were kidding about the WD-40. It leaves a residue that has a strong tendency to gum things up, is almost impossible to remove from glass, and ... well, anyone who uses WD-40 on a classic camera shouldn't ever be allowed to own another one. Some of the better bicycle greases (that are formulated to strongly resist galvanic corrosion) are maybe the best, although plain white lithium grease works well too. The most notorious example of galvanic corrosion and it's attendant phenomena in a camera is Agfa's green grease, that eventually locks the lens in place. It didn't start off green. The green in it is from brass that corroded out of the metal and formed polymer chains in the grease. Along with WD-40, that's another type of grease to avoid like the plague.

what kind of solvent will disolve this polymer chains in the grease. My dads isolette is locked up. Is it two different metals that caused this corrosion? Are these threads physically fused together now or is it j ust the hardened grease that is blocking the movement?

 

[farlymac]

Heat, and alcohol are the best things to deal with the old Bayer grease in an Agfa/Ansco product. It may take a while, but it will work.

PF

 

[Lightshow]

I've been using this grease http://www.micro-tools.com/store/P-HG-10/Grease-Helical-10-Light-8ml.aspx
So far I've got no complaints, focusing action is light and smooth, I do want to try the heavier weight at some point.

 

[kuzano]

WD 40 is not a lubricant. It is a penetrating fluid first and foremost. Will not stay in place as a lube.

 

[Moto-Uno]

"Heat and Alcohol" now that is the cure for most every thing isn't it ?

Regards,Peter

 

[Brian Legge]

I want to pick up some of the S10 but it's been out of stock for a while. I tried the next grade up in a Jupiter 3. Good, but a hair stiffer than I prefer.

 

[clayne]

I hope you were kidding about the WD-40. It leaves a residue that has a strong tendency to gum things up, is almost impossible to remove from glass

Any non-polar solvent of lighter distillation will remove other thicker oils. I guarantee you very light Naphtha or Hexane will remove WD-40 from glass. Glass is polar, therefore we don't care what non-polar solvent is used - that is, much to the paranoia of various Leica owners, it won't harm the glass at all. I use Naphtha for cleaning all my lenses - commercial lens cleaner is a rip.

 

[Heru Anggono]

A suitable grease might be the Nyogel 744 from Micro Tools. It is a silica based damping grease for helicoid. I've done some reading on several forums regarding type of grease and weight. It seems like the 744 is suitable.

I have one tube with me. I plan to get my Nikkor 50/2 HC dismantled and re-grease at camera shop asap.

Many also considered moly based grease is not suitable due to tendency to separate.

 

[Vobluda]

I am using ML-FTS5 and ML-MFK2 from German producer Osim Optik:

http://www.osimoptik.de

They have several grease, those two were recommended to me by the producer. The grease is Made in Germany.

 

[Wouter]

Any non-polar solvent of lighter distillation will remove other thicker oils. I guarantee you very light Naphtha or Hexane will remove WD-40 from glass. Glass is polar, therefore we don't care what non-polar solvent is used - that is, much to the paranoia of various Leica owners, it won't harm the glass at all. I use Naphtha for cleaning all my lenses - commercial lens cleaner is a rip.

Interesting ... but will naphta not affect the coating?