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Message |
    
Gordon
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 03:53 am: | 
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Hello. I am looking for a viscous or ultra-viscous grease to use on heavy mechanical parts such as TLR focusing mechanisms. Something that stays where it is supposed to and that does not "melt" at higher temperatures. What would I have to buy on the micro-tools site? I just don't seem to understand which one it is. Or what else would be good?
Many thanks. |
Winfried
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 05:07 am: |
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You can use virtually any grease which is designed to stick to the surfaces and will withstand some pressure. I think Micro-Tools offers some lubricants specially designed for lubricating gears and cog wheels.
I use a light silicone grease, sometimes blended with graphite powder in places where strong pressure is applied (such as the focussing drive cams of TLRs). |
Gordon
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 05:55 am: |
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What about Moly non-melting Grease MOS2? That black stuff... is it any good or should it be avoided. It looks like it has a good vicousity. |
Glenn Middleton
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 08:41 am: |
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Ultra-viscous and 'ultra-tacky' are as different as chalk and cheese when you are comparing greases. The use of ultra-viscous greases on camera mechanisms can leave you with an unworkable camera.
What you require is a low to medium viscosity gear grease, containing a high percentage of 'tackifiers'. However; in the real world the rotational speed of the gearing and the interface pressures found in focusing mechanisms etc are so low, that any light, temperature stable grease will do.
Many people recommend Loctite White Lithium Grease as being the ideal product. This grease does not separate or slump and can be used to grease helical and gear focusing mechanisms.
I personally follow Winfried's route and use a silicone grease. It is clean, stable, stays put and any excess is easily removed.
As for moly grease, I would not let it anywhere near a camera of any era. What appears to be a moly grease in some Canon A, T and EOS series, is in fact a moly-paste lubricant. Again; this is a completely different beast, which produces a dry film of high pressure lubricant over the mating parts. The original Dow products found great favour with people tuning 'spring' air weapons. |
Thad W.
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 09:53 am: |
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"What about Moly non-melting Grease MOS2? That black stuff..."
No way! Use only lubricants approved for camera mechanisms. If there are any rubber or plastic materials anywhere near the mechanism to be lubricated, you must use a synthetic grease that will not attack those parts. Also, many automotive type lubricants have various chemical packages that aren't friendly to small mechanical mechanisms, and tend to migrate. Finally, black moly grease is designed to be used in captive sealed mechanisms - exposed to air, even partially, it will attract dirt, dry out and turn to stiff dirty gunk. |
Brian Shaw
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 02:40 pm: |
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I ama a believer in the superiority of synthetic oil/grease... but weren't moly greases factory recommended by Compur, Rollei, and Graflex? I seem to recall this from the factory manuals. |
Glenn Middleton
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 08:31 pm: |
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Brian,
I am sure you are right. However; the only camera specific moly grease I have found, was priced in a similar fashion to Epson printer inks! Also it bore no comparison to commonly available 'off the shelf' moly greases. I would also support/agree with your findings on the superiority of synthetics for photographic applications.
Glenn. |
