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Gez
Tinkerer
Username: Gez
Post Number: 2
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 - 03:50 pm: | 
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It seems to be the received wisdom that oil interferring with the aperture blades migrates there from the grease in the focussing helicoid?
Has anybody tried repacking a helicoid with Edwards High Vacuum Grease(TM). The manufacturer guarantees that the grease won't out-gas volatiles into a vac line, so maybe it is worth trying? |
Dgillette4
Tinkerer
Username: Dgillette4
Post Number: 186
Registered: 04-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 10:04 pm: |
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I have Heard that synthetic gear lube for bicycles works fine.Believe it was made by castrol, Also silicone dielectric lube the kind used on old auto distributor rotors works great, I used it on the threads of a Zorki insustar collapsable lens and it works great and didn't need a complete teardown to do . Some have used even gunslick. I haven't though the silicone worked great. |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 302
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2008 - 10:26 am: |
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Yes the Edwards grease does work. You should note that 'out-gas' does not mean that oil will not separate from these products. High Vac grease is just one of the many good quality greases that do work in the helical of a lens. After trying many so called special - read expensive - greases, I have found that a silicone grease made for greasing the 'O' rings in plastic soil and water pipe fittings prior to assembly, is ideal. It is usable on both small and large diameter helicals, giving a nice feel to the movement, is temperature stable over a very wide range and does not separate. It is also cheap! |
Gez
Tinkerer
Username: Gez
Post Number: 23
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - 06:00 pm: |
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Thanks for both your recommendations, I'll have to start looking in the diy shops. While on the subject of lubrication, do you know a source for Molybdenum grease or paste? Don't shout Micro-Tools, it is not a firm I want to deal with!
For treating the rub spots on the Copal cocking mechanism I have been using Lithium grease, the type sold in a bicyle shop. It works fine but Molybdenum is probably better, particularly for the tip of the mirror tensioning claw in Konica's T series. Here in England Halfords sell Molyslip. Not sure if that is the right stuff. Any ideas. |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 308
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - 08:40 pm: |
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You could try Axminster Tools, They sell a range of specialised lubricants. If you have a gunsmith in your area who deals in high class air weapons, you should be able to get a tube of moly paste there. |
Ethostech
Tinkerer
Username: Ethostech
Post Number: 94
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 12, 2008 - 08:17 am: |
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Why don't you procure the proper helix grease in the first place?
Losimol of Hanover manufactures "Losoid" speciality greases which are exported to all countries for such as labratory microscope and camera helix repacking. There will be a Losimol Agent within easy reach is you do a search .A small tub containing a grease volume equal to about one third that of the egg you have for breakfast - will probably repack more helix' than you will ever have need to service .. and costs very little. |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 317
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 12, 2008 - 09:46 am: |
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In many instances these 'speciality' greases offer nothing, over some more commonly available products. Obviously you want a temperature stable product - cold winter day to glove-box on a hot summer day range - and one that does not separate out. However many forget the most important factor - the feel of the focusing action. A grease that provides a smooth movement on a Leitz F1.4/50 Summilux will provide an almost immovable action on the Jena f2.8/180.
So which speciality grease do you select from the manufacturers range? Many are identified by their 'Apparent Viscosity', but this value is measured at a defined shear rate and specific temperature, so the advertised value is meaningless for our usage. If you are just repacking a few, small diameter standard lenses, then you may strike lucky with your first purchase of 'special' grease. If on the other hand; you are servicing a large range of lenses, you will find your cupboard full of various ranges of these greases. Been there, done that!!
Even using the grease specified by the lens manufacturers, can present problems. I always fully pack the helix - after doing this on a lens using the specified grease, the helix was almost solid! Subsequently learned, the manufacturer only used small spots of grease placed at certain locations, on original assembly.
So if you find a commonly available, suitable grease - use it. Saves having a shelf full of hardly used tubes/pots. As I have stated before, one of the most successful greases I have found is a silicone grease, used to lubricate 'O' rings on plastic water/waste pipe fittings. This grease gives a nice action to a wide range of different diameter helicals. |
Juan_b
Tinkerer
Username: Juan_b
Post Number: 11
Registered: 08-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 - 12:02 pm: |
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Now, I must to lube a Nikkor 50/1.4 AI (non AIS), because the focussing ring is very heavy. I think that the old grease is now dry.
But I don't know how must I do for dissamble the focusing ring. I Think that the right way is dissamble the ring for clean with alcohol the helicoil and put the grease.
I've used in other lenses, the helical grease S-10 (light) but I don't like it very much, because I feel the friction between the two parts of the helical and it doesn't have a good "focussing touch".
The Nikkor lenses have a very light focusing touch, and I like it, but I don't know how kind of grease can give a good touch to the 50/1.4 that I want to lube. |
