On Sun, 15 Oct 2000 10:20:38 -0400, Morgan Sparks <msparks@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>With cold weather approaching, I'm wondering if there's some way to
>loosen up some of my stiff-focusing lenses. It seems like any lubricant
>should have a proper thinner/solvent. Is there such a thing for
>helicoid grease, and can it be applied without making a mess of things?
I haven't tried re-greasing a lens helicoid but I have re-greased quite a
number of microscope helicoid's. I've found that the best solvent for
removing the old grease are those "high tech" circuit board cleaning
solvents. They usually come in an aerosol which you can use directly on
the helicoid provided you remove all the lens elements and diaphragm. If
you don't want to strip it down all the way, you might be able to clean it
out with a Q-tip soaked with the fluid. I've down this when re-greasing
the PM-VS viewers.
As for re-greasing, I've been using a silicon based lubricant which is
designed for use on automotive brake caliper sliders. The grease is a bit
heavier than the original grease that Olympus uses, but this grease is
designed to not melt at high temperatures. I first used this grease when
rebuilding an LSD illuminator and it worked great. The heat from the lamp
had no effect on its viscosity (unlike the Olympus grease :-).
>Or, can a compatible grease be dabbed on the threads and "worked in"?
>I'm trying to avoid disassembly and cleaning, which isn't economically
>justified for these lenses.
It would be best to strip the lens down to at least the point where you can
work on the helicoid threads. I wouldn't recommend injecting anything into
a lens and trying to work it in.
-mark
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