Grease for Jupiter 9?

hamradio · Jun 8, 2015

I recently tried relubing a jupiter 9 with my usual go-to grease ('superlube' 21030), but it's much too thick for this multi-stage helicoid. The grease has a great feel for simpler lenses, like the Industar 26/61 and Helios 44, but doesn't work nice on helicoids with large surface areas and/or fine threads. I tried thinning it with some light oil, still not great...it was a little freer, but simply made scraping sounds. No good.

Anybody have some grease to recommend? I'd rather avoid buying the stuff from micro tools, and imagine the helimax xp stuff on eBay to be a standard nlgi 1 grease. I'm even contemplating buying some grease from Russia, циатим-201 or циатим-221...but I need to do a little work examining the гост sheets to see if the greases seem suitable. It seems like finding a suitably thin, light grease is more of a chore than it should be.

AgX · Jun 8, 2015

There are special damping greases in different viscosities from Nye.

hamradio · Jun 8, 2015

Anything cheaper? I have a hard time sinking $90 into a grease kit to relube a $50 lens.

AgX · Jun 8, 2015

Become GAS infected and you'll use it much more often.
You could use it on your radio knobs too.

shutterfinger · Jun 8, 2015

I use TriFlow teflon grease, thick like you grease, http://www.amazon.com/Tri-Flow-TF23...&qid=1433796925&sr=8-5&keywords=teflon+grease
and Finish Line teflon grease, like white lithium but with teflon, http://www.amazon.com/Finish-Line-P...&qid=1433796925&sr=8-1&keywords=teflon+grease
Sometimes I mix them together to get the consistency the camera part requires.

gone · Jun 8, 2015

I've used the Tri-Flow on a Canon FL 135 3.5 lens, which has LOTS of super fine threads, and it works great. Bike lubes are my savior w/ cameras and lenses. As shutterfinger mentioned, just blend the lubes to get the consistency that you want. Silicone, synthetic and teflon lubes are inexpensive, generally won't migrate, and are just good to have around the house.

AgX · Jun 8, 2015

Silicone lubricants won't migrate? I avoid that stuff wherever I can. Just because of that nasty spread.

And I'm not sure whether blending different greases is a good idea. I had pure greases decomposing with oil seperating. Blending could make that worse.

shutterfinger · Jun 8, 2015

Grease is oil in a soap base. The soap base varies from one type to another. The oil will separate out eventually and the soap base will dry to form a hard residue.
I do not know the makeup of synthetic grease.

Gerald C Koch · Jun 8, 2015

Do not use any lithium or silicon based greases as they have a tendency to creep where they are not wanted. If any makes it to an optical element the lens is cooked. I just use standard axle grease. Very, very cheap. Whatever the grease do not use very much.

Nodda Duma · Jun 8, 2015

hamradio said:
Anything cheaper? I have a hard time sinking $90 into a grease kit to relube a $50 lens.

Get the free samples from Nye.

Xmas · Jun 8, 2015

Gerald C Koch said:
Do not use any lithium or silicon based greases as they have a tendency to creep where they are not wanted. If any makes it to an optical element the lens is cooked. I just use standard axle grease. Very, very cheap. Whatever the grease do not use very much.

Apply grease with tooth pick don't use finger.

shutterfinger · Jun 11, 2015

Yesterday I removed the rise/fall helicals from a Home Portrait Graflex, cleaned them, then applied the TriFlow synthetic grease refenced in post #5 in a bead about 1/2 the diameter of a round wooden toothpick along the thread length then wiped it around the helical with my finger. Running the nut the full length of the helical resulted in only a trace of the grease on the side of the nut. If its too stiff on your lens helical perhaps you are using too much.
The helical before cleaning.

Lamar · Jul 10, 2015

I cleaned and used Vaseline to lube a Jupiter 8 about a year and a half ago that was feeling really gritty. It has worked wonderfully ever since and has a great feeling focus.

Rudolf Karachun · Jul 10, 2015

When I lived in Soviet Union, I used циатим on fine mechanical parts and cameras without any problems. This is really nice grease and very clean.

Helios 1984 · Aug 6, 2015

I used automotive EP-2 grease to re-lubricate 2 of my vintage lenses, a Tessar 50mm f/2.8 & a Helios 44M-4 58mm f/2. EP greases can withstand temperatures up to 182C/360F before turning liquid, unless I decide to cook it with some french fries, there is very little chances that the grease will leave the thread.

Note:
The Helios had sand particles all over the focus thread and the grease was half dried.
The Tessar was so stiff that it was very difficult to turn the focus ring.
Now both lenses are buttersmooth : )

Grease for Jupiter 9?

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