Re: Grease on an old microscope

Why not Dow 33 Medium Silicone Lubricant? Its temperature range is from -100
to 400, which makes it also ideal for parts close to the illuminator.
Grainger sells this one for just $14.55 (of course, only to business and not
to individuals!).

For the other poster, some more information:
1) Do not put any grease on racks and pinions
2) Do not put any grease on iris blades
3) Preferably, clean with 70% Ethanol and use, as Kevin told you, a brush
and not your fingers to apply the grease.

Gregor

"Kevin Cunningham" <smskjd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:LFEze.18299$pa3.8594@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> "Trond Kvitvik" <dnort.kivtivk@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:dalc2b$cr3$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>I recently bought an old Reichert Zetaplan, where the focusing screw was
>>so hard I had to use both hands to move it. However, using rather much of
>>"sewing machine oil" It is now working fine.
>>
>> Also the microscope was equipped with an Apochromat 45 /0.90 Korr with a
>> correction ring that was stuck. I was able to unscrew the front lens,
>> remove the correction ring and make it work (I have compared it with a
>> another Reichert Iris 40 / 0.90 and the performance is rather similar).
>>
>> The original grease was very hard and I replaced it with the "grease"
>> used for lubricating a water-tap (gel-like in consistency and colour),
>> since I was afraid any ordinary grease (e.g. the grease used for a
>> fishing-reel) would sweat out to the glass surfaces. (I have successfully
>> used this "water-tap grease" for a Nikon SLR lens focusing thread before,
>> and this has worked fine for many years.)
>>
>> But, now I'm a bit worried still if it was the right thing to do, can
>> this special "grease" meant for a totally different purpose (heat and
>> water persistent), destroy the lens surfaces or the cement holding the
>> lenses together? Should I try to remove as much as possible of the new
>> "lubricant".
>>
>> Any other advises how to use (and add) grease & oil in a correct way to a
>> microscope.
>>
>> Thanks in advance
>>
>> --
>> Trond
>
> I use Nye synthetic lubricants for a bunch of reasons. However what
> really matters is a good brush and a decent grease, I just about never use
> an oil. The brush should be a no. 2 short handled artist brush. Go to a
> good hardware store or to Grainger and get a tube of Dow-Corning 111. If
> I had to use only one grease and cost was an issue I'd use 111. Clean the
> part with alcohol and acetone (don't use on plastic) then gently use the
> brush to put on just the right amount of grease. The grease is a bit
> thick so it works quite well for this purpose.
>
> What you did wasn't all that wrong, the above is just better and real
> cheap.
>
> Kevin Cunningham
> SMS
>


.

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