A dusty flea market in Prague taught me a new way to free stuck helicoids

I was looking at an old Praktica body with a lens that wouldn't focus. The seller said it was junk, but I saw it was just a gummed-up helicoid. I didn't have my usual solvent, so I tried a drop of sewing machine oil on the threads and worked it back and forth for about 15 minutes. It loosened up perfectly without damaging the old grease underneath like strong cleaners can. Has anyone else had luck with light oils on vintage gear?

3 comments

3 Comments

reese_hill2mo ago

My old Spotmatic had the same problem last year. I used a single drop of 3-in-1 oil on the helicoid threads, worked it in slowly for maybe 20 minutes. The key is to use so little that it just thins the old grease, not wash it out.

leor372mo ago

Found a stuck zoom ring once that loved a tiny bit of WD-40.

wyatt86225d ago

Has anyone tried warming the lens gently with a hair dryer before applying the oil? I find it helps the old grease move without the oil bleeding into the aperture blades. @leor37 your WD-40 trick works but it can leave a residue that attracts dust over time, which is a pain with zoom rings. Light oils are the safer bet for sure.