What do you camera restorers use to lubricate the rails of a metal field camera, like the Technika III. I just bought one very cheap and it is obvious that it had not been used for quite some time, so all the movements are "sticky". I cleaned the camera, replaced the leather and the bellows - all I need now is the movements to work smoother. There was a lot of gum on and in the rails from the old lubricant. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Juergen
I had the same problem with my Tech IV. One of the guys in my photography group recomended Vaseline. I put a very light application to every moving part more than a year ago. It's worked great since then. You can order a lot of good restortation stuff from MicroTools. I ordered leather and recovered my camera. It looks great. I've owned a couple of 4X5 camers, and even though my Tech IV is probley 30 or 40 years old. It is by far the best camera I've had. Good Luck............
"my Tech IV is probley 30 or 40 years"
No it is at least 41 years old as it has not been made since 1963.
I kind of like lubri-plate applied very sparingly, though I know of one comely young lass who swears by K-Y lubricant! ~Cheers!
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
John,
KY jelly is water based. It is probably a mistake to use it on your camera.
A tecnician of Linhof here in Munich recommanded me to use vaseline for the rails and it works quiet good.
Thank You all for your advice - it sounds like Vaseline is the way to go.
Danke Michael auch fuer den Ratschlag direkt von Linhof in Muenchen!
Juergen
Juergen
*KY jelly is water based. It is probably a mistake to use it on your camera.*
I believe some operators find KY more suited to mono rails.
Vaseline is fine and non corrosive however keep an eye on dust accumulation. It may be best to wipe it off after application. There is a hard lube stick used on locks etc. that when wiped off after application leaves a hard dry smooth non sticky surface. There are some silicone sprays but I've not had a lot of luck with these. Finding they tend to grip a bit.
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure... Life is either daring adventure or nothing: Helen Keller.
I used a liquid wax made for bicycle chains on the rails, after using a citris degreaser (another bike product) to clean a really beat-up and dirty Technika. It dries, most of it wipes off, and minimizes dust accumulation.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks