Lubrication of Linhof Technika III

[Juergen Sattler]

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.

[Tim Kimbler]

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............

[Bob Salomon]

"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.

[John Kasaian]

I kind of like lubri-plate applied very sparingly, though I know of one comely young lass who swears by K-Y lubricant! ~Cheers!

[Leonard Evens]

John,

KY jelly is water based. It is probably a mistake to use it on your camera.

[Michael Heinrich]

A tecnician of Linhof here in Munich recommanded me to use vaseline for the rails and it works quiet good.

[Juergen Sattler]

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

[otzi]

*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.

[Frank Petronio]

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.