Originally Posted by
rdenney
Grease is just oil emulsified using soap. Mineral oils are volatile at some level, and eventually evaporate away, leaving the soap. That hard, crusty stuff when grease is too hold is just that.
Moly-Disulfide is an additive to the emulsion that fills it with molecules that will bind to metal substrates and resist being pushed aside. That's what makes it work so well for non-pressurized lubrication systems like in CV joints. Do avoid the volatile oil carrier, I get Valvoline Synpower, which is 100% synthetic and has a very low evaporation rate. But many of these synthetics will also allows the oil to separate from the soap if it's not exercised.
The problem with moly-fortified grease is that it profoundly stains anything it touches. I don't want a camera that I have to worry about leaving a spot on my clothes that can't be washed out.
The other problem with grease is that it is a dust magnet, and the dust that sticks to it is abrasive.
So, I have always used a teflon-bearing light machine oil or grease, such as that made for fishing reels, very sparingly. Clockmakers oil clock bearings using an oiler that retracts most of the oil it applies to prevent the excess that becomes a dust magnet. Just a film is necessary. Nothing on the camera applies the sort of bearing pressure that needs an additive like Moly-Disulfide.
For me, the drag on F rise/fall columns can be caused by a stiff or frozen detent ball assembly. One of my F standards was used that way for a long time, and it actually wore grooves in the column. (The standard still works fine, but my current assemblage uses F2 standards.)
Rick "just some randoms thoughts" Denney
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