Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1998 12:05:03 EST
                                    Subject: Lens Lube
                                    
                                    Hi all,
                                    
                                    I've been massaging this new Argus C of mine back to life.  Last night I used
                                    a trick on the lens focus helix that some of you might find handy at some
                                    point.
                                    
                                    The grease in the focus helix on these old cameras typically congeal and dry
                                    out making the helix almost impossible to turn.  On my C the lens would
                                    unscrew from the body before actually focussing.  
                                    
                                    What I did was take some light weight machine oil (sewing machine oil) and
                                    with the tip of a jewelers screwdriver I dabbed the tiniest bit of oil on the
                                    edge where the inner and outer helix meet on the back of the lens.  Just screw
                                    the lens in and out a bit and you can see what part is moving with respect to
                                    what other part and thats the line to dab the oil on.  I then just slowly
                                    worked the lens in and out which gradually got the oil in to re-emulsify the
                                    grease.  I dabbed a bit more oil on as I went along and after slowly running
                                    the lens in and out a hundred times or so it has regained a nice viscous but
                                    not loose focusing  feel.  This same trick can be done with some Automatic
                                    Transmission Fluid Type F.  This is really thin stuff and will work its way in
                                    and re emulsify the dried up grease really well.  The trick is to start with
                                    as tiny an amount as you can, it seems like it couldn't possibly do anything
                                    but 4 or 5 micro drops around the diameter and running the lens in and out
                                    just a few times you will start feeling the difference.  
                                    
                                    Good luck,
                                    
                                    Carl Turner