Grease for binocular focusers

[Tonys]

Hi All.

Just wondering if anyone could advise me on a suitable reasonably priced grease for the focuser mechanisms on old porro prism binos that I have restored and also for the focuser on the Skymax 90 Maksutov. I've read that a damping grease is the thing and have seen Tamiya friction damping grease on Ebay but it comes in hard, medium and soft grades.

Many thanks

Tony

[Peter Drew]

For the small amount needed you might be able to glean a bit of the sticky grease manufacturers tend to over apply to astro equipment these days. 

[Tonys]

Yes - like the stuff that was all over the focusing gear on my Skymax and which I removed during a cleaning exercise. I then discovered that ordinary grease is no substitute, the focuser knob subsequently being very loose in operation. Can't beat learning by experience I suppose!

[Dinosour23]

I just use bike shop Eco Teflon lube. It also appears like it won't turn into yellow glue after a few years and clog up the threads.

[Tonys]

Thanks for that. I will give it a try.

[101nut]

It may be worth talking to your local secondary school science technician.

If they do A level biology and look after their own microscopes they should have two types of grease (a thick and a thinner). From experience they usually have enough in stock to last 30 years ...

AndyG

[BinocularSky]

Marine grease. Brilliant stuff. A 500ml tub costs abut a fiver (and one tub is probably sufficient to last everyone on SGL, and their extended families, a lifetime for focuser/binocular-hinge lube). If you don't like the potential waste, you can get 150ml "toothpaste" tubes of the stuff, but they will cost at least twice, and maybe 3x) as much. (Don't ask!)

Edit: Later consensus is that packing grease is even better.

[Tonys]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I will get some marine grease to begin with (cheap enough on Ebay)

[keithatrochdale]

Try some of this, it goes a long long way;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DOW-CORNING-MOLYKOTE-111-O-RING-SEAL-SILICONE-GREASE-6g-SACHET-FDA-WRAS-APPROVED-/251462461476?var=&hash=item3a8c54a824

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