Cleaning mechanisms solution ?

[yinyangbt]

Some recommend naphta for cleaning dirt and dried grease in camera mechanisms . Is it the only way ? What do you use ?
A dirt/rust spray won't work ?
And for the lubricating agent for camera mechanisms what type do you suggest ?

[Lloydy]

I think naphtha evaporates quicker than lighter fuel, such as Zippo fuel. But in other respects it's very similar, I use Zippo fuel because I can get it at the supermarket and it works fine.

For lube, everyone seems to have their own ideas and favorites. I use a very light oil, actually a light grade hydraulic oil, because I have a huge drum of it in my workshop. And used sparingly it seems OK, I apply it with an old surgical syringe such as diabetics use for injecting insulin, so the oil is very thin to go easily through the tiny needle.
I also use electrical contact cleaner / lube in aerosol cans, but you have to be very quick on the button to avoid the powerful jet getting everywhere. With the long thin tube that pushes into the nozzle I have lubed deep inside a camera body.

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/contact-cleaners/1014937/?origin=PSF_436025|cav

A lot of people will disagree with me about that, and I understand why. There is a risk of overdoing it and getting the stuff everywhere, it has to be used carefully. And it isn't exactly the right stuff for lubing, well......if we are trying to keep very old cameras working by our own efforts and not getting a professional CLA done that might cost more that the camera is worth, then these kinds of lube are worth trying, they can always be washed out with lighter fuel. As cameras wear the pivot points get looser you need a thicker lube than the manufacturer used in the first place.
This contact cleaner / lube is NOT the same as WD40, which I would not use in a camera as it has very little lube quality and is mainly a water dispersant.

[yinyangbt]

Thanks , Lloydy !
So , zippo benzine is OK , and I think easier to find . M... I wanted to use W40 instead , for cleaning my Exakta mechanism dirt and dried grease, and lubing after with some thin oil , but if you think it's better zippo , I'll try like that

[Lloydy]

If you can get an old hypodermic syringe, fill it with Zippo fluid, it will squirt the fluid at a decent pressure and wash the dirt away rather than just loosen it and then leave it there to harden again. I use a lot of Zippo!

[yinyangbt]

[Lloydy]

I use a very light hydraulic oil, it's not in its original container so I' don't know the exact grade. But it is very thin, similar consistency to diesel but less volatile. I use that because it's the lightest oil I have, no other special reason.
On another forum a guy who is very experienced in camera repair, a professional, has said this "Sewing machine oil is OK, or the latest Nano Oil (on the net), or silicon oil for model railways by Labelle, "Three in one" is also OK. If any shafts have real play, then add thicker car oil, or even grease. All the gears can be cleaned with lighter fluid, and wiped over with thin oil, should then last for years."
He also adds that he uses a tiny artists paint brush to apply the oil, a good way of getting a tiny bit exactly where you need it.