Used to soak focus helicoids in lighter fluid for 2 days, now I use a $12 ultrasonic from Harbor Freight

Mila Murphy · 2026-10-01T08:50:02.773133+00:00

I cleaned focus threads the old way for 9 years. Drop the helicoid in a jar of Ronsonol and let it sit 48 hours, then scrub with a toothbrush. It worked but it ate the grease out of every crevice and left grit behind on the inner threads of Canon FD glass. Last spring a guy at the Ohio Camera Fair in Columbus showed me his setup: a cheap ultrasonic cleaner, warm water, one drop of dish soap, 6 minutes. That is it. I have done about 40 helicoids since then and have not had a single one come back stiff or gritty on me. Anyone else switch to ultrasonic, and what temp and time are you running on aluminum vs brass threads?

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Used to soak focus helicoids in lighter fluid for 2 days, now I use a $12 ultrasonic from Harbor Freight | Camera Repairers - Babble Community