lube a j12 no special tools needed

[Xmas]

Kiev mount J12 'quick and dirty' relub.

If you have a J12 in Contax mount and it has a stiff focusing action, if as a first step it you want to try a quick run around the block to see if it is a good J12...

First obtain some cotton buds (qtips I believe) cotton waste on sticks and a liquid PTFE applicator from Tandy or similar.

Remove rear cap and remove any debris from the exposed end of the helciod, (with q tips) which is just visible, when the exposed helicod is as clean as you can get it run in the PTFE liquid to the heliciod and operate the helicoid from near foucs to infinity, a few times. Most j12 will be as 'good' as new, or better.

The heliciod is at the moving boundary when the lens is focused. The rule is to expend lots of qtips and PTFE.

Then remove any PTFE liquid with qtips, again expend q tips, you want it free from liquid afterwards.

Note the heliciod has quite fine threads and lots of Mother Russia may be slowly grinding your toy, to real sloppy threads. If it is a really really good j12 you need to think about either stripping it completely and cleaning the sand out or setting it to 3m, leaving it on the Kiev (or Contax) and using HCB's technique.

Noel

P.S. My J12 are really excellent when collimated, their only 'feature' seems to be distorsion of lines at edges of frame, and given that some seem to have more bubbles than cream soda they seem to be resonable in contrast.

P.P.S. Is this what you get charged money for a CLA?