A retired guy at the shop said to quit cleaning focus rings with lighter fluid, so I switched to naphtha
Last month I was scrubbing a stiff focus ring on an old 50mm with lighter fluid and a retired tech who rents a bench in our shop in Portland told me it leaves a residue that grabs grit. I switched to plain naphtha and a soft brush, and the rings spin smoother with no oily film left behind after a day or two. What are you all using for dried grease on focus helicoids when the ring feels like it is full of sand?
My buddy Dave bought a Canonet off eBay last spring and the focus ring felt like it was full of sand, so he soaked the helicoid in naphtha and worked it back and forth for an hour. The old grease came out in brown strings and he re-lubed with a tiny bit of moly grease, and now it turns like butter. Naphtha is the way, just keep it off the glass and let it dry all the way before you grease it.