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.

Replaced three of those on a King Air last summer.

That fork trick is honestly so real and I'm kinda mad nobody told me sooner either. Spent actual money on a fancy sifter and it just made more dishes to wash for basically the same result. The one time it matters is if your baking soda is clumpy, and even then you can just smoosh the lumps out with your fingers before it hits the bowl.