Ultrasonic cleaner saved a lens I was ready to scrap

Tried running a 1970s zoom lens with fungus through a $40 Amazon ultrasonic bath for six minutes and the glass came out spotless, but the barrel grease turned to sludge, so now I'm wondering if anyone else has had a cleaner wreck their helicoid.

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hall.emma18d ago

...and honestly I read somewhere that the main issue is the frequency those cheap units run at. The 40k Hz ones are great for jewelry but they can be way too aggressive for old camera lubricants, which were often petroleum based and basically melt or turn to gunk. I did the same thing with a beat up 50mm and the focus ring felt like it had sand in it afterward. I've heard people having better luck with lower wattage and shorter runs, like two minutes max, and maybe pulling the lens apart first if you can. So you might not have wrecked it yet, but I'd check the helicoid grease now before it seizes up completely.