[Wavytone]

The Bintel stuff is isopropyl alcohol. With the Bintel stuff it just smears which suggests this stuff is a petroleum based grease - or possibly vaseline. The alternatives I know of are petroleum-based solvents (mineral turps or petrol), 100% acetone, or a run through a dishwasher.

At this point I suspect is stuffed anyway and probably means a new objective.

Someone makes nice glass - and I bet it isn't Orion:

The rest - quite literally from the lens cell onwards - is crap:
- the overtightened lens cell,
- the use of a very nasty grease near the objective,
- the condition the focusser was in (overtightened to the point the bearings were wrecked), and
- the bent screws on the mount (also Orion)

suggests to me Orion is actually doing no more than assembling the metalwork and sticking their name on it, and they have NO F'ING IDEA what they are doing during assembly. If they had made the glass they'd have half an idea what they are dealing with - and some respect for it, which they clearly lack, suggesting they didn't make the lenses.