Re: Stereo Cameras... (sticky Kodak shutter)

[P3D <s.spicer@xxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 12:30:54 -0700
>From: P3D Gregory J. Wageman <gjw@xxxxxxxxxx>

>(Re: Kodak Stereo Camera) My guess is that the
>new lubricant has turned whatever ancient lube was present to gum.  I think
>the best course of action would be to flush the entire mechanism with a
>mild solvent such as denatured alchohol.


There are others on this list that have more experience than me - I've only
fixed one shutter mechanism in my day - on a Wirgin Edixa. It had similar
problems to your Kodak. I placed the complete shutter mechanism into an
alchohol bath, complete with the shutter blades - but NO lens elements.
Even after drying out, the shutter blades still stuck. So eventually I
removed each blade (5 of them in a Prontor-SVS shutter) and clean them by
hand with alchohol. Then bathed the mechanism (without blades) again in
alchohol, and placed "precision mechanism oil" (that's what the label
said!) on the gears/pivots in the mechansim, but
_no_lubricant_near_the_blades. Minute amounts of oil was used (eg: put a
drop on the end of a pin, then remove the drop by touching the pin against
something, _then_ use the pin to lubricate the part). That was in 1986, and
the shutter is still very smooth, even on 1 second where troubles seem to
start first.

I have no experience with putting lens elements in alchohol, but I would be
very nervous about it.

I have heard of people using graphite powder as a lubricant - once again I
have no experience, and preferred in my case to opt for the special oil I
got.


Steve Spicer



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