shutter rebuild instructions

I have a Graphlex shutter I want to take apart and clean, maybe replace the
spring (if it has one). The shutter speeds are off on the lower speeds.
Anyone know where I can get some sort of instructions for doing this?
I looed at the Graphic.org site, but didn't see anything.

Thanks,
Matt A.

Matt Ashbrook wrote:

I have a Graphlex shutter I want to take apart and clean, maybe replace the
spring (if it has one). The shutter speeds are off on the lower speeds.
Anyone know where I can get some sort of instructions for doing this?
I looed at the Graphic.org site, but didn't see anything.

Do you mean the focal plane shutter, or a leaf shutter (with a lens
mounted in it)? If a leaf shutter, there are a number of places you can
find fairly general instructions that should apply to your shutter.

However -- in a typical leaf shutter, there are as many as half a dozen
springs, ranging from wire not much thicker than a hair to a spring
you'd have trouble flexing into place with your fingers (if they'd fit
into the shutter in order to do this). It's very rare for them to need
replaced; if your shutter is slow it propably just needs cleaned, or at
most the pallet adjusted to correct the amount of drag in the slow speed
delay.

I've done this kind of cleaning, and got the shutter to work right --
but it was rather trial and error to get the pallet set just right, and
I wouldn't have wanted to try it on a shutter that I didn't already
suspect was damaged or worn. Assuming this is the leaf shutter, I'd
recommend taking it off the camera, unscrewing the front and rear lens
elements (store them carefully to keep them clean and undamaged) and
shipping the shutter to a professional for cleaning and ajustment.

If it's the focal plane shutter, you're on your own -- that's completely
out of my league.

--
I may be a scwewy wabbit, but I'm not going to Alcatwaz!
-- E. J. Fudd, 1954

Donald Qualls, aka The Silent Observer
Lathe Building Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/HomebuiltLathe.htm
Speedway 7x12 Lathe Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/my7x12.htm

Opinions expressed are my own -- take them for what they're worth
and don't expect them to be perfect.

"Matt Ashbrook" wrote

I have a Graphlex shutter I want to take apart and clean,

Join a large club.

maybe replace the spring (if it has one).

It has many. And you don't want to replace any of them: there are no
replacements. And the shutter has a gajillion parts that will fly
all over the place.

How do I know this? I have a box full of busted half-apart shutters
and a carpet full of tiny little essential pieces-parts.

If, though, you can take apart and put together a 23 jewel
self-winding day/date watch, do not let me dissuade you from digging
in to the shutter.

The shutter speeds are off on the lower speeds.

Sounds like congealed lubricant.

Anyone know where I can get some sort of instructions for doing this?

The fount of all knowledge:

http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/cleanshutter.html

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
Remove spaces etc. to reply: n o lindan at net com dot com
psst.. want to buy an f-stop timer? nolindan.com/da/fstop/

I just cleaned a Wollensak Rapax. At first I thought I just didn't care what
happened and sloshed acetone around inside. It left gunk after it dried. I
could hardly believe it. Silly me. Then I used lighter fluid. No gunk. It's
in working order again.

On 10/8/2004 4:01 PM Matt Ashbrook spake thus:

I have a Graphlex shutter I want to take apart and clean, maybe replace the
spring (if it has one). The shutter speeds are off on the lower speeds.
Anyone know where I can get some sort of instructions for doing this?
I looed at the Graphic.org site, but didn't see anything.

Not exactly what you asked for, I know, but check out my page on servicing
Compur leaf shutters. At least it'll show you that it ain't rocket science
(forget any comparisons to 17-jewel watches) and that the average person can
do it, given a reasonable amount of care and patience:

http://www.bonez.info/photo/Compur_dialset_service.htm


--
Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a
really easy way: stop participating in it.

- Noam Chomsky

Thanks.
Pete

"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
...
On 10/8/2004 4:01 PM Matt Ashbrook spake thus:

I have a Graphlex shutter I want to take apart and clean, maybe replace
the
spring (if it has one). The shutter speeds are off on the lower speeds.
Anyone know where I can get some sort of instructions for doing this?
I looed at the Graphic.org site, but didn't see anything.

Not exactly what you asked for, I know, but check out my page on servicing
Compur leaf shutters. At least it'll show you that it ain't rocket science
(forget any comparisons to 17-jewel watches) and that the average person
can
do it, given a reasonable amount of care and patience:

http://www.bonez.info/photo/Compur_dialset_service.htm


--
Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a
really easy way: stop participating in it.

- Noam Chomsky

"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
...
Not exactly what you asked for, I know, but check out my page on servicing
Compur leaf shutters. At least it'll show you that it ain't rocket science
(forget any comparisons to 17-jewel watches) and that the average person
can do it, given a reasonable amount of care and patience:

http://www.bonez.info/photo/Compur_dialset_service.htm

Do you do shutter CLAs for hire?

On 10/9/2004 1:09 PM jjs spake thus:

"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
...

Not exactly what you asked for, I know, but check out my page on servicing
Compur leaf shutters. At least it'll show you that it ain't rocket science
(forget any comparisons to 17-jewel watches) and that the average person
can do it, given a reasonable amount of care and patience:

http://www.bonez.info/photo/Compur_dialset_service.htm

Do you do shutter CLAs for hire?

Not currently; however, if and when I get rid of my current business (a print
shop), I might consider it--at least on shutters that I know my way around,
like the Compurs.


--
Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a
really easy way: stop participating in it.

- Noam Chomsky

Matt Ashbrook wrote:

I have a Graphlex shutter I want to take apart and clean, maybe replace
the
spring (if it has one). The shutter speeds are off on the lower speeds.


As others have said, it just needs cleaning and a lube. I've found all I
normally have to do is (with the tip of a screwdriver) apply some oil to
the ends of the gear shafts and this ussually gets them working like new.
I've "repaired" about 30-40 shutters of all types this way and all still
work fine.
--

Stacey

David Nebenzahl wrote:

On 10/8/2004 4:01 PM Matt Ashbrook spake thus:

I have a Graphlex shutter I want to take apart and clean, maybe
replace the
spring (if it has one). The shutter speeds are off on the lower speeds.
Anyone know where I can get some sort of instructions for doing this?
I looed at the Graphic.org site, but didn't see anything.


Not exactly what you asked for, I know, but check out my page on
servicing Compur leaf shutters. At least it'll show you that it ain't
rocket science (forget any comparisons to 17-jewel watches) and that the
average person can do it, given a reasonable amount of care and patience:

http://www.bonez.info/photo/Compur_dialset_service.htm



Let me confirm that it's not out of the question to service leaf
shutters. I've cleaned five or six of them in the past year, adjusted
one, and done an actual repair on one (straightening a bent part
restored my Seagull 4B to proper operating condition). I've never had
one work less well after my efforts than before, and the only one that
hasn't worked perfectly after my cleaning had been "modified" by a
previous owner, making one speed run fast.

Mind you, cleaning a shutter typically requires no disasembly of the
operating mechanisms; as well, there are some shutters that do in fact
have "jack in the box" springs that will fly out if you don't do exactly
the right things in exactly the right order in disassembling and
reassembling the unit. Compur and Kodamatic shutters aren't in this
class, fortunately; in fact, both dial- and rim-set Compurs are
relatively easy to service as long as you don't attempt to disassemble
things that don't need to be taken apart. Both have springs under
considerable tension, but neither requires disassembling sprung parts
for normal cleaning.

Remember the basic rule: someone put this thing together, once. It must
be possible to do it again (though it's much easier if you have a nice
set of instructions).

--
I may be a scwewy wabbit, but I'm not going to Alcatwaz!
-- E. J. Fudd, 1954

Donald Qualls, aka The Silent Observer
Lathe Building Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/HomebuiltLathe.htm
Speedway 7x12 Lathe Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/my7x12.htm

Opinions expressed are my own -- take them for what they're worth
and don't expect them to be perfect.