Hit 50 shutter repairs last month and finally figured out my foolproof trick

I do a lot of shutter repairs (the camera kind, not the window kind) and last month I hit 50 of them. That might not sound like a lot to some of you, but for a one man shop it was a big deal. What surprised me was how many of them came back because of sticky blades after I thought they were perfect. I started keeping a tiny spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol (91% works best for me) on my bench to give each shutter a quick spritz before I close it up. It helped me catch oil residue and dust I missed under my loupe. Has anyone else had 10 or more come back in a batch, or was I just unlucky on those early ones?

2 comments

2 Comments

perez.cole10d ago

Start thinking about the temperature where you store your gear, not just the bench. I had a weird run where shutters would seize up after a few days and I finally realized my repair space was right next to a heat vent. That warm dry air was curing the lubricant wrong and making blades stick even after a perfect clean. The alcohol trick is solid but if your shop temp fluctuates a lot overnight that might be pulling moisture back into those tiny gaps. Check your humidity levels too, that was the real hidden problem for me.

holly4710d ago

Honestly, that's a good point about temp swings but alcohol evaporates way too fast for humidity to be pulling back into the gaps. The 91% stuff dries in seconds, so whatever moisture was there is gone before you close it up. I'd say the bigger issue with that setup is the heat vent drying out your lubes before they even settle in.