[LargeFormat] Acme/Ilex #4 shutter fix

[Clive Warren]

At 16:30 06/06/2003 -0700, Richard Knoppow wrote:
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Tim Atherton"
>Sent: Friday, June 06, 2003 2:27 PM
>
> > My Acme Synchro #4/Ilex shutter won't fire on 1/5th and
>1/10th sec.
> >
> > Anyone know which parts of the shutter to fiddle with?
snip
> > tim
> >
>   This is a slightly odd problem. Its more usual for the
>shutter to fire at full speed or to be in T or B all the
>time.
>   Its possible the shutter isn't getting fully cocked at
>these speed for some reason. Try cocking it at higher or
>lower speed and moving the speed ring to 1/5th to see if it
>fires.
>   My suggestion is to make sure the little levers operated
>by the speed ring are not getting shoved benith it somehow.
>This requires only removing the face plate.
snip
>    Ilex shutter were designed to run dry but I've found that
>just a touch of very light oil on the escapements will
>smooth out the shutter.
>---
>Richard Knoppow

I agree with Richard re the shutter speed plate levers - particularly as 
the implication is that the shutter fires ok on other slow speed settings 
including the 1/2 and 1 second settings. I use a light grease very 
sparingly on the shutter plate lever guides and like Richard, use just a 
whiff of light watch oil on the escapements placed using a cocktail stick 
and any excess removed. Steve Grimes recommended very light lubrication to 
me when I discussed Ilex shutter CLA with him a couple of years ago. I 
couldn't believe that any mechanical device running similar metal surfaces 
against each other could possibly run better dry - somewhere on the web is 
an "authorative text" that suggests they should be run without any lubrication.

Cheers,
            Clive