[LargeFormat] Acme/Ilex #4 shutter fix

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Clive Warren" <Clive.Warren@megacycle.co.uk>
To: <largeformat@f32.net>
Sent: Friday, June 06, 2003 6:01 PM
Subject: Re: [LargeFormat] Acme/Ilex #4 shutter fix


> 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
>
>
  I wonder if that text isn't one of my old posts. I talked
to a fellow at Ilex just before they were subsumed by Melles
Griot. He's the one who told me the shutters had been
intended to run dry.
  I've found that they run better with a little lubricant,
as most shutters do. About the only information I have on
Ilex are the repair instructions for the NO.3 Acme in an old
military repair manual for Speed Graphics. At one point it
says in bold capitals "Do not oil any part of the shutter".
The recommended solvent is given as a military type, SD, I
have no idea of what it was.
  The instructions for the Kodak Supermatic specify Carbon
Tetrachloride for the shutter blades. This is bad stuff to
have around, although once commonly and casually used for
all sorts of cleaning. I would rather find some trichlor.
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@ix.netcom.com