Ilexpo Shutter Controls

[Steve Hamley]

Folks,

I have an Ilexpo shutter most of which I can figure out - and I could probably figure out my question below if everything worked, but alas it does not.

In the attached jpeg, what do the two upper right controls do? The lower one is a round "knob" and is labeled "fast speed", and the upper one is a pointer with the label "F" on it.

And does anyone know someone who can CLA/work on these?

Thanks,

Steve

[cowanw]

The upper lever is the focus open and close lever.
The lower lever is used with the bottom lever set to I. You have a choice of two speeds, regular and fast. These are set by the lever in question.
If the bottom lever is set to B, the shutter opens as long as you squeeze the bulb.
I do not believe you have flash sync with this set up.
To sum up start with the upper lever at F; focus and set fstop. then close that lever and set the bottom lever to B or to I (instantaneous). If I, then choose fast or regular speed. Insert film pull slide and shoot.
Regards
Bill

[Steve Hamley]

Thanks Bill,

It does have synch, the posts are upper left at the top of the lens board opening.

You answered the question about function!

Cheers,

Steve

[eddie]

if you can, could you please post or send me a god photo of the rear of the shutter assembly? i am missing an arm, spring or lever for mine so i do not have the fast capability.

as far as i can tell you should have bulb and inst. as well as a "fast" speed. i sure would like to get mine to work on F. i know i am missing something. i saw a very bad picture one day but i coul not figure out what exactly i need.

thanks

eddie

ps. they are very very simple to work on yourself. you could do it no problem. just be sure you take good pictures of the springs and all in case you need to remove any.

[Steve Hamley]

Eddie,

The rear of mine is covered in a sheet metal "box", so from the rear you can't see any of the workings.

When I figure out how to get it apart, I'll send a pic. The shutter itself apparently doesn't work, which is why the controls don't work.

Cheers,

Steve

[eddie]

should come apart with 4 tiny screws.....thanks for the help.

[Steve Hamley]

should come apart with 4 tiny screws.....thanks for the help.

Eddie, check your mail.

Cheers,

Steve

[mr.nelson]

Hello Steve and Eddie,

I too have an Ilexpo Studio Shutter that is in need of some TLC. Attached is an image of mine with the back removed.

The fast speed setting is in need of repair. I am pretty handy and would like to try a repair myself but am lacking a schematic or a good image of a working model. Were you fellows able to get yours up and running?

On this one the:
"F"- focus works great
"I"- instant works great
"B"- bulb works great

I can get the high speed to cock and fire if i assist the lever into correct place. The main spring has a lot of snap.

I am wondering if the holes marked in the attached image once contained springs to assist the shutter levers in their appointed travel.

Any suggestions or guidence is welcomed.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

mr.nelson
chili, wisconsin (where there is 3 inches of new snow this morning!)

[eddie]

hey mr n.

i have since sold my shutter. i wish i had your picture last year. mine was missing a lever.

i am away from home now so i can not look at my "non instant"shutters i have left. one thing i have noticed it that the instant shutters do NOT fit in all century studio camera openings. check to be sure yours goes in.

eddie

[mr.nelson]

Eddie,

Thank you for your response. I have received another image from a fellow board member that has the missing spring mine is lacking. I have since found the spring and am trying to coax it into place.

I will post images as I proceed this week.

Again thank you for your interest in this project. I am planning on building a mounting sleeve to hold the shutter around my front standard. I will also post images as that progresses. Check in again!

eric nelson
chili, wisconsin

[mr.nelson]

Hello All,

And thank you for your assistance and advice.

Here is the missing spring. It looks like hidden hole five and the brighter spring on the right are the connetion points. Next, I will try to install the spring.

mr. nelson
chili, wisconsin usa

[mr.nelson]

Holy Cow!

WOW it now works!! A bit sluggish but all told yippie!

I re-attached the wire and it slid along and traveled well. It no longer needs a nudge to lock into the cocking arm with the 4 hole.

After re-attaching the spring I was confused as to why the shutter was not tripping but the cam on hole 2 arm was slightly bent/worn so it was not being engauged with the rotation cam of the hole 6 arm.

Now it all works. It is a bit sluggish and seems much faster on "I". What type of cleaning solvents/ and lube is reccomended? Or am I better sending this to Carol or SK Grimes for a CLA?

I am so thankful and happy for the assistance from the following Large Format Photography Forum Members on and off the board: Steve Hamley who sent me a scan of his working shutter this and Cowanw's assertion of a missing spring helped me get on the right track. Cowanw's suggestion about the cam was spot on and also led to a me understanding the mechanics of this shutter. And to Eddie who also had some sage advice.

eric nelson
chili, wisconsin

[mr.nelson]

In the interest of supporting the Large Format Community, this is a compilation of private messages between myself and others from this ILEXPO shutter thread.

Attached is a jpeg of the "non-working" shutter, which I think just needs a good CLA. You can see it's had a flash synch added.

Call Carol first and make sure she works on them - pretty sure she will. Just Google Flutot's Camera Repair. It's in Whittier, CA.

I have it apart and with the exception of the electric contacts for the flash it is the same. Do you have a wire spring from right next to 5 hole hidden to and around the brass screw to the right to the nickel screw to its right. I can't see that on your picture: I expect it is there.

By turning the fast slow dial turns a cam and moves the long flat piece with 6 hole down and back until the serpentine piece with 2 hole moves and allows the piece with 1 hole to cock on the original cam. Is this loose or worn and not catching? as this seems to be the only point of "catch"

I count 5 springs on mine all together. Your electric contact spring should make 6.

[mr.nelson]

More from the trouble shooting on my ilexpo shutter- This is when I noticed the the spring was missing and re-attached it. Though attached the spring was not allowing the full function of the shutter. The spring keep the cam arm in the path of the "B, I, and Focus" functions. Seeking advice about the squeeze bulb others chimed in- eric

What type of squeeze bulb do you use? Perhaps mine does not push enough. Or Perhaps it is because my "B" and "I" both still involve the notched springed lever. This is difficult to push the trip with my bulb and hose. When I put my air brush to it still was hard to trip. The "Fast Setting" though can be tripped with my squeeze bulb

I am still happy that it trips but am unsure of what to do next. It would be handy to focus!

eric

I have not even opened it up to now . Nor do I think any body else has. There is a lot of thick grease like old fashioned lube on various points. So, it is different than packard shutters that run dry. I don't know what is best but I usually use wd 40 to dissolve old dried lube. I am sure other more informed people will chime in on the forum.

Re: ilexpo studio shutter advice sought

Be sure the plunger is free to move. I wrote on the cylinder with a graphite pencil to give it some dry lubrication. My best bulb so far has been from Harbor Freight a US hardware store http://www.harborfreight.com with some clear tubing of different sizes to push into one another to match the different ends. Otherwise just set each setting of the shutter and rock the boomerang shaped piece 2 hole and observe how each works- Regards Bill

[mr.nelson]

More on the trouble shooting adjustment of the small spring, We referr to my previously posted image of my shutter with the arms labled by holes in them.- eric

What type of squeeze bulb do you use? Perhaps mine does not push enough. Or Perhaps it is because my "B" and "I" both still involve the notched springed lever. This is difficult to push the trip with my bulb and hose. When I put my air brush to it still was hard to trip. The "Fast Setting" though can be tripped with my squeeze bulb

I am still happy that it trips but am unsure of what to do next. It would be handy to focus!- eric

Eric - You mention about focusing. There should be a spade shaped arrow on the front ? near the top right that works the dark brass v shape piece with the lead colour chunky pivot that is above the shiny brass 3 and 4 hole pieces. This opens and shuts the shutter for focusing. Steve Hamley has it circled in his pic in the thread, just above the fast speed wheel.

"B" and "I" don't involve the fast shutter wheel. 6 hole is pulled slightly by the long main spring and is relaxed and drops down when the fast shutter wheel is not cocked. The notch of 6 hole is well out of the way of catch on 4 hole.

By the way the lost spring you showed has the long end just sitting above the 5 hole not in it. the short end goes between the screw and the flange of the nickel screw. The circle goes over the brass screw in the middle. Both arms point downwards
"B" and "I" turn the small 1/3 circle piece at the very left bottom corner of your picture.

"B" presents the curved part of the circle to the large boomerang piece 3 hole and prevents 3 hole from activating 4 hole. The small ? gray non metallic piece almost at the end of 3 hole butts up on the round side of the small piece when "I" is up the flat side of that small piece allows the? grey butt end of 3 hole to travel farther which allows the other end of 3 hole to rock and then slide past 4 hole which is attached to an arm that moves the shutter. I hope this helps-Bill

[mr.nelson]

At this point the shutter was mostly working but a bit sluggish- I sought advice on CLA and further adjustments- eric

Hello Steve!

It works again!!! Thank you so much for helping me reverse engineer this shutter. It is a bit sluggish on the speed setting, most likely the blackened goop on the 4 hole arm.

I reattached the wire and it slid along and traveled well. It no longer needs a nudge to lock into the cocking arm with the 4 hole.

After reattaching the spring I was confused as to why the shutter was not tripping but the cam on hole 2 arm was slightly bent/worn so it was not being engaged with the rotation cam of the hole 6 arm. A bit of a bend and it now rotates and is engaged.

Now it all works. It is a bit sluggish on the fast speed setting and seems much faster on "I". What type of cleaning solvents/ and lube is recommended? Or am I better sending this to Carol or SK Grimes for a CLA? -eric

At this point I scraped the goo off and it ran great! More money for chemicals!!!

Again thank you Bill and Steve for your assistance with this shutter!

eric nelson
chili, wisconsin

[mr.nelson]

Hello all,

I have started a new thread about the adaptation of this shutter to my deardorff 8X10 view camera. It is listed in the Large Format Photography Forum as:

adaptation of Ilexpo shutter to deardorff 8X10

Any comments and ideas are always welcome,

eric nelson
chili, wisconsin, usa