Shutter repair - advice? documentation?

I have a Polaroid #1 Copal shutter. Its the model that comes with two cable release mechanisms, one to open the shutter to focus, the other to trip/fire the shutter.

The shutter in question fails to fire. The lever that the shutter release presses on moves and appears to release the mechanism found on the far end of said lever. But that mechanism seems to catch on something that lightly locks both the lever and the release mechanism.

I can trip the release mechanism (by removing the shutter face and speed dial), but the shutter blades fail to activate. Some sequence of triggering events is failing to be followed correctly.

Does anyone know what's supposed to happen? Any ideas on what I should look at to correct the condition?

Alternatively, any on-line repair documentation for these funky shutters? Or someone who can reliably repair Polaroid shutters?

christopher -

i dont' know if i have the same shutter as you have, mine is a polaroid/copal#1 press shutter.
it had a similar problem, and the shutter pretty much was jammed/stayed open.

i took mine to : http://www.midstatecamerarepair.com/

they are down the road from me here in road island ( i guess if you are from here everything is down the road from you since our state is so small :) ) anyways, they repaired / cla'd it for me for not too much $$, and it
works like a charm now. it was the first time i have had it serviced since i got it in 88' .

the folks at midstate do really good work, and i would recommend them in a second.

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Chris, hope this helps. Lever 1 activates lever 2. The catch at the end of lever 2 rotates lever 3 shich engages the escapement and also rotates the spring release 4. #4 is what gets the work done. It catches the pin that rotates the plate that the leaves are attached to. Get you eyeball in there and see where that's breaking down.

Jim, many thanks for the photo and words. A couple questions/oberservations.

1) I see the claw on #3 resting in the cove of #2. When my shutter attempts to release and jams, the claw on #3 can position itself beyond the cove of #2 back toward the fulcrum point of #2 (so, just beyond the bump of the cove on #2. Just an observation of behaviour.

2) Which direction should the escapement #4 rotate, and by how much (approx)? Any ideas?

Chris, 4 should rotate CW about 10 degrees to open the blades and back to where it began from to close them. It's pushed by a little lever attached to 3. Are there any missing screws in the interior. Sometimes a screw will back out and find it's way into some spot in the mech where it then jambs everything.

Thanks for the guidance, Jim. It seems you might be right about the screw backing out. Or at least something similar. I'll take a close look at the shutter when I get home tonight.

The shutter CLA person first suggested has also been contacted. I have a Supermatic that's a little tired and will need more attention than I can give it.

Thanks to the both of you!

sure thing -

i'm glad i could help :)

- -john