Old lens haul (1 of 3)

[Donald Qualls]

Pneumatic shutters were, AFAIK, pretty much gone by the 1920s, possibly before WWI. That should narrow it down a bit...

[Uusilehto]

Pneumatic shutters were, AFAIK, pretty much gone by the 1920s, possibly before WWI. That should narrow it down a bit...

Except that they weren't. The Compound shutter type was still widely used for sizes of Copal #3 and above as late as in the mid-70's.

EDIT: Although, yes, the Unicum (double-piston) type shutters were pretty much dead before WWII.

[Frank R]

I have a double piston B&L shutter with a Rapid Rectilinear lens on my Poco #15.

I think watching the shutter's action as you squeeze the bulb has to be one of the coolest things in photography.

[Gene McCluney]

That shutter on your lens that you show in the photographs is a two-bladed shutter, very simple in design. the two blades pivot sideways to open.

[Rider]

To release the shutter you need a piece of tubing and a bulb on the piston on the left side. If everything else is freed up and working OK, take the sleeve off the piston on the right and clean all the surfaces. This one gets set at different distances dependent on what speed is set. It has to displace the air inside before the shutter can close. Look through the lens at the sun with all the blades closed. Some of these early shutters don't stop all the light. They did however turn whatever light was getting through to red so it didn't effect the blue sensitive film. It could effect our pan films now though.

I've been releasing the shutter by presssing a little lever. Can you tell me what kind of tubing and bulb are involved?

It is not obvious to me how to take apart (and put back) the piston on the right to clean.

I will definitely hold it up to the sun, the next time I see him.

[Gene McCluney]

There are vendors on the auction site that sell new tubing and bulbs, however you can use surgical tubing or vacuum tubing designed for automobile applications. The squeeze bulb has a fitting for the tubing at one end, and a hole at the other end that you cover with your thumb when you squeeze to push air thru the tube into the piston on the lens. The piston rises and trips the shutter lever. You release the bulb and remove your thumb from the hole on the bulb to allow the pressure to be released and the piston on the camera comes back to rest under spring pressure.

On your lens, you have to "cock" or reset the shutter after each shot.

[Bernard Kaye]

Your 3 1/2 inch or 90mm. lensboard: Is it metal, (aluminum), is it square(3 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches) or 90 x 90 mm.? If yes, it may be for my Zeiss Universal Juwel. If it is flat on one side (front), with two tracks or slits running along two opposing sides about 3 to 4 mm. from edges (back), you and I are in business. It is right vintage for my camera. The one lens board I have is black on both sides.
Even without the slits, if it is square and metal, please contact me. Bernie eviebob@tx.rr.com

[Rider]

Bernard--the lens boards are nothing special and are made of wood, so probably not what you're looking for. I'll keep my eyes open though.

[JOSEPH ANDERSON]

I have a similar sutter to your B&L. But,mine is a wollensak housing a 12" velostigmat with
the adjustable front cell with good glass. But it will only fire at one speed all the time
and B and T some of the time. I've been told these pneumatic sutters are not hard to fix.There no complex gearing. However, it's marked Pat-1900 to 1901 and parts may
be an issue. If it were any other sutter I would just dump it. But this sutter and I shear
a history going back to 1949 and my wife also shears a history with it back to 1951.
Obviously I didn't own it then, or even know my wife. It belonged to a pony photographer
who took our pictures two years apart as we sat on his pony. Some 30 years later this
very same lens, camera and tripod used to take our pictuers as kids fell into my hands,
after an odd series of events and chance meetings. I also have all his other photo equipment. Everything at no cost. Most of it very old,but very useable. But that's
another story.I guess I'll contact S.K. Crimes or Flutot's. They may know someone
specializing in very old sutters.
I would have your sutter fixed if you could. Your lens is an oldie,but a realy good
oldie.
Good luck Joe A

[Rider]

Flutot fixed this lens, and now it works beautifully!