A wife’s tale?

[Bill Kumpf]

I was looking at some vintage 1960's lenses that had been in storage. Not surprisingly the shutters were slow or non functional.

The gentleman, a chemist by trade, suggested heating the lens to 100 -120 º F for one to two hours. He claims that the heat will soften the lubrication allowing the lens to function normally.

With no offense to wives – Is this a pure tale or does it work?

[Joseph O'Neil]

I've never heard this suggested for lenses before, but I know a few mechanics, farmers and machinists who heat seized metal parts as a method of loosening them. Part of how it works is different metals will expand at different rates.

Might be worth a try, but I would remove all glass cells first, and use only dry heat. Pay attention to temperature too, 100 F sounds high but remember body temperature is just shy of 99F, so it's not that hot.

joe

[Mark Sampson]

Somehow I don't think that heating up dried-out, dirty, gummy lubricants will restore them to new. At least not after they return to normal temp. But I've never tried it...

[Walter Calahan]

This sounds more like a husband's tale, not a wife's tale. Grin.

How about simply professionally cleaning the lens?

[Juergen Sattler]

What's there to lose by trying it out? Remove the front and back glass elements and put the shutters in the oven (you don't have to tell anyone you're doing this:-). It's worth a try, I think.

[BrianShaw]

Rather than asking a chemist, ask a watch or clock repairman. would you put your Rolex in the oven? Even the chemist should have admitted that baking a shutter to rejunenate the lube is a temporary measure... at best.

EDIT: I vote for "pure tale".

[mikec]

no one has mentioned flushing the shutter in lighter fluid. worked for me.

[Ed Shapiro]

EEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK. Don't do any of that! That is if you want those shutters to actually work!

Once lubricants have congealed and are mixed with dirt and dust, no amount of heating will restore them to working viscosity. Lighter fluid is naphthalene and will only leave a residue that will come back and bite you later on. Heat and certain volatile solvents will also badly affect lens cements and other non metallic shutter parts.

A competent repair person will disassemble the shutter and soak the dirty parts in a kerosene type solvent and dry them off. Proper lubricants will be used and the shutter will be re-timed so you will get proper exposures. Many shutters have a separate slow speed gear trains that needs to be addressed with special lubricants.

Ed

[John Kasaian]

Some old shutters utilized materials like celluloid, paper, vulcanized rubber and other non-metallic components which I wouldn't think benefit from such a folly

[Kirk Keyes]

Buy them, wait until summer when it hits 100F, and then try them again.

Come on guys, 100F is not that hot.