Can we fix up this?

[Maretzo]

Hi all,
I have a very nice Zeiss Tessar 4.5/21 cm (1918) in a dial shutter. Shutter speed looks ok, but during transportation a leaf broke . Can we fix it??

Maretz

[Peter K]

In this time shutter blades and diaphram baldes were made from laquered paper. In this case you can cut a blade from a piece of plastic with the same thickness. When it's steel, the blade should be hardened after cutting.

A good camera repair shop will help you too.

Peter K

[Ron Marshall]

S.K. Grimes or another photographers machinist should be able to help:

http://www.skgrimes.com/

[lenser]

Carol Miller at Flutot's has bits and pieces of old shutters for repairs like this. Maybe she'll have one to fix you up.

www.Flutotscamerarepair.com

[Gene McCluney]

It may be more economical to just find another Dial-set Compur shutter of the same size and either use it to salvage blades from, or transfer your lens elements, if the "new" shutter has the same size opening.

[Maretzo]

Thanks for your suggestions and links. My intention was to sandwich the blade between 2 sheets of thin material and glue it, but what? The result may be too thick, although the old shutter are not built so tight. Only the cost of shipping of a single blade from the US worth more than the whole shutter. But it still works and I could use it from f24 (!) to f50 (!).

[Tim Deming]

I've made new aperature and shutter blades from thin spring steel shim stock. Cutting the shape is easy, drilling the holes is challenging since the material is brittle and hard. I've had the best luck by using a punch to start the holes, and then smoothing them out with a dremel tool or small file. The shim stock should be available from any local supplier, or a place like McMaster-Carr: http://www.mcmaster.com/.

good luck!

Tim