Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 18

Thread: Ilex No. 5 warped plastic composite shutter blades

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario
    Posts
    84

    Ilex No. 5 warped plastic composite shutter blades

    Hi Everyone,

    I was hoping to see if anyone can help me. I am cleaning a seized Ilex No. 5 Universal Synchro shutter. One of the problems that it has seems to be the shutter blades. The plastic composite shutter blades are warped (wavy) and interfere with each other when they close. Is there are way get the heat the plastic and get them to be fairly flat? I have them between the pages of a book right now to see if they will flatten out but I have very little faith that this will work. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

    Kirk

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    S.W. Wyoming
    Posts
    1,137

    Re: Ilex No. 5 warped plastic composite shutter blades

    At the risk of sounding like an idiot, why not try ironing one to see what happens. They're no good the way they are, right? I have made some of my own blades if they only have holes and not pins. I have also been successful at grafting a few new blades onto the old mount. Hard to describe. It would have to be seen. If you decide to try an iron, start out with the lowest heat possible. Place the blade on a solid flat object (metal or hardwood or ?). Press the iron onto the blade and remove. Immediately place another flat object on top and clamp or weight it down. Leave it for several minutes before checking it. The warp was caused by moisture or someone got fluid on it whille trying to "clean" it. Perhaps some steam would help reverse it. A couple of drops of water before the iron may do it.
    Im interested in this. Please let us know how you do.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario
    Posts
    84

    Re: Ilex No. 5 warped plastic composite shutter blades

    Hi Glenn,

    Ironing seems like an interesting idea. I was concerned that it may warp further if too much heat was applied. I will see if there are other suggestions first before trying this method.

    You mentioned that you made your own. I have considered this. What material did you use? I have not seen a decent candidate for the material. The blades are the ones with holes, so this can be done.

    Thanks for the suggestions

    Kirk

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    S.W. Wyoming
    Posts
    1,137

    Re: Ilex No. 5 warped plastic composite shutter blades

    Kirk, material for making shutter blades is a very hard thing to come by. For small shutters it's easy to find blades from a larger junker to trim down.
    For a shutter the size of yours, I'm not sure where to look. Some spring brass about .010" thick would seem the likely candidate. Blackening solution is available for brass. If a person couldn't locate spring brass, it can just be hardened by heating it and letting it cool very slowly. You may try asking a major auto parts house about some .010" brass shim stock. That should be easy enough to get. It might be springy, too. If you can measure the thickness of your old blades, it will give a better idea of the material to look for.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Austin TX
    Posts
    2,049

    Re: Ilex No. 5 warped plastic composite shutter blades

    You need to measure the thickness of the blades. Then you can buy either stainless steel or brass shim stock (Small Parts Inc. in Miami FL). Make sure it is flat stock and not rolled. Trace the outline of the blade then cut (very carefully) with a Dremel tool or shears. Smooth any burrs using 600 grit lapping paper after hole drilling. I don't think the blades have to be blackened but some others do think so. I have done this once using brass unblackened without any detectable negative results. Its all a bit tricky.

    Nate Potter, Austin TX.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Austin, TX
    Posts
    435

    Re: Ilex No. 5 warped plastic composite shutter blades

    Hi Kirk,

    I don't know what will work, but I can tell you why they are made that way. #5 and #& shutters had such large openings that using metal blades developed aerodynamic lift causing the the blades to "fly" laterally, jamming them regardless of shutter speed. My dear late friend, Manny Kiner (former Pres./co-owner of Ilex) tried to figure out a way to make metal blades but found that the original design made of "hard rubber" was stiff enough and light enough to work at about a 1/25th or 1/50th of a second, all things considered.

    Lynn

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Oct 2000
    Location
    Berkeley CA
    Posts
    153

    Re: Ilex No. 5 warped plastic composite shutter blades

    S. K. Grimes has newly made Ilex #5 shutter blades.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario
    Posts
    84

    Re: Ilex No. 5 warped plastic composite shutter blades

    Thanks Nate, It looks like the .010" or .008" are all rolled from the company you mentioned. But I may try it if the ones i have are ruined.

    Hi Lynn, Thank you for the background info. I can see how the lift of the shutter blades could be a real problem.

    James, I will take a look at SK Grimes later, if i can find it.

    So it seems that Glenns' suggestion of a low heat iron may be attempted in the next couple of days. I will report back soon.

    Kirk

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Posts
    954

    Re: Ilex No. 5 warped plastic composite shutter blades

    Ironing hard rubber? .... good luck with that project! I suggest you try it outside.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario
    Posts
    84

    Re: Ilex No. 5 warped plastic composite shutter blades

    Toyon, Good point, will do. Kirk

Similar Threads

  1. Sinar Shutter - f/4 versus f/5.6 and Cables ?
    By Frank Petronio in forum Cameras & Camera Accessories
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 8-Nov-2006, 05:59
  2. Ilex #4 shutter speeds
    By David N. VanMeter in forum Lenses & Lens Accessories
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 6-Apr-2000, 10:24
  3. Bent shutter blades
    By Jimi in forum Lenses & Lens Accessories
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 24-Feb-2000, 09:46

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •