Wollensak Regular shutter question

[Jac@stafford.net]

Just to satisfy curiosity - I have a Wollensak Regular shutter. The pneumatic cocking piston on the left (right looking from the front) appears to have the air entry soldered shut. I found a few photos of the very same online, so it appears to be a common thing.

Did Wollensak experience a wide-spread failure of the cocking cylinder?

This does not effect the usefulness of the shutter because it can be manually cocked.

(Thanks to Jim Galli for the excellent lens and shutter.)

[desertrat]

I have a couple of Regulars, and the right pistons (viewed form the front) have the air fitting soldered shut. These control the slow speeds and seem to operate by air leakage between piston and cylinder. There is no cocking cylinder. The shutter has to be cocked using the cocking lever. The cylinder on the other side controls the release, which can also be tripped manually.

[Jac@stafford.net]

I have a couple of Regulars, and the right pistons (viewed form the front) have the air fitting soldered shut. These control the slow speeds and seem to operate by air leakage between piston and cylinder.

Does your piston move when set to slow speeds?

[desertrat]

Does your piston move when set to slow speeds?
Yes. The slower the speed selected, the more the piston moves. If the piston is stuck in the bottom of the bore, the shutter will stay open until the slow speed linkage is pried up with the fingers. If the piston is stuck higher up in the bore, the slow shutter speeds will be too fast, or instantaneous.