Vesta aperature blades?

[Darren Kruger]

I recently purchased a Vesta rebadged as Y.X.L. Favorite Portrait. Glass looks decent but the studio shutter needs help. A few aperture blades are missing and when I checked the existing ones, I found two different types. Some appear to be brass or copper covered in black and the others seem to be of a more flimsy material (thick paper?)

My questions: which blades are original for the shutter? What would make a good replacement for the missing aperture blades? I'm thinking of using some thin black plastic but I would like to hear what people have used before.

-Darren

[Jim Galli]

I recently purchased a Vesta rebadged as Y.X.L. Favorite Portrait. Glass looks decent but the studio shutter needs help. A few aperture blades are missing and when I checked the existing ones, I found two different types. Some appear to be brass or copper covered in black and the others seem to be of a more flimsy material (thick paper?)

My questions: which blades are original for the shutter? What would make a good replacement for the missing aperture blades? I'm thinking of using some thin black plastic but I would like to hear what people have used before.

-Darren

Darren, I think the flimsy paper material is correct. A close material I thought about is sheet film. Exposed to sunlight and developed in Dektol it should be as opaque as the originals which aren't completely opaque. If you look at the sun through the original blades you will see a reddish brown glow which did not affect orthochromatic film but might fog panchromatic film over a long time. Consider making a good light tight lens cap that would stay in place except for the exposure then go back on. Worse case scenario is to put a Packard behind it and use it wide open which is where it is best.

[Toyon]

Flutot's does a great job with studio shutters. www.flutotscamerarepair.com.