First CLA Gundlach Turner-Reich Triple Convertible Betax #4 Shutter

[akfreak]

Well my First CLA is not complete. I worked on a Gundlach Turner-Reich Triple Convertible with Betax #4 Shutter. The shutter had one speed. Having never seen one apart before, I took tons of pictures during the trear down. I also learned some hard and fast rules. Shutter bladed like to dry, and a Betax no4 Aperture has TWO sets of blades, top and bottom. They are paper thin and they like to be dry as well.

I was a fool. I thought I could just flush the old grease with denatured Alcohol and a stiff paint brush. Well it got the timer/ watch gearing section functioned, but and the caked up grease turned into liquid and ran into the blades and really screwed things up. The shutter would not open or close now, the aperture had all of the gunk and funk that had been liquefied and now has become a wet gritty funk coating that caused the blades to bind and would of bent if had been forced.

I am not going to go into a huge explication, Google it. You Need Naphtha (a fast drying solvent for oil based lubes and much more. You'll need and some small brushes (to gently paint away that grit and grime from a flush a bit of lint free tissue helps too)), and Air blower (to blow out grime and grit), and some graphite powder for lube, (found in the lock and Key isle at you local hardware store) this is what allows blades be dry and still slide properly. You wil need all the standard hand tools, screw drivers, picks, ect..

I also recommend that you work on a well lit table, the table not be n the edge of a desk, and work on a red flet cloth, the little screws stand out like a sore thumb, you will drop them. A magnet does not pick up a brass screw in the carpet. Ask me how I know!


I have worked on tons old DLSR lenses, Nikon, Canon, Olympus and I have all the tools to tear them down, align and put them back together. I have never a had to deal with a set of double stacked aperture blades. WOW. I was afraid after I torn them down I would never get it back together. Bit I did, It take time and patience and a few tricks. I will let you figure them out on your own. I dont know if it is boldness or stupidity for someone that has never been in a betax shutter to tear it down to a pile of parts and put it back together,

Here is some of the tear down, I dont want to bore you, I am sure this is old hat to most all of you. Ill just show a few,

Lots of grime that wont slow the timing down will it, ? Answer , yes it will!
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6199/6031198361_b1a6c2ed5d_z.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6067/6031193617_7ae9838abf_z.jpg

The ring for adjusting shutter speed. It doesn't really cause the timing to be off, it is just a linkage, it will, if dirty make changing shutter speeds more difficult (too much friction).
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6064/6031728558_79f4464441_z.jpg
Before you open the timing Mech, remember dont work from the edge of a desk, very stupid,
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6081/6031725220_37c21dd64d_z.jpg

[akfreak]

The filty beast before CLA. Starting to get at the good stuff
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6132/6031167903_25ca4a8422_z.jpg

Its a good Idea to take may pictures of where screws go, so if you forget you have a reference
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6150/6031720416_bb8b2fa145_z.jpg

Like I said I dont want to bore you tears showing every detail so I just made a movie to show the finished fully functioning shutter LINK HERE (http://vimeo.com/27569972)

[akfreak]

If you have any questions, Please fire away, I'll be happy to try and answer, AKf

[Asher Kelman]

If you have any questions, Please fire away, I'll be happy to try and answer, AKf

From the video, you are so cool, it seems that one could do this almost blindfolded! Pat yourself on the back!

Are you ready to receive orders?

Asher

[Jon Shiu]

Congrats! Question: do you think it was worthwhile to take the shutter blades out to clean?

Jon

[E. von Hoegh]

An ultrasonic bath is a Godsend.
It's always best to disassemble as far as possible before cleaning, minimising the likelyhood of just moving crud from on crevice to another.
For lubricating the pivots of the timing mechanism, petroleum oil is no good, it creeps. Use a light clock oil, it stays where you put it unless you over apply - then anything will creep. Oil needs to be put on CLEAN metal. Use as little oil as possible, more is not better. Use a light molybdenum grease where the levers touch or slide on things. A steel pen, the kind you dip in ink, is very handy for applying oil.
Demagnetise everything, the shutter blades will stick together like mad if they are even slightly magnetised. Some screws will be longer than others and may jam things if you get them in the wrong hole.

[Fotoguy20d]

What do you use as the bath in the ultrasonic cleaner? Seems to me something flammable like lighter fluid might be a bad choice?

Dan

[E. von Hoegh]

What do you use as the bath in the ultrasonic cleaner? Seems to me something flammable like lighter fluid might be a bad choice?

Dan

I've used naptha, but I can't reccomend it due to the fire hazard. Household, unscented ammonia works amazingly well cutting old crud. Rinse in BOILING water, blow off while still warm, and bake at about 175 - 200 F. Use a thermometer, preheat the oven beforehand.

It's very important to get the parts clean before relubricating.

[akfreak]

Congrats! Question: do you think it was worthwhile to take the shutter blades out to clean?

Jon

In my case I made such a mess of things and gummed them up I was forced to. If I had to do it again, I would not. I know how to properly flush and clean the gunk out. I thought it was a goner when I first attempted it, I had dissolved ever piece of grease, dirt, dust, ect.. into a thin liquid. this liquid now flowed freely thru all the workings of the shutter (very bad). The solvent now starts to evap. and the dust and grime is the new coating on everything. The shutter and aperture must be Dry and clean or it will bind. The shutter has to complete a cycle of closing and them opening before you can cycle it again. If the blades ares stuck, and this cant happen then what.

The "What". Tear it down, Document everything, clean everything in Naphtha, re assemble and use graphite as a fry lube for the blades, There is special lubes for the rest of the moving parts. I will be happy to discuss them if you like.

Short answer, I would only tear into the shutter if you have to. It is a bear. I was so overwhelmed when I saw all the baled on the table. I sorted them exactly as they lived in the shutter but on the table

[Jon Shiu]

There is special lubes for the rest of the moving parts. I will be happy to discuss them if you like.


Thanks, what are the other types of oil, and where to get them?

Jon

[akfreak]

Watch makers use the proper lubes for CLA'ing a shutter Here is a link (http://www.ofrei.com/page246.html) to a place that you can get all you need. All you need is a very small amount of watch oil or other non-gumming, non-migrating, light oil. I also use grease for my DSLR lenses but this is a different topic alltogether.

[Two23]

There's at least one kind of shutter you shouldn't use naptha etc. on at all--the Optimo. Ken Ruth told me it would dissolve the shellac like material they are made of.


Kent in SD

[Asher Kelman]

There's at least one kind of shutter you shouldn't use naptha etc. on at all--the Optimo. Ken Ruth told me it would dissolve the shellac like material they are made of.


Kent in SD

The nature of the shutter material is so interesting! Shellac, who'd have thought. Was that chosen for it's ability to be polished?

Asher

[Two23]

The nature of the shutter material is so interesting! Shellac, who'd have thought. Was that chosen for it's ability to be polished?




I'm guessing they chose it because it's very lightweight, sort of carbon fiber of its day. The Optimo is an air driven shutter. The shutter blade itself is sort of like a valve that rotates 180 degrees when it fires. When fired twice, it's back to its original position.


Kent in SD

[akfreak]

There's at least one kind of shutter you shouldn't use naptha etc. on at all--the Optimo. Ken Ruth told me it would dissolve the shellac like material they are made of.


Kent in SD

Also when you use chemicals to clean up old lubes, one can use a heat gun to help evaporate and dry out the chemicals. A bit if waning don't apply heat to Ilex Universal shutters or many really old shutters for that matter, the aperture and shutter blades are made of Ebonite (a hard rubber) this can and will melt.

I am no expert on all things related to CLA'ing all shutters. Hell I am not an expert on most anything. I just like to tinker, I try to do as much as I can at home. If I run into a problem, I seem to always find the information I need to fix or where to send it to be fixed.

I just wanted to share with you my first CLA of a LF lens with leaf shutter and a run in with a double stack set of aperture blades.

Here is an Intresting read on CLA of Inter-Lens Shutters (http://www.butkus.org/chinon/inter-lenses_shutters/inter-lens_shutters.htm)