Ilex No. 4 Acme Synchro Shutter - Troubleshooting

Hello friends,

It's been years since I've posted, and now I come back to this fount of knowledge looking for a bit of help.

I have recently 'inherited' a Calumet C1, and have completely stripped and restored it to fully functional condition with the intent of starting wet-plates soon. Along with the C1, was a lens mounted on an Ilex No. 4 Acme shutter. I've stripped it down, cleaned it out, gotten it working well...EXCEPT FOR the B and T settings. I have 30+ years of experience with all kinds of shutters, both contemporary and historic, and this one has me befuddled.

The B and T settings are behaving more like a 1/100 speed and neither operate properly via the shutter lever. I have looked up and down for a manual for the shutter and can only find ones for the No. 3.

If anyone has any suggestions/tips/videos etc., I would *love* to figure out these two settings.

Thanking you all in advance for help both past, present, and future.

Welcome!

Perhaps you don't need the shutter to work, just get it open and use a lens cap

Hello Tin Can,

Thank you for your response.

I absolutely *do* need the shutter to work. I am very familiar with the 'Top Hat' method and would choose not to use that if possible.

I have called Frank Marshall this morning and emailed him several images of the shutter. It appears the shutter I have and his knowledge of them (which is vast), indicates I may be actually *missing* the B and T lever.

I wait with bated breath for his assessment. I will follow up with this thread what I discover.

Thanks again. :)

Missing the B and T lever ?

Typical ACME shutter has B & T on the shutter speed dial. Does this ACME# 4 have the shutter open button on top?

Possible to post a picture of this shutter?

Much like the Ilex shutters ACME has similar internals, if B&T is not working it is likely due to the B&T linkage being out of adjustment or the spring related to that linkage is died.


Bernice

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kimberly A

I have called Frank Marshall this morning and emailed him several images of the shutter. It appears the shutter I have and his knowledge of them (which is vast), indicates I may be actually *missing* the B and T lever.

I wait with bated breath for his assessment. I will follow up with this thread what I discover.

Thanks again. :)

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Welcome Back Kimberly !
Funny, the first #4 I grabbed (I have several) is doing the same thing. If I push the release JUST RIGHT and very gingerly, I can get the shutter to stay open as if on B when it's on T. Haven't had one open in a whiile, so, I don't remember what the issue might be. Frank M. will set you right.

Hi Tracy!

Thanks for your comment above friends. I posted and realized I was posting from an old account and so I'm reposting again.

Here are some images of the shutter both open and closed. Any ideas/thoughts are appreciated. I have not heard back from Frank M. yet.

I think I am understanding the B and T mechanism and relative controlling spring.

I cannot figure out if this is set up properly, and if it is not, where the spring actually connects to on the short/bend end.

Attachment 225525

Is there a place near the body, or otherwise that the curved end can be secured? It appears to me it is doing nothing as it is.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jim Noel

Is there a place near the body, or otherwise that the curved end can be secured? It appears to me it is doing nothing as it is.

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EXACTLY. I hunted and swung the spring around to all the 'potential attachment sites' and couldn't figure out any of them that would actually *do something*.

For now, I've reassembled it and am going to start to make some images using the shutter speeds and I'll create/find some sort of Top Hat.

Thanks for looking. :)

If I compare that to what I found in my Ilex 4 Acme, then that spring sits differently:

http://quirinus.one/forum_foto/3t44/...4_acme_006.jpg

The rest if taking it apart is also on the site somewhere.