Just couldn't leave it alone, could ya? (for a laugh)

[Douglas Gould]

So, proudly I open my bargain eBay purchase: Schneider Symmar-S 180/5.6...listed as "oh, its perfect!! not a scratch!! only driven by a professional photograhpe r to the lab and back on Sundays...." you get the idea. Ok, maybe there are some surface marks, known as "cleaning marks"...(what the heck are cleaning marks, a nyway? If you clean a lens the right way, it won't leave any marks)

So, my untrained fingers begin to work the shutter, to see if it "sounds" ok...I keep reading used lens listings, and folks say, "not tested, but sounds ok on a ll times"...well, darn if the 8 and 15 don't sound a bunch different than any ot her speed. Then it dawns on me; the speeds 1,2,4, 30, 60...they all sound the sa me...hmm, must be some old lubricant gunked up in there, eh? I know! lighter flu id! I read about that on the large format usenet. Lemme see...nope, no lighter f luid, but this de-natured alcohol should do the trick...lets see, unscrew the le ns...hmm...now the big 'hold open' knob is sticking, and the shutter vanes are s ticking open....and...and...

...sigh...

Maybe if I just remove this one little screw? (having built boats, fixed refridg erators and airplanes, I can figure this out). Yeah, I see, these 4 screws hold this thingamabob, which is connected to the ankel bone. I'll have this opened up , cleaned, and working before lunch! Or at least before I forget how it went tog ether...ok, maybe its 4 screws, but I can handle it...

POING-BOINK-PLINK...whasthat? was that a spring? damn, which screw held that lit tle devil in place? WOW!! a shutter leaf is just laying on the table, how did th at get there? And how do I get it back where it came from? Better just open this back part here, only 4 more little tiny screws and....holy clockmaker, Batman!! ! This looks like a Rolex mechanics nightmare!! There's more little tiny, teeny wheeny little itty bitty springs, screws, gears, levers, not to mention legitbob s, cretisramps and fregerbits than you can shake a stick at!!

So, now I'm looking at a pile of about 6 donut looking things, 3 spring like dev ices, 13 little tiny screws, 2 levers, 5 shutter leaves and a partidge in a pear tree...damn. And to think I coulda just gone to an early lunch.

So, I fess up to SK Grimes via e-mail. I threaten to send him a complete "I alre ady worked on this" basket case shutter, with unknown parts included. Guess what ?

Less than 2 hours later, I have his reply via e-mail: go ahead, he says, send it on! We'll have it fixed up in no time, and for less than you can buy a good use d one for. Forgetabout, he says, just put it all in one big bag, and we'll figur e it out.

Tomorrow, I think I'll change the battery in my Casio watch.

Doug

[Steve Baggett]

Been there, done that.

[Victor Randin]

LOL! Thanks, Dough.

Victor

[Mike Mahoney]

Funny stuff, probably a lesson learned - I ordered a lens overseas and the eager customs staff actually unscrewed the rear element, and the brass spacers fell out. Instead of trying to put it back together they just threw it all back loose in the box !!!!

SK Grimes will put things right for you.

[Pete Andrews]

Yep, a shutter's just a tad more delicate than a boat or an agricultural tractor, isn't it?For future reference, all the maintenance access you need to a Copal is got from undoing ONE screw, and a threaded collar. Make sure that any lighter fuel, WD40, sump oil, axle-grease, chisel, hammer, chainsaw, etc, is cleared for at least a radius of 5 miles from the scene of dismantling. That should make the temptation to use any of them resistable enough.I bet more shutters are killed by attempts to 'improve' their performance, than ever die of old age!

[tedkaufman]

Doug, that was hilarious. Mostly so because I've made enough similar mistakes to recognize with dread the point of no return--one more screw and I'll have it ....

Thanks for the laugh.

[Wayne_6692]

I thought as little boys we'd all learned our lesson by taking apart Dad's old pocket watch, or our parents alarm clock... apparently not.

[Kevin M Bourque]

This reminds me of one of those jokes that went around the office a few years ago. Choosing answer "C" proves you're a real man.

A spaceship full of benevolent aliens lands in your back yard and offers you a device that will cure all disease and end world hunger. You accept the device and

a) present it to the governments of the world b) set up a non-profit corporation so that all may share it's benefits c) take it apart

I, too have several film cans full of bitty screws and springs and tiny broken things. The sickness has no cure but you can learn to live a nearly normal life (if you keep your spanner wrench under lock and key).

[Ed Burlew]

Instructon sheet???? I don't need no stinking instruction sheet!!

[Rob Pietri]

Try the cure all tool, BANG IT ON THE FLOOR. My condolences. The shutter on my ancient 120 super angulon fell apart one day but I was able to put it back together with all speeds working. There is a cam that sits ontop everything that has to be delicately placed, shifted, then with a jewlers screwdriver, a springed lever pushed into one of the slots.

However, I would still like to send it in for service but where to? Where are the reputable places. Also, does anybody have any experience with the Schneider repair services? What is the best thing to use to clean a shutter, lighter fluid, alcohol, or how about acetone? And lubricants?