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I fixed a stuck Canon AE-1 shutter with a drop of lighter fluid
Everyone says never use solvents on shutter curtains, and I get it. But this one had me stuck. The second curtain on this AE-1 was hanging up, and I'd already cleaned the tracks twice with isopropyl. A guy at a camera show in Austin told me years ago about using a tiny bit of Ronsonol on a cotton swab, just on the curtain edge, not the fabric. I was desperate, so I tried it. I put one small drop on a swab, touched it to the metal edge of the curtain where it slides, let it sit for a minute, then worked the shutter. It freed up right away and has been smooth for a month now. I know it's risky and I wouldn't do it on a rare camera, but sometimes the old tricks work. Has anyone else had a good result with a 'forbidden' method on a common body?
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tessadavis2mo ago
Honestly, that reminds me of the time I unstuck a Minolta with a drop of sewing machine oil (don't tell @mianelson).
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mianelson2mo ago
Is it really that big of a deal on a cheap old camera?
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robert6594d ago
I mean, it's funny you say that because I once tried to fix a cheap old camera with a drop of 3-in-1 oil and it worked for like a day before the whole shutter mechanism just seized up solid. Idk if it's a huge deal right away but over time that stuff can turn into gunk or attract dust like crazy. Maybe it's just me but I've had more luck just leaving sticky shutters alone and giving them a gentle tap instead. Like yeah it's a cheap camera but I still feel bad when I break something that was working okay before I got my hands on it. Last time I tried to be clever with oil I ended up with a 50mm lens that smelled like a lawnmower for months.
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