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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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