I finally figured out why my shutter curtains kept sticking

For about six months I was cleaning shutter tracks with isopropyl alcohol and a Q-tip, thinking I was doing a good job. Turns out I was just pushing old grease deeper into the track and making the problem worse. A retired repair guy at a shop in Portland told me to use a dry toothpick first to scrape out the gunk before any solvent. Has anyone else made this mistake with their focal plane shutters?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_kim1mo ago

Honestly, a dry toothbrush works even better than a toothpick for scraping that grit out first.

christopher9431mo ago

That dry toothbrush trick is legit - I keep a spare one in my desk drawer for exactly this after eating spinach or popcorn at lunch. Just make sure you're not using a wet brush or it turns into a paste-y mess.

wendyprice1mo ago

That dry toothbrush trick actually came up in a dental hygiene article I read last month. Supposedly the bristles reach into the cracks better than a pick can. I tried it on my back molars where stuff always gets stuck and honestly it does a decent job without stabbing your gums. Just make sure the brush is actually dry or you just move the grit around instead of scraping it off. Your mileage may vary depending on how tight your teeth are though.