Old timer told me to use lighter fluid on sticky shutters. I laughed. Then I tried it.

Had a beat up Pentax K1000 come in last week with a shutter that was dragging at slow speeds. Normally I'd pull the whole shutter assembly and clean it proper with naphtha. This old guy named Ray at the camera club meetup said just dab some Ronsonol on a Q-tip and hit the pivot points with the mirror locked up. I figured he was full of it but I was swamped with three other repairs waiting. Gave it a shot on the K1000 and after two applications the shutter speeds at 1/15 and 1/30 are dead on. Didn't have to pull the top plate or anything. Still feels wrong putting lighter fluid anywhere near a camera but it worked. Anyone else gotten weird advice from the old heads that actually panned out?

2 comments

2 Comments

val_williams13d ago

Run with that idea and add a drop of automatic transmission fluid to the Q-tip with the lighter fluid next time. It'll leave a thin lubricant film behind and keep the pivots from sticking again for way longer.

elliot_patel13d ago

Wait, wouldn't mixing ATF with lighter fluid just make a gummy mess inside the shutter? Lighter fluid evaporates clean, that's the whole point of using it for quick cleaning. Adding a thick oil seems like it'd just attract more dust and grit down the road.