Collieslave Posted July 26, 2017 Share #1 Posted July 26, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) There is a iiif body for sale on Ebay, not exactly cheap at £450. But the shutter is a bit sluggish so the seller suggests giving it a spray of WD40. Now there's an idea! Makes you wonder what else he's done to the poor camera. I think I'd give that one a miss .... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 26, 2017 Posted July 26, 2017 Hi Collieslave, Take a look here Fix Your iiif Shutter - with WD40!!. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
erl Posted July 26, 2017 Share #2 Posted July 26, 2017 Graphite powder, maybe. Better to add on the cost of a CLA. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hiles Posted July 26, 2017 Share #3 Posted July 26, 2017 It is also good to remember tha WD40 is not a lubricant. The name means Water Displacement (40th formulation). Spraying anything into a camera sounds like a recipe for disaster. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
greyelm Posted July 26, 2017 Share #4 Posted July 26, 2017 While I agree that WD40 is not suitable for cameras the WD40 web site clearly says that it is a blend of lubricants. Half way down the 'fun facts'. https://wd40.com/cool-stuff/myths-legends-fun-facts Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrogallol Posted December 18, 2017 Share #5 Posted December 18, 2017 I have used WD40 to free up a sticky Compur large format shutter, but would not like to try it on anything valuable. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted December 19, 2017 Share #6 Posted December 19, 2017 I love those kind of ads on ebay, the seller tries to imply that some fault or other is really very simple to put right, but yet they can't do it themselves. I've seen all sorts of them from photo gear to cars. Some poorly running car just needs a new air filter or the long list of faults it failed the MOT can be fixed in an afternoon by anyone with a spanner and screwdriver and £50 for the parts! Fungus on the lens? Just needs a wipe with a lens cloth. Camera doesn't come with a battery so can't be tested but it's working 100% fine (sold as seen/no returns). Yeah yeah..... 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted December 19, 2017 Share #7 Posted December 19, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) A bit of WD 40 or silicon oil will free up a lens that is reluctant in the focus department. You have to be careful to ensure that none of it gets on the glass elements. Some people say that oil of any kind will have an adverse effect on the type of grease that is properly used in such lenses, but such grease is not that easily available to 'civilians'. I have not found any problems in this regard. As for shutters and other internal workings, I would not go near them myself. They are for professionals only. I would not listen to anyone who suggests WD 40 as a solution for a sticking shutter. It needs to be taken apart along with the winding gear etc and given a thorough service. You are right to give this one a miss. William Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrid Posted December 19, 2017 Share #8 Posted December 19, 2017 Bad idea. Just send it in for a CLA instead of ruining a camera or lens. Many fluids like this will migrate and with a lens they can contaminate the glass and then you can throw it out. Nice way to destroy a piece of history. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
semi-ambivalent Posted January 2, 2018 Share #9 Posted January 2, 2018 It is also good to remember tha WD40 is not a lubricant. The name means Water Displacement (40th formulation). Spraying anything into a camera sounds like a recipe for disaster. Well, you can spray some into a small container and then apply with a needle or toothpick. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted January 2, 2018 Share #10 Posted January 2, 2018 Well, you can spray some into a small container and then apply with a needle or toothpick. That is the way to do it. To the point made by Michael, there is a big difference between minor stiffness and a major repair. The former can be dealt with at home, but the latter should always be left to a professional. William Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bocaburger Posted January 3, 2018 Share #11 Posted January 3, 2018 WD40 is great as a penetrant for freeing up stuck things, but if it is left in place it can gum them up. Graphite (dry or in suspension in some quick-evap liquid) is a lubricant but also an abrasive, depending on the relative hardness of whatever it's being applied to. I wouldn't use either of them on a precision geared mechanism such as a Leica slow-speed escapement. They aren't that difficult to remove, clean with a solvent that leaves no residue, and then re-lubricate. Proper choice of lubricant is also extremely important. The tolerances were designed with a specific lubricant viscosity in mind...using the wrong one will affect the accuracy of the speeds. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted January 3, 2018 Share #12 Posted January 3, 2018 WD40 is great as a penetrant for freeing up stuck things, but if it is left in place it can gum them up. Graphite (dry or in suspension in some quick-evap liquid) is a lubricant but also an abrasive, depending on the relative hardness of whatever it's being applied to. I wouldn't use either of them on a precision geared mechanism such as a Leica slow-speed escapement. They aren't that difficult to remove, clean with a solvent that leaves no residue, and then re-lubricate. Proper choice of lubricant is also extremely important. The tolerances were designed with a specific lubricant viscosity in mind...using the wrong one will affect the accuracy of the speeds. What you describe here is best left to a professional, unless the camera owner is quite technically adept at such matters. William 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_livsey Posted January 3, 2018 Share #13 Posted January 3, 2018 10 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted January 3, 2018 Share #14 Posted January 3, 2018 (edited) Ach, for patching FP shutter curtains you can't beat roofing tar with a big brush. Seriously, for large format shutters, detach the front and rear lenses and thoroughly flood the shutter with lighter fluid. Blow it dry. The repair tech appreciates that his hands won't get dirty. Edited January 3, 2018 by pico Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Attrik Posted March 13, 2018 Share #15 Posted March 13, 2018 WD40 is great as a penetrant for freeing up stuck things, but if it is left in place it can gum them up. Graphite (dry or in suspension in some quick-evap liquid) is a lubricant but also an abrasive, depending on the relative hardness of whatever it's being applied to. I wouldn't use either of them on a precision geared mechanism such as a Leica slow-speed escapement. They aren't that difficult to remove, clean with a solvent that leaves no residue, and then re-lubricate. Proper choice of lubricant is also extremely important. The tolerances were designed with a specific lubricant viscosity in mind...using the wrong one will affect the accuracy of the speeds. Graphite is 'funny' stuff. Superb when used sparingly in a absolutely dry application, BUT, the slightest quantity of liquid lubricant and the d**n stuff sets like concrete. Shutter bearings are steel spindles running in bronze or brass bushes. Even 'K' and 'winterised' Liecas have totally dry bearings (I think). D.Lox Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
romualdo Posted March 14, 2018 Share #16 Posted March 14, 2018 In my line of work, I've used it for removing tar from canine feet (paws) after they have walked through freshly laid road bitumen - works a treat - WD 40 has some amazing/bizarre uses Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted March 14, 2018 Share #17 Posted March 14, 2018 (edited) WD40 is great as a penetrant for freeing up stuck things Compared to other solutions, WD-40 sucks. It does not penetrate well, it is not a lubricant. What does well is to displace moisture, and then only temporarily because as the kerosene evaporates, it attracts moisture again. The very worst thing to use on a camera is powdered graphite. It migrates like an evil nano infection into optical components and is almost impossible to remove. Edited March 14, 2018 by pico Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronnjay Posted March 14, 2018 Share #18 Posted March 14, 2018 I agree Pico. WD-40 sucks. As an old mechanic told me its only use is to spray onto a garden rake. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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