I was fixing a Pentax K1000 at a flea market in Austin and a guy showed me his trick for stuck shutter curtains

He had this tiny bottle of pure isopropyl alcohol, the 99% stuff, and a single-hair brush. He put one drop on the edge of the curtain, waited ten seconds, and it slid free. I always used lighter fluid before, but that can leave residue. Now I keep a small bottle of that high-grade alcohol in my kit. What other old-school fixes have you guys picked up from random encounters?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_harper5d ago

That's a solid trick for sure. I learned a similar one from a camera tech in Seattle who uses a drop of naphtha on a cotton swab for stiff aperture blades. It evaporates completely without leaving any film behind. I've had good luck with it on a few old Nikkor lenses.

finley_gonzalez494d ago

Wait, is it worth the risk? That pure alcohol can dry out old seals and glues if you're not super careful. The naphtha trick from @the_harper sounds a bit safer for that reason, since it's made for this stuff. I'd be nervous using it on a camera I really cared about.

janah834d ago

Pure isopropyl is actually less likely to dry out old rubber than lighter fluid. The real risk is using it on painted surfaces or certain plastics, because it can strip the finish right off. I learned that the hard way on an old lens barrel. For shutter curtains, it's fine, but you have to be sure it's only touching the metal track.