Compound Shutter tune up

[JimboWalker]

Anyone tune up a compound shutter? later version I think .

[Luis-F-S]

Yup, we send them to Carol Miller at Flutot's.

[SParis]

I've used Carol's services and love her work, but I just emailed her to put 2 shutters on her waiting list. She answered, saying that she is caring for her husband during an illness and the work is going very slowly.
I know about Paul Ebel (I think I had him CLA a Rolleiflex a long time ago) and just heard about International Camera Technicians in Mountain View, CA, but don't know anything about them.

Does anybody have experience with them, or other suggestions?

[pacviewcam]

What kind of tune up does it need? Have you had it awhile and started having problems or something?

If it's new to you and the speeds are off, often you can take the pneumatic tube out and clean it up, put it back in, and make sure the tube-ends are screwed on tight enough to block out air, and that resolves the timing.

If the tube-ends have degraded "gasket" material (for want of a better word) you can make new stuff out of regular thick paper, like card stock. I've done that and it worked well.

When cleaning the plunger, make sure to use something that will leave absolutely no residue. Lighter fluid works well if it's really dirty; WD40 works well for routine cleaning, but make sure to remove as much of it as you can, then let it dry thoroughly before reinstallation.

I don't have the materials in front of me, but there are scans available on the web of old repair manuals that cover the Compound. Getting to the "pneumatics" only involves removing the speed setting dial and the tube at the top of the shutter. If you keep careful track of how you do it, reinstallation is easy.

DO NOT use any lubricant whatsoever on the tube, either the tube itself or the housing. Just clean it well without scratching it, put it back together, and try to make sure that the ends of the tube are air tight, and the thing should work well from there. Unless the thing has been through some sort of duress, you'd only rarely have to open up the shutter body to do anything at all.

Good luck.