Ilex No. 4 Acme Synchro Shutter - Troubleshooting

[Kimberly A]

Hello friends,

It's been years since I've posted, and now I come back to this fount of knowledge looking for a bit of help.

I have recently 'inherited' a Calumet C1, and have completely stripped and restored it to fully functional condition with the intent of starting wet-plates soon. Along with the C1, was a lens mounted on an Ilex No. 4 Acme shutter. I've stripped it down, cleaned it out, gotten it working well...EXCEPT FOR the B and T settings. I have 30+ years of experience with all kinds of shutters, both contemporary and historic, and this one has me befuddled.

The B and T settings are behaving more like a 1/100 speed and neither operate properly via the shutter lever. I have looked up and down for a manual for the shutter and can only find ones for the No. 3.

If anyone has any suggestions/tips/videos etc., I would *love* to figure out these two settings.

Thanking you all in advance for help both past, present, and future.

[Tin Can]

Welcome!

Perhaps you don't need the shutter to work, just get it open and use a lens cap

[Kimberly A]

Hello Tin Can,

Thank you for your response.

I absolutely *do* need the shutter to work. I am very familiar with the 'Top Hat' method and would choose not to use that if possible.

I have called Frank Marshall this morning and emailed him several images of the shutter. It appears the shutter I have and his knowledge of them (which is vast), indicates I may be actually *missing* the B and T lever.

I wait with bated breath for his assessment. I will follow up with this thread what I discover.

Thanks again. :)

[Bernice Loui]

Missing the B and T lever ?

Typical ACME shutter has B & T on the shutter speed dial. Does this ACME# 4 have the shutter open button on top?

Possible to post a picture of this shutter?

Much like the Ilex shutters ACME has similar internals, if B&T is not working it is likely due to the B&T linkage being out of adjustment or the spring related to that linkage is died.


Bernice





I have called Frank Marshall this morning and emailed him several images of the shutter. It appears the shutter I have and his knowledge of them (which is vast), indicates I may be actually *missing* the B and T lever.

I wait with bated breath for his assessment. I will follow up with this thread what I discover.

Thanks again. :)

[Tracy Storer]

Welcome Back Kimberly !
Funny, the first #4 I grabbed (I have several) is doing the same thing. If I push the release JUST RIGHT and very gingerly, I can get the shutter to stay open as if on B when it's on T. Haven't had one open in a whiile, so, I don't remember what the issue might be. Frank M. will set you right.

[Kimberly Anderson]

Hi Tracy!

Thanks for your comment above friends. I posted and realized I was posting from an old account and so I'm reposting again.

Here are some images of the shutter both open and closed. Any ideas/thoughts are appreciated. I have not heard back from Frank M. yet.

[Kimberly A]

I think I am understanding the B and T mechanism and relative controlling spring.

I cannot figure out if this is set up properly, and if it is not, where the spring actually connects to on the short/bend end.

225525

[Jim Noel]

Is there a place near the body, or otherwise that the curved end can be secured? It appears to me it is doing nothing as it is.

[Kimberly A]

Is there a place near the body, or otherwise that the curved end can be secured? It appears to me it is doing nothing as it is.

EXACTLY. I hunted and swung the spring around to all the 'potential attachment sites' and couldn't figure out any of them that would actually *do something*.

For now, I've reassembled it and am going to start to make some images using the shutter speeds and I'll create/find some sort of Top Hat.

Thanks for looking. :)

[Havoc]

If I compare that to what I found in my Ilex 4 Acme, then that spring sits differently:

http://quirinus.one/forum_foto/3t44/ilex/ilex_4_acme_006.jpg

The rest if taking it apart is also on the site somewhere.

[Kimberly A]

Havoc,

THANK YOU for the image of your shutter. I have adjusted and re-shaped the spring that in my shutter was not functioning properly. I am unable to get a fully-working B setting, but do have a functioning T setting. Your image was key. I am wondering about spring tension and the lack of the B function. I kind of want to let it sit for a while b/c I don't want to make it worse.

Thanks again for everyone's help. I'm going to go look for that disassembly instruction thread. :o

[Havoc]

My pleasure, I'm happy it served someone. Here it is: https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?162077-taking-apart-and-cleaning-an-Ilex-4-ACME-shutter&highlight=ilex+acme

Keep in mind it is not exactly the same shutter.