I decided to post this seperatly from the Shutter Cleaning post:

http://graflex.org/helpboard/viewtopic.php?topic=1062&forum=10&14

I removed the front cover and cam then soaked the shutter in Ronsonol for about 3 hours, reassembling and firing the shutters at all speeds. The shutter and arpeture blades seem to work fine. Shutter speeds of 25 and above seem good but still 10 and below aren't right. 10 and anything below still seems to fire at 100 or higher. It appears that the retard assembly is my problem. From what I can (looking at pictures) it looks like everything is in place.

Can this be fixed with some minor adjusting or at this point should I consider sending it in for repair?

I can post pictures of the shutter if that would help.

I'm probably not qualified to give advice here, but I had this happen when I re-assembled my Graphex. The gears ( retard assembly) for the slower speeds has a pin that must be in its slot in the "cam" for the timing mechanism to run. Mis-alignment here can cause the slower speeds to run at about 1/100th/sec. Fred.

Still having problems with the shutter. I've tried spraying in some more Ronsonol lighter fluid to clean it. After letting it dry and seeing that the gear still sticks I tried shooting in a touch of graphite and working in it. It still sticks from time to time.

I think I have all of the pins set in the cam. Here is a picture with each pin highlighed in red and numbered in green.

http://www.pbase.com/image/7360018

Number 5 (part of the retarding assembly) is sticking. Even with it's not sticking it's still not kicking enough to close the blades.

Here is a picture of the shutter with the cam off:

http://www.pbase.com/image/7360017

And here is a close up of the retarding gear

http://www.pbase.com/image/7360019

Can you see anything that I might be doing wrong?

Mickey...I have opened up my Graphex shutter for comparison...and, unfortunately, it bears little resemblance to yours in the problem area. Great pictures! I wish I could help, but I'll have to defer to someone with more experience with your specific shutter. Fred.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: clnfrd on 2002-11-15 20:00 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: clnfrd on 2002-11-15 20:03 ]</font>

Old lubericant sometimes dries to the consistency of cured glue. Lighter fluid may only soften it and it dries and sticks again. I use a spray electronic contact cleaner and sometimes have difficulity. The contact cleaner removes all luberication and this problematic dried up stuff comes out in small chuncks. Try putting the shutter in lighter fluid overnight in a sealed container, agitate, and fire it many times while sumerged. Maybe that cured glue consistency goo will come loose and dissipate.

Don't know if I'm being much help (I'm trying)...but although there are differences in our Graphex shutters re the timing mechanism for slow speeds...if all is in place with the shutter re-assembled...you should hear the timing(retard) mechanism "wind up" when you cock the shutter at slower speeds. Does it do this? And then, when you trip the shutter do you hear the retard gears un-wind... or attempt to..or exectly what does it do at this point? Fred.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: clnfrd on 2002-11-16 05:24 ]</font>

Sometimes you can hear it wind up and when it does, the shutter won't close then eventually the gear will stick and when you fire it you won't hear a wind up and the shutter will just snap at what seems close to 100.

I think like 45PSS that there is some old lubricant dried up in there making it catch and preventing other gears from turning freely. I might try going to radio shack to see if they have any contact cleaner or see if I can find something better than a baggie to soak it in.

Is there a good manual (with lots of detailed pictures) for the Graphex shutters? If I can't get it working right I may have to pick up another shutter then I can experiment with repairing this one.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Mickey on 2002-11-16 07:07 ]</font>

Mickey...it does sound like it is still gummed up. If the gear train does wind up...even sometimes...and then doesn't un-wind when you trip the shutter...or partially unwinds leaving the shutter open..it needs more de-gumming as 45PSS has advised. I've always been able to clean up the several shutters I've worked on by extensive soaking in the Ronsonol and tripping the shutter many times in the process to clean-up the friction points..as he has advised. Good luck. Fred. (Gotta leave town for a couple of days.)

Mickey

Try this link for Graphex shutter repair manual: http://www.photobooksonline.com/books/manual03.html , item #90026.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Henry on 2002-11-16 11:09 ]</font>