I just got a couple of 5x7 series B cameras, both with curtains in need of replacement. Any tips or recommendations on doing this? It seems the 5x7s seem prone to being in rough shape, or maybe I've just ended up with ones that are. I have a couple of 5x7 compact's that are only a little bit better - I'm hoping to salvage these.
Thanks, Jamie

Go to the local store and get a big Yellow aresol can of Pledge Natural Beauity. Run the curtain onto the lower roller. Remove the camera back and saturate the visable curtain area on both sides (remove the lens and board and swing the mirror up to get access from the front) then wind the curtain one position and saturate again. continue until the entire length of the curtain has been saturated. Let it sit overnight. Use a clean cotton cloth or paper towel and supporting the curtain wipe the excess pledge off. This will soften most too stiff to use curtains back to operational and brittle ones to semi flexable.
Ruberized blackout cloth can be used for curtain material. Check a good darkroom supply store or department of a good camera store. Micro Tools sells it but for way too much $$ to make a 5x7 shutter.

For the curtains that aren't ripped but wrinkled with pinholes I've been removing the back, pulling out the curtain (not removing it either from the rollers or camera, just pulling it out and clamping, spraying the rubber side with a black "plastic dip" rubber coating first to deal with the pinholes, waiting for it to dry a day or two, then doing the lemon pledge after that, the lemon pledge part was per your advice in previous posts. This has worked really well. The curtains on both 5x7 series b's are ripped and a bit rotten, though the cameras themselves aren't in bad shape. My big concern is how to handle recreating the metal strips or something like them when making new curtains.
I'm hoping I wont have to do this on the compacts. They were stuck together and wrinkled, but not ripped, but they were a lot rougher than the other cameras I've gotten going. I'm guessing the metal strips keep the fabric from pulling unevenly in the middle. I might try the darkroom cloth idea, but also thought of just coating fabric with the plastic dip spray
Thanks Jamie

Email me at
bsaunders1@bak.rr.com
for instructions and drawings on curtain fab!
Have a nice day..........Bert

Hello Bert,

Thank you for the files. This will be very helpful.

Cheers,
Clarence