Compur shutter lubrication

I have a couple Agfa Isolettes with Compur shutters that were not operating properly. I have dissassembled them and cleaned them, but I am unsure as to what lubricant is appropriate. I have a compur repair manual, but none of the models listed seem to exactly match my Isolette shutters, so the manual is more of a general guide. In the lubrication section, it simply lists "lubricant A" and "lubricant C". I'm guessing that even if I knew the identity of these lubricants, I would still need to determine a modern replacement, since I'm guessing that at least lube C is some whale oil formulation.

I have done a bit of reading, but it's always hard to know who is a credible source of information on the web. It seems like MoS2 grease is suitable for most of the slow moving parts. I was thinking of ordering Moebius 8201 grease for this purpose. It doesn't seem like there are any synthetic watch greases with MoS2. Any tips on the best method of application for the grease?

For the escapement, it seems like most agree that Moebius 9010 light synthetic watch oil is appropriate. Unfortunately, the compur manual does not specify the amount of oil required. Does anyone know what size dip oiler would deliver the appropriate amount of oil?

Any corrections or suggestions to my above proposal? Thanks for your help.

Ian Andvaag
Saskatoon, SK

The exact lubes cited in the Compur repair manual are somewhat archaic. A good Modern watch oil and a good modern watch grease does the job. I find the synthetic watch and clock lines superior to older alternatives. Most important with that shutter... lubricate every point in the lube plan and not too much. “Barely moistened”...

oil for turning surfaces (pivots) and grease for sliding surfaces

DO NOT lubricate anything where oil might creep into the shutter blades. And generally more is worse. Leaving some pivots dry won't prevent the shutter from working. Oil in the blades means inoperative shutter. In front of me recently overhauled Olympus 35-S. Seikosha MXL shutter, almost exact clone of Compur. I've oiled (Moebius) the place where the main ring bears against the chassis: that part operates under strain (the spring tension) and fast (shutter action). And I've wiped the oil with a piece of paper tissue held in tweezers to leave only a film of oil. A minimum drop of oil on the pivots of the escapement. Note that to oil the pivots of the escapement you have to remove it from the assembly: and then to re-adjust the shutter speeds. If the speeds are OK (+/-20%) to start with leave it alone.

A trace of oil is all that is needed. I put a round wood toothpick it the oil, remove and let the oil drain off, then insert the toothpick into the bushing, turn, then remove. For pins/posts, I apply a drop about the size of a straight pin point. Grease can be a little more liberal but not much.

Not an expert here but I've avoided watch-specific oils because many have expiration dates, and it seemed to me that the sorts of forces encountered in a shutter might be more comparable to those found in clocks, not watches. I wound up with Neoval Rubin G8, an inexpensive general-purpose oil, and in fact, Esslinger once sold it as a clock oil. To apply, I use a yellow Bergeon 30102 "Very Large" size applicator which is a decent size for camera work.

Grease: I use Molykote-G paste on slow moving mechanisms, mostly metal-to-metal contact areas where there may be potential for higher forces, such as the shutter speed ring. It appears very similar to gray factory paste found in many cameras. Not expensive, and a tube lasts a very long time.

Just finished working on a Seiko SLV and this combo of lubes worked very well except for the self-timer which I suspect was designed to be run dry, because it runs great that way, but stalls if attempt to oil it, particularly the faster-moving parts where torque is very low.

4season said:

except for the self-timer which I suspect was designed to be run dry, because it runs great that way, but stalls if attempt to oil it, particularly the faster-moving parts where torque is very low.

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I won’t disagree with you too much about clock vs watch oil... shutters are “in between”, like an18-size pocketwatch.

I never noticed expiry dates on watch oil. I’ll have to pay better attention. Thanks for that tip!

For the most fine pivots in shutters, like self-timers and escapements, I use watch oil. For the rest, a light clock oil. But if yours runs good dry, why not... self-timers tend to get infrequent use anyway.

Thanks all for the advice. I think I'm going to order some Moebius 9010 and some Molykote-DX. I might have tried the Rubin G8, but Esslinger only sells it in bottles of 100mL, which is way more than I'll ever need and actually makes it more expensive than 2 mL of 9010 (which is also way more than I'll ever need!)

I am a bit concerned about the expiration date on the 9010. It's quite am ambiguous what the expiration date actually means (is it the "apply-by" date or the "expected lifetime in use after application" date?) It looks like this is uncertain even on the horology forums. I understand that watches are serviced much more frequently than cameras, so I guess it is less of a concern. I wonder if they aren't being rather conservative. I am hoping the lube is good for 10-20 years.

4season said:

Grease: I use Molykote-G paste on slow moving mechanisms, mostly metal-to-metal contact areas where there may be potential for higher forces, such as the shutter speed ring. It appears very similar to gray factory paste found in many cameras. Not expensive, and a tube lasts a very long time.

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Molykote G-N or G-Rapid ?

Helios 1984 said:

Molykote G-N or G-Rapid ?

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Mine is an older tube of paste, but G-N sounds similar to what I've got.

4season said:

Mine is an older tube of paste, but G-N sounds similar to what I've got.

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I've just ordered a 1oz jar of Molykote G-N

I've been looking for a suitable lubricant for a while now and I think Molykote G-N will fit the bill. Interestingly, It contains between 14-18% moly disulfide and 45-53% paraffin oil which is similar in % to the Moebius 8201 watch grease. I just ordered a 1oz jar from an eBay wholeseller, it should last me for years.

I’ve just ordered a 1oz jar from a eBay wholeseller

look at these German companies
https://www.losimol.de/produkte/#toggle-id-3
https://www.osimoptik.de/gshop/de/Optikreinigung---Feinmechanik/Fette---Oele/

Well dang, I guess my Nye's watch oil that I've had for 40+ years is a little past its expire date.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2551189116...MIuMTf_uPj8gIVwtzICh2Tcw3QEAQYASABEgJY0PD_BwE

Link added just for reference. no relation to the seller nor am I recommending this product.