I bugged my Yashica A shutter..

[jay moussy]

It happened again, early morning fiddling with a camera...
Yashica A, exercising the shutter over different speeds, and not being careful with is the big gap on the dial between 1/25 and B, I ended up not quite on B position, cocked and fired.
Now the shutter is very slow closing, as if a cocking lever return spring was compromised.

From what I read this is the simplest of the early Copals, as found on Yashicas (300 to 25, B, no self timer or fancy flash synchronization).

Am I likely to have broken a spring, or bent a part, in my manipulation error, and what does it mean in terms of home repair?

 

[gone]

I don't think you did anything to it, setting the shutter between settings shouldn't have had that effect. In all likelihood the shutter blades have oil on them and are sticking. If you unscrew the front or rear lens element you should be able to clean them w/ a Q-tip and lighter fluid.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Q-tip and lighter fluid.

And in about ten seconds, all the "No Naphtha in Shutters!" folks will be along to warn that doing this will precipitate the Apocalypse, or at least World War III (or is it IV, I've lost count)?

I'm not one of those, but be aware that cleaning with lighter fluid is a temporary fix; a proper CLA is the better solution (presuming the camera is worth the cost).

 

[jay moussy]

Well, let's rule out, or not, the issue as mechanical first, ignoring friction and gravity as the saying goes .
Incidentally, and apart from my issue, I read that some of these Copal shutters are stepless. On feel, I do not sense that.

 

[Dan Daniel]

Most likely there is a lever that cuts out the escapement and causes a simple open/close motion for B. By having the shutter in between this lever being in or out of the postion, you may have bent this cutout lever. Or you may have bent the part in the escapement that makes it cut out. Or you may have bent the part that acts as the blade stop.

Have you rolled the speed dial back and froth for a while? Tried shutter in all positions? Play with the dial over the full range.

If this doesn't do it, most likely you'll need to go inside. And yes, it will almost definitely be mechanical, something bent, not a lubrication issue. As to what this means for home repair, well, that's your call.

 

[Cholentpot]

And in about ten seconds, all the "No Naphtha in Shutters!" folks will be along to warn that doing this will precipitate the Apocalypse, or at least World War III (or is it IV, I've lost count)?

I'm not one of those, but be aware that cleaning with lighter fluid is a temporary fix; a proper CLA is the better solution (presuming the camera is worth the cost).

I got a Yashica A for free a few years ago and the shutter was slow. After an hour of exercise the shutter was back up to par. I got a Rolleicord off this website a little while back and the shutter was slow, I flooded it with lighter fluid and the shutter has been bang on since. Cost of a CLA on either camera was double the cost I paid for the Rollei and why CLA on a free camera and lighter fluid seemed to work?

I have a Ricohflex VII that I got off Ebay when I was starting. It had a frozen focus lens. I left it in a warm oven overnight (Old style with a pilot) and it temporarily freed up the lens which I then took apart and cleaned and now I have a working Ricoh. Too bad it only has three shutter speeds...

 

[jay moussy]

Most likely there is a lever that cuts out the escapement and causes a simple open/close motion for B. ... you may have bent this cutout lever. Or you may have bent the part in the escapement that makes it cut out. Or you may have bent the part that acts as the blade stop.

Have you rolled the speed dial back and froth for a while? Tried shutter in all positions?...
... most likely you'll need to go inside. And yes, it will almost definitely be mechanical, something bent, not a lubrication issue. As to what this means for home repair, well, that's your call.

Thanks for the details.
The problem, shutter blades stopping 1/4 of the way out, cocking lever needs help back to home position, happens at all speed settings.

EDIT: if I rotate the speed setting dial a number if times, I get some temporary improvement. Feels like gum up in need of cleaning.

 

[Dan Daniel]

Keep rolling. Maybe you can bend it back.

There is a ring that rotates a small amount back and forth. The shutter blades are attached at this ring and also at a non-moving pivot point. So as the ring rotates, the shutter blades swing in and out around the non-moving pivot points. I bet that either the tab on the ring that serves as its fulcrum for rotation got bent, or the part on the escapement/cocking mechanism that actually moves this part got bent.

Honestly, might be a good time to start looking for an A with bad glass or such to get another shutter.

I'd also send Mark Hama an email, describe what is going on, how it happened, and see what he says. http://www.markhama.com/