Ilex General Shutter

I just picked up a T-R 12-21-28 in Ilex General shutter. As if just listening to it didn't tell me what I needed to know, I tested the times. Not only is it off everywhere, it's somewhat erratic (inconsistent). I could probably get away with something like 1/3s & 1/25s but that's about it. What's the best thing to do with this shutter? I see the following choices:

- use it as is
- send it to Flutot's (is it worth fixing? is it fixable to some reasonable level of function)
- clean it myself (anyone have guidelines?)

Thanks,
Dan

Is the Ilex General a dial set shutter? SK Grimes warns they were the only real dog shutter Ilex made and cannot be made reliable:

http://www.skgrimes.com/ilex/index.htm

If it's working at all, It's apparently in better shape than most. Besides, if T and B work OK, and the top instantaneous speed works OK, it can still be fairly useful.

I bought an old rapid rectilinear that some previous owner had removed the air brake cylinder and the linkage from that cylinder to the shutter speed dial. This was probably done because all the slower speeds were completely unreliable. After a little careful cleaning and TLC, I got T, B and 1/100 to work fairly well. It fires at 1/100 (probably more like 1/50) at all marked speeds except B and T.

With a little practice, you can use B with fair accuracy down to 1/2 or even 1/5 second by carefully practicing alongside another shutter of known accuracy. If you need 1/10 and 1/25 is your slowest speed that's reliable, fire the shutter at 1/25 two or three times.

That trick only works if your subject is holding still, but it was devised by owners of box cameras with one fixed instantaneous shutter speed.

All is not lost. I think you'll like the lens, if not the shutter.

Doesn't look exactly like the one Grimes shows but it's a dial set so I assume bad things. I get around .05-.06 at everything from 1/5-1/100 and .2-.4 for 1/2 - 1 sec.So, maybe usable. If not, I do have a 3" packard (once I get that up and running - it sticks open).

Dan

If the shutter blades are metallic, you might be able to flush clean it with solvent after getting it part way apart. If the blades are that lightweight composite cardboard type material, flush cleaning is not an option unless you remove the blades and set them aside. Solvent will cause them to curl when they dry, rendering them completely unusable. Don't ask me how I know this. Fortunately, I learned this lesson on an Alphax out of an old Ciroflex TLR that I only paid a few dollars for, so the lesson wasn't too expensive.

I did manage to flush clean the sticky Betax #4 that my beater Dagor resides in, and now it works pretty well. I used Coleman lantern fuel, which doesn't leave any gummy or oily residue when it evaporates. I understand it's almost as pure as petroleum ether.

Paperwieght?

John Kasaian said:

Paperwieght?

Click to expand...

Its probably worthwhile to get it to do at least "B" so you can keep the triple aperture scale.