Tried a drop of lighter fluid on a sticky shutter and it actually worked

I had a Pentax K1000 in my shop last week that had a shutter stuck open at 1/1000. I was about to tear the whole thing down to clean the blades because every trick I tried - compressed air, tiny brush, even a static charge - did nothing. Then an old guy at the camera club in Tulsa mentioned he uses Ronsonol on stubborn oil residue. I was skeptical lol, but I dabbed a tiny bit on a cotton swab and touched just the edge of the blade pivot. After letting it dry 10 minutes, the shutter snapped back like new. Anyone else ever tried lighter fluid for shutter cleaning or is that just a cowboy move? I feel like it could warp something long term.

3 comments

3 Comments

stellanelson9d ago

Whoa, yeah I've done this on a few old leaf shutters with good luck.

kellyjones9d ago

Saw a forum post last week where a guy said he used lighter fluid on a stuck Compur shutter and it worked fine. Always figured that stuff would leave residue but apparently it evaporates clean if you're careful. I've been too scared to try it on anything with a slow speed escapement though, those little gears are fragile as hell.

lee_reed9d ago

Honestly, I've used lighter fluid on a few sticky Compurs and it works if you're quick about it. The trick is to hit the blades and the ring where they pivot, not drown the whole thing. Just don't mess with the slow speed gears unless you're ready to disassemble the whole thing, those are a nightmare.