Old timer told me to stop using compressed air on shutters, I kept doing it anyway

This guy named Frank at a shop in Portland said I was wrecking the shutter blades by blowing dust into the pivot points. Blew right past him for six months, then a 1960s leaf shutter started sticking mid-repair and I had to disassemble and clean it twice. Has anyone else found that canned air actually does more harm than good on older shutters?

2 comments

2 Comments

perez.willow29d ago

Preach, that canned air is a nightmare, learned the hard way on a jammed Mamiya.

umamartin29d ago

Oh man, @perez.willow, you are speaking my language. Canned air should come with a warning label that says "this WILL ruin your day." I tried to blast some dust out of an old lens once and ended up with a fine layer of frost all over the glass and a shutter that sounded like it was crying for help. Learned real quick that the good old squeeze bulb is the only way to go, even if you look like a dork using it.