Where to lube Ftb shutter spindles

<p>I have my Dad's old Ftb that I'm trying to put back in to service. I have a shutter issue that I'm fairly certain is what is referred to as shutter capping. At high shutter speeds, 1/250 to 1/1000, I intermittently get a dark band at the right side of the image. It doesn't happen on every exposure. It happens more often at 1/1000 (90% of the time) than at 1/250 (maybe 50% of the time). I believe the cause is that the opening curtain is slowing down or hanging slightly and the closing curtain is able to catch up to it closing the shutter before the shutter slit traverses the entire frame.</p>

<p>I don't believe it will be worth it to have it serviced by a professional, but I'm not quite ready to give up on it yet. I have tried just working the shutter at all speeds many times to try to loosen it up, but that doesn't seem to have helped. I read elsewhere that one possible fix is to apply a drop of solvent to the shutter spindle bearings, let it sit, apply a drop of light oil to the spindle bushings and then work the shutter several times. I'm willing to give this a shot, but I'm not sure exactly where to apply the solvent/oil. I have looked at a pdf of the service manual and parts diagram and I've had the bottom plate off to take a look, but I'm still not exactly sure. I'm not excited about trying to take the top plate off. I think if I clean and lube the bottom side and there's no improvement, I might be content to just put this one back on the shelf and keep my eye out for another camera.</p>

<p>Here are a couple pictures from the bottom of the camera with the bottom plate off. If anyone can point me to the spots where a little naptha and oil might have the best effect I'd appreciate it!<br>

<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ml_R58lg5YA/VRypVjKTREI/AAAAAAABAvE/HJpkx20DtYA/w1153-h649-no/20150401_222815.jpg" alt="" width="1153" height="649" /><br>

<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-greFpLnZReg/VRypjpHaz5I/AAAAAAABAvQ/t0Aos60Z4i4/w1153-h649-no/20150401_222836.jpg" alt="" width="1153" height="649" /></p>

<p >Here's a quote from the Thomas Tomosy's book "Camera Maintenance & Repair regarding the FTb. "When oiling the shutter, the curtain shafts and timing gears are the ones needing the oil most desperately. The FTb has an extra master shaft running from top to the bottom. Oil these three shafts in their brass bushings, both top and bottom (six bushings). One of the bushings is under the advance pinion gear. You can't see it, but it can be reached with a syringe without pulling the gear. You must guess it's position. Use a minimum amount of oil."</p>

<p > </p>

<p ><img src="http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/407654-2/ftb001.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="477" /></p>

<p > </p>

<p ><img src="http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/407658-2/ftb002.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="477" /></p>

<p>Note that Jim quotes Tomosy as saying that both the tops and bottoms of these shafts must be lubed, which sounds to me like you're gonna have to pull the top cover so you can lube the tops of the shafts. Removing the top cover on the FTb is pretty simple, but you will need a "pin wrench" to loosen the "pin nuts" that hold the film wind crank and shutter speed dial in place. I made my own pin wrench by grinding down the tips of a set of needle nose pliers on my belt sander until they were little cylindrical shaped points. You can remove the film rewind crank and dial by holding the shaft stationary with a screwdriver, etc, as you turn the rewind crank counter-clockwise to loosen it. Once you have the cover loosened up, lift it off carefully so you don't break the wires connecting the hot shoe to the rest of the camera. There should be enough slack in the wires where, if you're careful, you won't have to disconnect them to lube the shafts.</p>

<p>Thanks so much! I just ordered a copy of the book.</p>

<p>Michael, thanks! I think I'll give it a shot. I'm stealing a couple pairs of very fine dissecting forceps from work. Should be good as a pin wrench as well as being kind of useful in general for fine work.</p>

<p>I can't say I've ever seen the type of forceps you're describing, but the main thing about a pin wrench is it is a pretty stout unit. It isn't thin and delicate like a set of needlepoint tweezers might be, for example.</p>

<p>I was gonna pass along another tip, but forgot so i'll do it now. I've found that a good way to prevent the pin screws (or nuts, whatever they're called) from getting marred or scratched should the pin wrench slip is to place a layer of masking tape over the pin screw. Then just poke the pin wrench through the tape over the pin holes and unscrew the pin screws. This protects everything, making for a cleaner looking disassembly and assembly.</p>

 

<p>The forceps aren't super fine. About 1mm tips. They were just barely stiff enough to turn the pin screws. I dug in to it last night and I think the operation was a success. <br>

I had a few hairy moments, though. I removed the dials on the top plate, and took the top plate off without too much trouble. Cleaned and lubed the curtain shaft bushings that I could find and most of the other parts that seemed to be moving as I worked the shutter mechanism. My only means to check the shutter right now is to hold it up to a bright window and watch the shutter. Prior to lube, at 1/1000 on most shutter actuations, part of the lefthand side of the shutter opening would appear blacked out. Now it does not do this. I can see the entire shutter opening on every actuation. That doesn't mean that I don't still have a little fade on the left side and it doesn't mean my exposures are correct, but I know for certain that it's working better now than it did before.</p>

<p>The trying part came after I put the top plate back on the camera. I could no longer work the film advance lever and the shutter release was "dead." I went from exuberant to crestfallen in an instant. I took the top off again and was trying to work the advance lever trying to find what might have gotten jammed. Held the camera upside down to examine the works underneath and forced the lever just a little and it worked. Good... now I started putting everything back together and I noticed a little plunger shaped piece lying on the table that I had not seen before. Cripes... It took me a good half hour before I figured out that it was a part of the shutter release button. It slid out and dropped into the mechanism under the top plate the first time I opened the camera and hid there until I turned the camera upside down and worked the film advance lever.</p>

<p>But! I think everything is good now. Whew!!!</p>

<p>You can quickly check your fast shutter speeds by taking the lens off the camera, opening the back, and pointing the camera at a TV screen (an old-fashioned CRT screen, not a flat-screen). Turn your TV to a channel that is mostly white static. Press the shutter button and look at the TV screen through the film aperture in the camera. At 1/1000, you should see a roughly 1/8” band running from lower left to upper right as the shutter travels across the film plane. At 1/500, the band should be about 1/4” wide, at 1/250, about 1/2” wide. If you don’t see a band at 1/000, or only part of a band, then you’re shutter is still capping. </p>

<p>Jim, I read about that trick, but unfortunately I don't have a crt monitor or TV anywhere handy! I even asked our computer guy at work if he had an old one lying around, but nope!</p>

<p>Ah yes, the little plunger thingies. I had one drop out from an AE-1 Program that I didn't notice until I'd put the camera back together, and of course I had no idea what it was for. Until I tried the shutter release and it didn't work. So back into it I went.</p>

<p>The successful completion of a camera repair is always a blissful event, I've found. Why, just today a member over at the Pentax forum forwarded a Youtube video to me because I'd mentioned having a problem with my Pentax Spotmatic's mirror not returning at certain speeds. And the video specifically addressed this problem. The fix was just a tiny bit of oil on a circular cog under the bottom cover. I gave it a shot, and -- problem solved! Because of the camera's age, I'd been preparing to add it to a pile of parts cameras and order/bid on another. Saved myself some bucks and rescued a camera from a fate of slow death.</p>

 

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<p>Jim, I read about that trick, but unfortunately I don't have a crt monitor or TV anywhere handy! I even asked our computer guy at work if he had an old one lying around, but nope!</p>

 

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<p>I keep around an old CRT monitor just to check fast shutter speeds on my old classic cameras. I store it in our basement when I don't need it. You may be able to pick one up for a few bucks at the Goodwill or someplace.</p>

<p>Carl, you can probably find a CRT monitor at a pawn shop and the folks there might even sell it for cheap. Or a yard sale. I had a 19" that I tried giving away, but nobody was interested in it. 19 inches! I left it behind when we moved. The house was gonna be torn down, so I guess the monitor got demolished with the house. I have another I kept -- a 17" Sony Trinitron that's so sharp, it rivals a flat screen.</p>