From: nitram@tellabs.com (Marty Hewes)
Subject: Re: WD-40 Remover?
Summary: How I did it.
Organization: Tellabs, Inc.
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 18:59:38 GMT

In article <1992Dec16.151119.17167@bcrka451.bnr.ca>, poole@bnr.ca (Thomas Poole) writes:
> I recently inherited a camera from my parents. It is
> a Agfa Jsolette made in Germany. I remember seeing 
> pictures of my brother and sister taken with it before
> I was born so it has to be at least 30 years old.

I believe it was made in the late forties or early fifties.

> 
> Anyways, this camera is a medium format viewfinder
> camera, with apperature, shutter speed and focusing
> controls. Focusing involved using a separate rangefinder
> to measure distance and then turn the front lens
> to the desired distance. When I got the camera, I could
> not turn the lens to focus so I sprayed it with a
> little WD-40 and let it sit. An hour later everything
> was working fine. The next day the WD-40 had seeped
> in behind the lens, behind the next lens and onto the
> shutter. (between the lens shutter). This stuff really
> works! A little too good in fact. Now the shutter
> doesn't work. The stuff doesn't seem to evaporate
> and is just gumming the works up more the longer its
> on the shutter. I've got the lenses off and tried
> to clean the shutter but the WD-40 is all over it 
> and keeps running back. I tried using a little
> isopropyl alcohol to dilute the WD-40 and hope
> that it would help the WD-40 evaporate but it didn't
> work that well. Can someone suggest something to 
> dissolve this stuff? The camera isn't worth much
> so going to a pro is out of the question.
> 
> Happy Holidays.
> Tom... 

I have two of these.  One focus ring was stiff, the 
other frozen entirely.  You have already done the hard
part, freeing up the focus ring.  Now for the rest, at
least the way I did it.

1.  Remove the set screw from the focus ring that also 
acts as a stop to prevent removal.  Unscrew the front
element/focus ring all the way out.  Clean it.  Lube the
threads on the focus ring with a very small dab of 
a good heavy grease.  I used Lubriplate.

2.  Turn the camera over and remove the retaining ring
that holds the shutter assembly to the front bellows
standard.  This may take a spanner wrench, or care and
a little ingenuity.  Be careful not to puncture the 
bellows.

3.  Once the shutter assembly is out, unscrew the rear 
element.  Clean it.

4.  I took the whole remaining shutter assembly, now
sans glass, and dropped it into a metal spray can lid full
of solvent out on the back porch.  I left it a couple days.
I took it out and fired the shutter a few times, and soaked
it again overnight.  I used a solvent from the hardware store.
I think it was Carbo-Clor, a modern replacement for Carbon
Tetra-Chloride.  It didn't remove the paint, and I don't
think there is any plastic in this thing anyplace.

5.  I pulled it out of the solvent and blew on it while
snapping the shutter to dry the blades.  The shutter 
works fine now.  This process will leave the shutter
totally unlubricated.  Most of the parts of the shutter 
work better dry.  General consensus is that using a dry
shutter will cause a little wear, but under light use,
it's no big deal.  I do bother to dis-assemble and 
lube my favorites, but I didn't bother with this one.

6.  Let it dry out completely (overnight?) and 
reassemble in the reverse order.  Be careful to replace
any washers that were between the shutter assembly and
the front standard, they are there to correct the focus.

7.  Check your work by placing ground glass or thin 
paper across the film plane and checking the focus
of an image against the focus setting on the ring.

I know a repair guy that does the whole job for 
something like $25.  Around here you can buy one
of these cameras working for about that.  It is a 
good learning opportunity though.  Ya gotta ask
yourself, do you feel lucky?

Good Luck, and Happy Holidays.

Marty Hewes

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