The hot water trick for sticky shutters: real fix or luck?

I was working on a beaten-up Canon FTb last month with a shutter that kept dragging at 1/1000. Tried cleaning the blades with lighter fluid three times with no luck. A guy on a forum said to soak the shutter in hot distilled water for 10 minutes, then blow it dry with compressed air. It actually freed up the blades and the speeds are all within a half stop now. Does anyone know why this works mechanically, or did I just get lucky with this one camera?

2 comments

2 Comments

keith_henderson3d ago

Yeah, I'd call that luck for sure.

dixon.rose3d ago

Wouldn't that be like calling a chef lucky because their steak came out medium rare? Luck might get you one good bounce in a game, but consistently hitting your shots or making smart plays takes hours of practice. I've seen too many "lucky" players put in work before dawn to chalk it all up to chance. There's a big difference between catching a break and being prepared enough to take advantage of it.