Question about a stuck aperture blade I ran into

I was working on a 50mm f/1.8 from a Canon AE-1 program last night and one of the aperture blades just jammed halfway open. I tried a tiny drop of lighter fluid on the pivot, but it's still stuck. Has anyone else had luck with a different solvent for old grease like that?

2 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

2 Comments

avery_roberts672mo ago

Buddy of mine used acetone on a stuck Pentax lens once and it freed right up.

7

amymiller2mo ago

Lighter fluid is usually my first try too, so I feel your pain. I'd actually stay away from acetone for this one, it can mess up the plastic parts inside that lens. What worked for me once was a tiny drop of 99% isopropyl alcohol right on the pivot, then working the blade gently with a toothpick. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before you try again. Also, make sure the blade isn't bent, sometimes that's the real problem and not the grease. If it's still stuck after that, you might need to pull the whole aperture assembly out and soak it.

1