Free Source for Camera Shutter Lath?

mgchan

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May 2, 2010
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I picked up a Zorki 4 and discovered a few pinholes in one area of the shutter curtains. Closer examination revealed that part of the rubberized layer had peeled off. I decided to source out the cost and materials for replacing the shutter curtains, and found no source for the shutter lath. Recommendations were to reuse the old lath. Hmmm... what to use for the shutter lath if I didn't want to reuse and clean the old ones?
It then dawned upon me that I had seen something in the streets of New York that could be used for shutter lath. It was an "aha moment!" During a lunch break, I scoured the city streets and found a bunch of what I was looking for... steel bristles from the street sweeper. Measuring approximately 7/64" wide x 1/32" thick (.1094 x .0313) I believe they can be used for shutter lath. Plus they're free!

lath.jpg


I didn't actually try to use these as shutter lath because I'd opted to first try patching the shutter curtain with t-shirt paint. Replacing the shutter curtains will be my next step if the patch doesn't hold up.
 
Assuming early Zorki curtain laths are similar to screw mount Leica laths, you'd be ok on the width but it's the thickness that would probably cause curtain interference problems on the fold over. Leica laths are just .3mm thick. If you could find some that were 1/64" you'd be in business. Please let us know if you do.
 
They are just a hair thinner than 1/32". Just to see if it was doable, using a grinding stone I was able to thin one down to around 1/64". To be on the safe side, I'm going to thin it a little bit more to compensate for the thickness of the shutter curtain when it's folded over the lath.

If I should decide to replace the shutter curtains, I'll use these as lath and post my results here. Successful or not.
 
Ah, street cleaner bristles. Great material. Stainless, I believe, spring steel. Machines well. I've used them for decades for making little cutters, jig parts, etc. when doing prototypes of various sorts. As long as you don't mind being mistaken for someone scrounging a cigarette butt out of the gutter, the price is right and the availability is constant. Good luck with the lath job.
 
Ok, so I will one of those people scrounging in the gutter. I turned my local hardware store upside down looking for piano wire recently. I think this would do just as well.
 
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