Tried ultrasonic cleaning a shutter mechanism and it seized up solid

I got a used Nikon F2 with oily blades and figured a quick dip in the ultrasonic cleaner would save me hours. After 3 minutes on low heat, the whole shutter assembly locked up tighter than a drum. Learned the hard way that ultrasonic vibrations can shake loose tiny screws and shift alignment on these old mechanical shutters. Now I stick to hand-cleaning each blade with lighter fluid and a Q-tip, takes longer but zero failures since. Any of you guys had an ultrasonic cleaner wreck something you didn't expect?

3 comments

3 Comments

amyh123d ago

Funny enough, I've seen ultrasonic cleaners ruin a few electronic shutters too. The vibrations can crack solder joints on flex circuits. Hand cleaning is the only way to be sure with anything mechanical or delicate.

the_miles2d ago

Did you kill a shutter cleaning your own gear too @amyh12?

simonk982d ago

Which shutters have you seen it mess up most...