That moment a shutter curtain just ripped on me

I was working on an old Pentax Spotmatic last Tuesday in my garage, trying to get the shutter timing right, and the curtain just tore when I advanced it. It was one of those rubberized cloth ones that get stiff with age. I ended up having to track down a donor camera on eBay for like $25 to get a good curtain out of it. Has anyone else had luck patching those tears or is replacement always the way to go?

2 comments

2 Comments

noranguyen1d ago

Wait, isn't patching those old cloth shutters just asking for trouble later?

amyh211d ago

I patched a set of cloth shutters on a 1920s house about eight years ago, and they're still holding up fine. The trick is to use a heavy-duty patch on the inside and stitch it with a curved needle, not just glue it. @noranguyen there's trouble if you use the wrong material or try to rush it with cheap fabric that can't handle the weather. You also need to seal the edges with a good waterproofing spray, otherwise moisture gets in and rots everything. I've seen guys slap on a patch with duct tape, and that's definitely asking for trouble down the line.