Question about using a heat gun on shutter curtains

For years, I've been using a heat gun on a low setting to gently warm up old, sticky shutter curtains on SLRs before cleaning them. I thought it was a safe trick to soften the old lube. Then, a guy at a repair meet in Portland told me he never uses direct heat because it can warp the thin metal foil or weaken the glue on the silk threads. He said he only uses a drop of lighter fluid on a cotton swab and lets it sit for a few minutes. It made me stop and think I might have been risking damage for a long time. I tried his method on a Nikon FE last week and it worked just as well without any heat. So, what's the general take here? Is a little heat fine if you're careful, or is it always a bad idea?

3 comments

3 Comments

wadea532mo ago

Portland guy saved my shutter curtains too.

nathan_webb2mo ago

My neighbor's kid got his kite stuck in our old wooden shutters last spring. Took me an hour with a coat hanger and a step ladder to fish it out without breaking anything. Those old shutters are tougher than they look.

grace4199d ago

I mean, I gotta disagree with you there. I had old wooden shutters at my last place and they were basically glorified toothpicks. One good gust of wind and a couple of them split right down the middle. Honestly, I think you just got lucky with yours, or maybe you were super careful with the coat hanger. Most old wood is dry and brittle, not tough. I've seen people ruin their shutters just by slamming them closed too hard. So idk, maybe your experience is more of an exception than the rule.