I did a search but did not find any threads on this subject. When I got my housing I notice that the buttons were hard to press the first time. After that they were nice and smooth. The next day the same thing, hard to press but after that no problem. This observation was even before the housing was wet. It continued even when used for multiple days on multiple dives. Late into the dive trip I did notice a couple of button sticking which I attributed to not soaking well enough after a dive.
I thought perhaps that the o-rings for the button did not get enough lube from the mfg but was not sure about the best way to apply more lube without taking the buttons apart.
Given the above I am looking for tips and tricks for keeping the buttons a little more mobile.
the first thing i would recommend, as most others likely will, is to call the manufacturer and take this up with them. they would be your best source for advice and could potentially avoid a leak should there be a problem with one of the seals.
beyond that disclaimer, i've had some sticky buttons before and you can just put a little oring grease on the outside of the rod shaft with the button out, and on the inside of the shaft with the button pressed in, as close into the seal as you can get it and then push the button a few times to get the grease into the oring. usually helps smooth it out a bit. cheers,
chris
Hey, Allen: What kind of housing? I have a link somewhere about how to disassemble the buttons on Canon OEM housings, and the same basic techniques work fine on Ikelite housings. Not sure what you have, but it may be worth looking into.
I've had a few buttons get stuck on my Ike housing, and after simply disassembling, cleaning, lubing o-rings as usual, and reassembling, everything is back to how it should be.
I actually tried to lubricate the shafts a bit while on my trip. I think I ended with more silicon lub on the shaft than the o-ring. But I will have to give that a try again. In the mean time I have sent the mfg, UK-Germany a note to get their ideas.
I had the same issue on my housing. It got worse, not better, and no amount of lube cured it. It was impossible to review images, as it was slow coming back "up". I had to get the button spring replaced. It is now fine.
Cheers,
Marli
Super hot soapy water with a good bio degradable dishwashing liquid and push the button over and over and over to free up any build up of calcium or crud on the spring. a new apring will ultimately fix the problem though.
