Compur Rapid: Stripped aperture scale screw

aconbere · Dec 8, 2023

I’m working on a Welta Weltur and this aperture scale screw that also holds this lever for the shutter button appears to be damaged in a way that prevents it from going back in.

Curious if folks have thoughts about sourcing a replacement. Is the thread pitch if these screws documented anywhere? Is there any hope for making a new one?

Dan Daniel · Dec 8, 2023

That's a tricky one with the shoulder. Looks like it screws into the back side of the external lever, not into the shutter body? So it creates basically an axle for the shutter release to pivot on? Well, it's hard to know exactly what the screw does without seeing below the cover plate. If all it does is screw into the shutter body to capture the lever, I might try epoxy applied with a sewing needle. You need to know what surfaces need to move and avoid epoxy getting on them. Any glue or paste will want to squish out when tightened.

The other option is to find a screw that matches the threading inside the shutter. Then make a shoulder washer to match the original screw.

_T_ · Dec 8, 2023

The smaller a screw gets the more difficult it becomes to identify its dimensions and find a suitable replacement. Whenever I needed to identify small screws, even for non camera related projects, I would take them to a camera repair shop. They usually have all the necessary tools to measure the screw and probably have a box full of various screws that might work as replacement.

I would definitely go to the nearest camera repair shop before I started messing around with permanently epoxying any delicate clockwork together.

aconbere · Dec 22, 2023

Dan Daniel said:
That's a tricky one with the shoulder. Looks like it screws into the back side of the external lever, not into the shutter body? So it creates basically an axle for the shutter release to pivot on? Well, it's hard to know exactly what the screw does without seeing below the cover plate. If all it does is screw into the shutter body to capture the lever, I might try epoxy applied with a sewing needle. You need to know what surfaces need to move and avoid epoxy getting on them. Any glue or paste will want to squish out when tightened.

The other option is to find a screw that matches the threading inside the shutter. Then make a shoulder washer to match the original screw.

You’ve got the right idea. It passes through the aperture scale and into the shutter cover plate (exactly like a normal scale screw). I think it might just be an M1 screw in which case maybe I can source a screw and washer that could work.

I have a lead on a local replacement in case that doesn’t work.

Unfortunately I’m having a hell of a time getting the rangefinder dialed in and that’s eating up my time

Compur Rapid: Stripped aperture scale screw

aconbere

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