Help with Agfa Solinette II

[LSuar]

Hello Everyone!

My wonderful father-in-law to be has allowed me to fix/use his uncle's Agfa Solinette 2. This is the oldest camera I have collected thus far and I am COMPLETELY NEW to camera repair. The focus ring was of course stuck, so we used some de-greaser (the kind in a spray can with straw) and it now moves (though not sure if this is was i was SUPPOSED to do....)

I wanted to make sure it was all gone and it looked like some of it may have gotten on the shutter blades, so I looked up ways to clean the shutter. I got as far as removing some of the front pieces and can now see some of the "innards" but am now totally at a loss as to what to do. I have no idea how to completely remove it, and not sure what I should use to clean it, how exactly to do this, and then what I need to do to it after it has been cleaned to make sure everything is in working order!

If anyone can offer any help it would be greatly appreciated! I took pictures of everything as I removed it (i'm not dummy!) so if I need to upload any of them let me know! i would really like to get this thing up and running. I ran a roll of film through last night just to get an idea of its status and waiting for it to be developed. Fixing this one up will go a long way in boosting my confidence so that I can start acquiring some of these older cameras knowing that i *might* be able to get them working for use, and not just for my shelf! I appreciate in advance any help! Thanks!

 

[dehk]

Take the shutter completely off the body, take all the glass out, rinse in naptha, air dry, check if it's clean, re assemble.

Yeah don't spray stuff in there again, it usually seeps in and make a bigger mess.

 

[noacronym]

Being new to camera repair is NOT an excuse for poor work. Remember that. There is no excuse for a slip-up in your craftsmanship. There is no excuse for a chewed-up screw slot, no excuse for slipping with the screwdriver and making a scratch. There is no excuse for any lost parts. If, in the course of the procedure there is something that you can't figure out, do not continue until you have studied-up on it. Locate all repair/assembly manuals before proceeding. Study these before beginning work. Never work on anything you can't see clearly, which means any magnifiers, lights, tools, are a matter of your own creativity. A turned-around-backwards 50mm lens from a 35 makes a GREAT magnifier. If you do not have a screwdriver that fits the slot perfectly, file a screwdriver till it does.
Keep this in mind as my advice as self-taught and you can do good work too. I've come to appreciate my own skill from the several repairs of factory-certified predecessors I did. . Factory-certified techs can do some mighty knucklehead-boob work, believe me. I remember this one Minolta SRT101 I worked on. A factory repairman before me had strung the meter linkage chain COMPLETELY wrong.
OK--dive in and get busy. Hint, cotton Q-tips are the best lens wipes I ever found.

 

[dehk]

I remember this one Minolta SRT101 I worked on. A factory repairman before me had strung the meter linkage chain COMPLETELY wrong.
OK--dive in and get busy. Hint, cotton Q-tips are the best lens wipes I ever found.

Haha, I remember the meter linkage in the SRTs, that was... fun.....

also +1 for Qtips. I have a box just for cameras, not for my ears.

 

[noacronym]

I didn't mean to come off as bossy on that. Like a jerk know-it-all. Those were just the way I speak to myself when doing work like that. I wouldn't speak in those tones to others. I'm very harsh on myself when it comes to sloppy procedure. I have 2 grades of work--perfect, and terrible, no gray area.

 

[BMbikerider]

If you dismantle the focussing ring which may include the front lens element, be aware that these do usually have a double start thread and if you get it on the wrong start point the lens will not focus accurately.

 

[elekm]

As said earlier, you should flush the shutter and focusing helical of all of the spray lubricant. Lighter fluid (naptha) will do this, and it will take some time for it all to dissipate (evaporate). You should remove all of the lens elements before you do this.

You also should clean the helicals and regrease them. Also, carefully clean all of the lens elements.

This is a unit-focusing design, so if you remove the shutter from the camera, you will need to reset infinity focus (collimation).

The Solinette II is one of the simpler and easier cameras to service, because it doesn't have a rangefinder.

If you are really interested in camera repair, you should pick up Thomas Tomosy's books (search Amazon.com). You will need proper tools to work on cameras. Screwdrivers, spring hooks, spanner wrench and forceps and tweezers -- to start.

Working on SLRs is a more complex process, and I would be very careful about trying to adjust the shutters in these cameras without the proper knowledge and equipment.

However, for most cameras with leaf shutters, it's not terribly difficult, and you'll be able to pick it up. Start simple, be careful and take your time.

Don't gouge parts. Use the correct-sized screwdriver for the screw. And be careful about your work.

By the way, I'm also tackling restringing the meter on an SRT 100 after the string snapped. Ugh.

 

[elekm]

I have one of these cameras that needs some work. Well, it needs a total overhaul. It's the third one that I've owned. They're sweet little cameras once you get their problems sorted out. Be sure to check the bellows for holes, particularly if they are plastic-covered rather than leather-covered.

 

[LSuar]

Thanks for all of your great advice! I borrowed a jewelers tool set from my fiancés dad. And have a ton of qtips!
Noacronymn- no worries!!! I do the same thing to myself!!! I took it as mantra to repeat and keep in mind, these parts are not easily replaceable.

So the only thing is.....how exactly DO I get the shutter off??? I see screws in the back of the camera, but removing those did not get me anywhere, I was afraid to pull or push too hard and hurt the bellows. It's a proctor sv shutter.