How to dismantle an Ilford Sportsman?

[robrover]

Please can someone help me to uderstand how to dismantle an early (circa. 1957?) Ilford Sportsman? I have been given a very fine example by a neighbour but it needs the viewfinder cleaning and the front element of the lens has some fungus. It looks like it has spent most of it's time in the leather case at the back of a drawer somewhere. The shutter seems to be OK except at 1/25th. You might well ask why I'm bothering? Well, my Dad had one and this was the first type of camera I used as a 10 year old. It would be fun to get this one working properly.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[gone]

It appears that if you can unscrew the black trim ring around the front lens element w/ something like a rubber stopper, you should be able to get the front element out. If you don't have the rubber stopper, I've managed to get the trim ring off other cameras by placing a very small screwdriver into one of the incised letters on the trim ring at an angle, and giving it a few gentle taps w/ something. It should be easy to get off.

Please keep in mind that the fungus could be between cemented elements, assuming that it's constructed that way. If that is the case, you could take the camera and set it facing a light source (like the sun) for a few days to at least stop any further growth of the fungus.

The top will have to come off to get that viewfinder cleaned. It looks like the knobs on top are similar to Agfa folders and many other cameras, looking at threads on how to CLA those should give you a clue about how they come off. I don't think you need any special tools, just some good screwdrivers.

I once had a 6x6 folder w/ a Dacora lens, pretty sure it's a 3 element. That folder took very sharp photos when it was stopped down.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

If it is like the Sillette, its Agfa look-alike:

Take notes and maybe have a camera taking a video of the disassembly

To get at v/f you need to remove the top plate. The top plate screws may be under the wind lever and the rewind knob.

• Take the r/w knob off my holding the fork that goes into the cassette while turning the r/w knob ccw;
• The wind lever/frame counter et. al are removed by unscrewing the ring at the center of the frame counter - it may be hard to undo without the right special tool but a pair of pliers with taped-up jaws should be able to grip it. Careful at this point as the whole wind/count/release assembly will be loaded with fiddly rings, springs and things.

To remove the front element:

• With the lens at infinity, make little alignment scratches between the rings of the front rotating part of the lens so you can get them lined up again;
• There should be three little screws holding the focus ring on, loosen them and slip off the focus ring;
• Make more alignment scratches on the parts of the front lens cell/focus helicoid;
• Unscrew the front element helicoid, leaving the other half of the helicoid and second lens element in the camera - make alignment scratches at the point where the front helicoid releases;
• This should give you access to the inner lens surfaces, if you need to get at the back of the second lens element then you will need to remove the remaining helicoid from the camera;
• The fiddly bit will be getting the front helicoid back on the camera, use the alignment scratches to get the helicoid in the right groove - don't be suprised if you get it wrong on the first (or second (or third (or ...))) try;
• Put the focus ring back on the camera using the alignment scratches.

As for the rest:

The screws holding the front on should be accessible from inside the camera.

There should be some screws on the bottom holding the bottom plate on.

 

[Ian Grant]

My Sportsman is a later model, but they were all made by Dacora.

Ian

 

[BobD]

This may help:

 

[robrover]

Thanks everyone for the very helpful responses.