How to open a prontor press shutter to fix dislodged shutter blade?

bamsyn · Jul 27, 2009

I've hunted the usual places as well as the discussions here but i'm having no luck, apologies if this is mentioned in another discussion and i'm just dragging it back up again!

I recently got a beautiful condition protor-press shutter with a 127mm rodenstock lens.
I dont have a photo of the shutter yet but its exactly like this one....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/89864432@N00/2954944838/in/pool-camerapedia

Everything is fine except when i opened the aperture up all the way i noticed one of the shutter blades has slipped, i can see when looking in the back that one of the 6 blades is sitting off to the side and on top of two other blades.

I have had a quote to get it professionally fixed but as i don't have a huge budget the cost is something i cant afford right now or in the near future so i am considering looking into it myself.

I may be mad yes but i've always pulled things to bits and am quite good with fiddly items so i'm hoping i can do it without causing any damage.

I was wondering if anyone has service doco for a prontor press or maybe a webpage with some instructions on how to get to the shutter blades?

I can see that the aperture blades are behind the shutter blades so am guessing that going in through the front is going to be easier then through the back. That said i cant see any way to take the front off only the 4 screws on the back that can be removed.

Any help or links to pages with info would be hugely appreciated

John Koehrer · Jul 27, 2009

Remove the front group, it just unscrews. That will reveal a retaining ring or hidden screws. Pull them/that & the name plate will just lift off. Note the orientation of the speed dial for when you reassemble it.

Kosta · May 31, 2013

hey guys, i have a prontor press shutter and part of the lens group seems lodged in it so i can't get the four retaining screws on the front plate out.

please help :O

Kosta · May 31, 2013

i used a rubber glove with a hose clamp to tighten around the middle group and unscrew. all good

k_jupiter · May 31, 2013

Or how to make a Prontor Press Paper Weight.

Be careful. Them is itty bitty parts and they need to go back in the same way. Take images as you work.

I have opened, cleaned, and adjusted a couple of cheaper shutters (120 folders) but when it comes time for serious work (my 300mm Ektar for my 8x10), it's worth the money knowing it's done right, won't fail out in the field, and the speeds are set and timed to spec. That 127 is a nice, very usable lens.

tim in san jose

Jon Shiu · May 31, 2013

The Prontor Press is actually unusual in that you open it from the back. First set it to T and fire the shutter to open the blades. Then take the screws out in the back and don't turn it over. The blades will be overlapping in a clockwise manner, I think. The first blade has another blade laid on top of it to form a double blade. (Actually that double is the last one you put in when putting it back together.) You can take all the blades out and clean them off, no problem.

Jon

Kosta · May 31, 2013

i picked up this baby for free with a dallmeyer 76/2.8, built into a custom box for fixed focus shooting using a polaroid back (from 1986).

i took the back off and opened it up, and a little spring connected to the main shutter timing gear popped out. i can't get it to go back in exactly - my photo didn't show where it was!

the arrows point to the gear and where I think the spring should go - but when i install it there and turn the shutter speed dial, it pops out which makes me think it's wrong.

Kosta · May 31, 2013

(the spring in question can be seen in the bottom left corner of the second pic)

AgX · May 31, 2013

That Jack-in-the-box effect has probably been experienced by anyone having done a lot of repairs on anything mechanical. And still it remains a nightmare.

The only remedy should be a proper maintanance manual. I rarely have those...

Kosta · May 31, 2013

i don't seem to be able to find one for this shutter. I don't usually work on mechanical things on this scale. the spring is like a hair!

looks like this:

shutterfinger · May 31, 2013

Is pix 1 of the 2 in your post above the first picture you made after removing the face plate? if not post it please.
It is never a good idea to operate a shutter with the face plate removed unless you have a service manual that instructs you to do so during reassembly.

Google: prontor press shutter repair you will get several potentially useful hits.

Kosta · May 31, 2013

yes, pic 1 is after removing the face plate (it is on the right of the first picture).

my issue has become specific to the resetting of that spring on the main timing gear. (if that's what it's called)

I've looked at a lot of articles but none with that point yet...

Thanks

shutterfinger · May 31, 2013

See: http://phasmatisapparatus.blogspot.com/2013/04/prontor-svs-repairservice-manual.html the 3rd manual may be of help. Although the manuals are for rim set shutters and yours is a dial set shutter manufactures follow similar mechanical designs from one model to another. I do not think the spring goes on the delay gear train or the set dial. A lever where a spring goes usually has a notch that the spring sits in but not always and the case will frequently have a grove that the spring end lays in. The fact that you say it popped off when operating the shutter with the cover off suggest that no other internal covers need to be removed. It does suggest that the spring goes on a lever operated by the trip lever or a lever moved once the shutter has been tripped.

Am I correct you removed the cover, cocked and tripped the shutter, the spring popped off, you made the picture?

Kosta · Jun 1, 2013

i believe it popped off after taking out the mechanism that holds the three gears down and then tripping the shutter. Then i took the picture...

I was trying to find where the resistance for restoring the shutter blades was coming from - as they wouldn't close properly after tripping the shutter. (The linkage wouldn't fully reset - so it's not just dirty blades)

thanks for the help so far.

shutterfinger · Jun 1, 2013

Pix 1 does show the spring but it is very hard to see. The three gears are the delay timing gears and pallet. At the red arrow in picture 1 is the center of the spring, the long end goes to the left between the case and delay gear cover post, the short end goes to the right and rests against the case. The bend in the long end at the center faces the case.

The cover over the shutter blades will need to be removed to realign the shutter blades. The shutter blades will only come out of position if they or their pivot pin breaks or the retaining plate comes loose.

I can repair the shutter provided I receive it in its original assembled state.

How to open a prontor press shutter to fix dislodged shutter blade?

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