I hesitate to post this because messing with the Medalist mechanism like this is the easiest way to make it jam and require serious disassembly to correct. Read and understand before mucking around. Do at your own risk.
With the back off, on the back of the lens tune you will see two tabs at the top of the plate. Each tab has a silver screw on top and black (usually) screw on bottom. The bottom screw is a pivot point. The top screw is the set screw and the tab is slotted. So the tab can move side to side.
The right screw controls shutter release. this is used to adjust the timing of the shutter release in relation to the timing of the wind system/double exposure prevention release. A common issue with Medalists is the wind system releasing and causing a click noise while the shutter has not actually fired. People stop pressing the shutter button, and they get a blank frame. Moving the tab to the right will make the shutter fire sooner; to the left will retard its firing, both in relation to the the wind system release.
Kodak in their infinite drunken stupor or whatever led to the Medalist mechanism has two separate wind system latching systems. When you cock the shutter using the lever under the viewfinder and when you cock the shutter while winding film, the camera uses two separate points to latch the winding/double exposure mechanism. In an ideal world, these two points respond to the shutter release in the same way. In the real world, there is often a difference. So, for accurate setting of shutter cocking and shutter release you need to make the camera behave as if it is loaded with film.
OK, now we enter danger territory. You can stuff the camera real well if you don't do the following right. Pay attention. One thing to completion at a time.
How to make the Medalist act as if film is in the camera:
- Two things you need to know. the silver roller- you see the one on the left side? Often has a decal saying DO NOT TURN THIS ROLLER or such? Well, time to break the rules. Look above the roller, inside the groove where the back will fit. There is a metal tab sticking out. This metal tab releases the lock on the silver roller (well, there are other locks but for our purposes...). You will need to press this tab in any time you want to roll the silver roller. And you want to roll the silver roller to imitate film in the camera.
Use something wider than the tab. Something that will stop on the groove to the side of the tab opening, not jam the tab inside the camera. Wider than most screwdrivers. I use the wide end of a pair of tweezers. Just to be safe.
Be sure to press the tab while moving the silver roller. Really, be sure to do this.
So fun time: Rotate counter to 8. Fire shutter to be certain that the wind mechanism is released. Rotate wind knob until you feel little resistance; maybe the shutter was cocked, maybe not. And now: PRESS TAB in, rotate silver roller forward as if film was moving right to left through the camera. The counter will do nothing for a bit and then roll to 0. Once it gets to 0, moving the roller will become much harder.
If this makes sense, now let's 'load the camera.' Cock the shutter using lever. Rotate counter dial to 1. Now PRESS TAB and move roller forward. Quickly you will feel strong resistance. Now rotate winding knob to do the typical final 'crunch' of film loading (what's that, it rolled on to 2?? No worry. Just means it is slightly out of sync and resetting itself. carry on and be sure to crunch winding knob to full stop).
Basic order: - fire shutter
- wind knob (no contact on silver roller) until after the pressure of shutter cocking is done. You can watch the motion of the tabs inside the camera and see them return home. Wind a lot here- no harm doing too much, but big harm if you don't get this mechanism through its full cycle.
- PRESS TAB and wind silver roller forward. Keep going. Counter will move and roller will stop moving.
- Rotate winding knob to 'set' the mechanism. The knob should be locked. You might 'set' the counter by roller only, don't worry, but confirm with knob. You also have winding the knob NOT lock, and you hear a ticking sound. this means that the roller needs to be moved forward- PRESS TAB, move silver roller forward some more until it stops moving
So doing this will let you see the camera acting as if film is in it. And confirm actual film-loaded shutter cocking and shutter release.
Shutter cocking: left tab. Undo both screws. Push top to the left for more shutter coking 'motion.' Right for less motion. I like to set the shutter to slower speeds so that I can hear the escapement run out to confirm shutter release. You can also fire shutter through cable release socket (actual cable release or small screw driver poked in0 look inside to see the part you want to press).
this is a subtle adjustment. You are dealing with 1/64th inch or so at a time. Cocking action will get harder and harder. It can easily become too hard, overdriving the mechanism. be sure to test assorted lens extension positions. Sometimes cocking happens with lens pulled back but not at full extension, or such variations. test different speeds.
For all of this use the Wind Knob/ PRESS TAB, move roller/ Set winding knob series. When you have it set, be sure to tighten the screws one last time. The tab is under a decent amount of pressure. Some nail polish or such on the screws and tab is helpful to lock a bit. The screws and the metal plate are steel so they will take a decent amount of orce but still this isn't a car engine.