Leica rewind crank

[awty]

hi.
Im cursed.
The wrist stap on my newly aquired MD-2 decided to unscew and camera decided it didn't want to to take anymore pictures and headed to the concrete footpath. Everything looked ok apart from some minor dings, lens was unscaved, but when I tried to advance the film it wouldn't budge, upon checking I could see it was lopsided.
Hoping I didn't bend the shaft, I headed home to take a look. Shaft looks good but crank knob was out of wack......what a piece of shit. Weak aluminium, what stupid place to put something so delicate, unless it was designed to break on impact. Had to do some butchering to get it working, too poorly made to beat into shape.

Now they seem to be pretty rare and expensive and I probably just drop it again and mess another, thinking either adapting another to fit or making my owm.
Any ideas?
It looks to be a left hand m4 thread?...no its a clockwise thread but smaller than m4. Weird.

 

[BradS]

Leica shop Miami has them in stock from time-to-time. New parts - $75
https://leicastoremiami.com/products/leica-rewind-knob-black-for-m6?variant=38170127312

DAG also offers some used and new on his website at considerably higher prices.
https://www.dagcamera.com/store/c6/Leica_M.html

The knob from the LeicaFlex SL is identical.

 

[awty]

Leica shop Miami has them in stock from time-to-time. New parts - $75
https://leicastoremiami.com/products/leica-rewind-knob-black-for-m6?variant=38170127312

DAG also offers some used and new on his website at considerably higher prices.
https://www.dagcamera.com/store/c6/Leica_M.html

The knob from the LeicaFlex SL is identical.

Yes I know, thanks.
Would cost roughly double to me.
Just need to find out the thread size, then I can make one.

 

[awty]

Im thinking it might be M3.5, the local nuts and bolts store didn't have anything the right size. Shop person said it was common for German stuff to use weird sizes.

 

[awty]

M3.5 right hand thread.
Those crazy Germans, have to make things difficult.
Took the crank of off a Nikkormat I had lying around. Was a bit too big, but thr hole was small enough to bore out and tap, grinded off all the satin chrome to plain brass, filled down a dit a now it fits.
Need to find something better than stack washers, or I will just make something from scratch. Easier now I know the thread size.

 

[awty]

Made a brass backing nut. I'll see how that goes. Much better than the crap Leica version.

 

[Likea]

Due to low availability and $$ ( and general curiosity ) desided to make a M3 style rewind knob.
Original rewind crank seems rather prone to bending.

 

[beemermark]

Shaft looks good but crank knob was out of wack......what a piece of shit. Weak aluminium, what stupid place to put something so delicate, unless it was designed to break on impact.

Stupid German engineers, not for seeing people would drop test it on the pavement.

 

[GregY]

Stupid German engineers, not for seeing people would drop test it on the pavement.

 

[MFstooges]

Made a brass backing nut. I'll see how that goes. Much better than the crap Leica version.
View attachment 268721 View attachment 268720

Very nice. I think you should gold plate the crank and call it #3/100 special edition whenever people ask.

Stupid German engineers, not for seeing people would drop test it on the pavement.

I am not familiar at all with Leica but there's got to be a not so stupid reason to put a mechanism on the corner

 

[AnselMortensen]

Nice work, @awty .
I appreciate a well-done DIY repair.
That being said, I must admit that I am enjoying the not-mean-spirited 'schadenfreude' in this very entertaining thread.

 

[awty]

Due to low availability and $$ ( and general curiosity ) desided to make a M3 style rewind knob.
Original rewind crank seems rather prone to bending. View attachment 379520

That will do the job, neat work.

 

[beemermark]

Very nice. I think you should gold plate the crank and call it #3/100 special edition whenever people ask.



I am not familiar at all with Leica but there's got to be a not so stupid reason to put a mechanism on the corner

The rewind crank was angled so you could rewind film without removing the M4-R meter.

 

[snusmumriken]

I'm content with what I've got, but I do find that angled crank really awkward. It goes fine until I get near the film leader, then it slips out of my fingers. Wish I had the machine skills and equipment to make such things, @awty - very impressed.

 

[GregY]

The rewind crank was angled so you could rewind film without removing the M4-R meter.

& it works like a charm, as engineered. Not intended to be used for drop tests.

 

[GregY]

I'm content with what I've got, but I do find that angled crank really awkward. It goes fine until I get near the film leader, then it slips out of my fingers. Wish I had the machine skills and equipment to make such things, @awty - very impressed.

there are lots of M2/M3 & MP with straight cranks if you so prefer....