Minox 35 EL - how to put back in the shutter button (I'm dumb)

[Clarimort]

Hey friends,


so yeah, I did something stupid.

I just purchased a used Minox 35 El from eBay. I looked fine, I put batteries in and the shutter and exposure seemed to work. It is my first Minox.
But I felt like the film winder was really hard to wind. Like, reeeaally hard. Once I put in a test film it was almost impossible to wind the film. I didn't think that was normal.
So I opened it (not much, only the top plate) to see if there is some obvious dust or sand in there. Well, I shouldn't have done that. While I was just blowing the dust out with a rocket blower, the shutter button fell off.
So I had the button, a little metal pen (?) and a small spring in my hand and I didn't know how to put it back in. I tried and tried and tried. And then the spring literally catapulted the metal pen and the button away and I can't find them anymore. Only the spring is still there.
Soooo is there any way to safe the camera? Or did something break when the shutter button came off? Is it possible to put the shutter back in should I find it (it HAS to be somewhere in my room - or I'll just get a broken Minox on eBay for spare parts)? I can't find many repair tutorials about the Minox 35 and I don't know much about camera repairs. I just wanted to clean it and didn't think it would just fall apart when opening up the top plate.


Thanks a lot,

Clary


p.s.: I know those are pretty cheap and I could just get another one on eBay, but I still want to at least try to rescue this one since it seemed like it worked.

 

[John Koehrer]

Looking for metal parts is easier with a good magnet. I've used one that's used like a broom another way is to attach a magnet to a metal ruler & sweep the floor with it.
In addition sweep everything with it. work surface, floor, cat or dog, hamster.

It won't help with the button but it is kind of satisfying to find at least a part of the assembly.
It's also pretty surprising to find that there's no rhyme nor reason to the direction these things travel.

 

[AgX]

And then the spring literally catapulted the metal pen and the button away and I can't find them anymore.

I call it the Jack-in-the-box phenomenon... I guess we all experienced that.

One precaution is working in a kind off surrounded space. Some advocate an old drawer instead of working on a plain table, which at least keeps parts rolling off the table.
A hard floor is beneficial over a loops-carpet.
Having a strong magnet at hand is beneficial.

At least when expecting something springloaded, be on the alert. You might cover the assembly with a cloth.


As indicated I act foolish nonetheless. At the moment I am missing a bearing ball and the respective helical spring, from a filterholder arrest, I was disasembling literally on-the-run trying to explain that holder to some fellow on the net... Both parts seem to have gone to oblivion.

 

[bernard_L]

If your missing parts are somewhere on the floor, wait until in the evening it's dark, and beam a flashlight around at grazing incidence. It makes small objects on the floor much more visible. That is, assuming that since Mar 9 you have not vacuum cleaned the room.

 

[AgX]

Your release button seems to built the classic way:

-) the actual button (with cable-release thread)
-) the pusher inside (which actually trips the shutter or the resp. switch), located directly under the button
-) the spring (pressing pusher and button against the top cover)

This staggered design (button and pusher) enables to release at same location either by finger or by cable release.

The function of the spring is:
-) to prevent accidetal release
-) to yield travel before triggering
-) to enable to mount a cable rrelease without already triggering at mounting

Contemplate about this design and by that you may get an idea for DIY solution.

 

[bernard_L]

Contemplate about this design and by that you may get an idea for DIY solution.

I see... a retractable ball point pen... spring... button...
and, as a bonus, save the ball for that future occasion when you'll lose the aperture detent ball of another camera.