Recommended tools for Russian rangefinder repair?

[desertrat]

...do you know how hard it is to buy lighter fluid these days? I went to 6 stores before ending up in a smoke shop, where, of course, they had it. Used to be you could get it in any supermarket or variety store.Bill

Another product that's very similar to lighter fluid is VM&P Naphtha (Varnish Maker's & Painter's Naphtha). Some hardware stores sell it, often in a quart can. I don't remember the price off hand, but I'm sure it was a lot less expensive than a quart of lighter fluid, if you bought enough cans of lighter fluid to make a quart. Coleman lantern fuel is similar, too, but usually comes in gallon cans. Best to test these products for oily residues before using. One way is to pour a little in a clean, wide dish and let it evaporate, outdoors in a protected area. Then check the bottom of the dish to see if there's a thin oily layer left behind. If there's no residue, it should be OK for cleaning and degreasing camera parts. I've only tried the evaporation test on the VM&P Naphtha.

 

[Lowenburg]

Thanks Rat, for the alternative solvents. There's a good paint store in town that I go to regularly, and they might have some Naptha. I also have a friend locally who reconditions cameras, I'm sure he will have some suggestions. It's definitely good to know about alternatives, because it always seems just when you need something, whether it's a tool, part, or substance, it's not there... I'm speaking from experience in other endeavors, as I'm a complete novice to camera work. But some principles, such as if when working on a car, you drop a screwdriver or a bolt, it will always roll under to beneath the middle of the car...
Thanks again!

 

[Xmas]

For a f2.8 lens one only needs to undo the three screws in the lens rear ring and lift off the ring. Work over a deep tray as the screws will be difficult to relocate in deep pile carpets. Remove any sealant with a dentist pick first...

If you operate the focus mechanism you should be able to see solid grease, remove all the old grease with cotton buds (q tips). Damp a few q tips in Zippo fluid, to get all the exposed (screw-heliciod) surfaces clean as you can.

With the dentist pick apply smallest drop of thin lube to each thread start. operate the focus mount dozen times, wipe off any excess with q tips.

Refit the ring removed replace screws, dont tignten screws like they were car lug nuts the ring is aluminium, and you are going to secure the three screw heads with a drop of nail varnish/lacqure from dentist pick, so they only need to be snug.

The best liquid lube is PTFE liquid from gun shop, Tandy or Radio shack, etc. but if you want to use sewing manchin oil it should do.

You need a screw driver thet fits the head nicely, carving knife or swisss army knife is no good. Normally the grease will have kept any sand out.

If you have a collapsible lens you need rubber gloves and smooth faced pliers. You use the gloves to protect the stop screw facing and increase the friction and losen the stop screw with the pliers, it may be tight.

The lens will then unscrew from the mount, you need wooden picks (cocktail stick use) to remove the old grease, and cotton buds and zippo to get the thread bottoms really clean.

Then I use a dentist pick to put a small amount of PTFE lube, in each thread if the lens is not too worn this is ok, most are brass and would self lube, if you dont have a specialist lube to hand. If the lens is really worn a really small amount of PTFE grease is sufficient. The more you put in the more sand will stick.

The thread is multi start but with trial and error is is easy to find the start, dont go mad with the pliers and rubber gloves as the stop thread is not lug nut thread, I normally seal with a droplet of nail varnish on the flat plate, but it is overkill, and if you get it in the threads it will be excessively tight the next time.

Noel

 

[André E.C.]

A scythe and a hammer?

Cheers

André

 

[Xmas]

Oh

If you do the TV test you need to be aware that it is ultra sensitive, you will see the accleration in both blinds which will be different! And the gap wont be constant, even a factory fresh M will show this. It is a feature of the Leitz cloth shutter design.

Set up by ear on a camera that you have flushed with zippo and fine oil is ok even for chrome film.

Dont squirt Zippo like water pistol, droplet from dentist pick, or if you need quantity between tweaser jaws. You need to keep Zippo away from curtain material, invert camera so that a spill wont mean a clean up of curtian is needed. if you really want to clean use fine artists brush damp with Zippo, mop up excess with q tip but dont use near sharp surfaces or you will leave cotton debris behind.

When you run in fine oil it will mix with any grease residue. Again I use the liquid PTFE as it has wide temperature performance for winter shooting, it has minimal creep near to optic unlike fine oil.

Noel

 

[Xmas]

Andre

The Russian saying is 'if you dont have a screwdriver a hammer will do...'

Noel