Repair Beseler 35mm NegaTrans for 23C?

Tony-S · Oct 29, 2011

The rubber belt on my negatrans has broken. Does anyone know where I can get a replacement part and how to repair it?

TIA.

glbeas · Oct 29, 2011

Some of the older hardware stores still carry selections of O rings you could match to the size of the broken one.

jk0592 · Oct 29, 2011

I would try the manufacturer, they are in New-Jersey, and their website is at http://www.beselerphoto.com/

George Nova Scotia · Oct 29, 2011

The 35mm version is pretty easy to fix. Just a few screws and it comes apart and you can thread the belt/o-ring without too much trouble. (the 120 version has some more parts to remove inside)

I picked up an o-ring at a local hydraulic repair shop (think heavy equipment) they had thousands of types.

Take the old one and they can match it. I ended up with a 6X6-3/16 o-ring, cost a whole $1.44..

Rick A · Oct 29, 2011

I've seen replacement drive bands for sale on evilbay.

timvo · Nov 1, 2011

freestyle has them
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/7004-Beseler-Replacment-O-ring-for-35mm-Negatrans?cat_id=1602

Tony-S · Nov 1, 2011

Ouch, that's expensive. I found one on Ebay for $10, so it's the one I bought.

Tony-S · Nov 5, 2011

OK, I rec'd the belt today and put it in as best as I can tell is proper (see pic). However, it turns very stiffly clockwise and not at all counter clockwise. All the wheels turn freely. Can someone verify for me that I have the belt in correctly and suggest why it's not turning smoothly in both directions?

Thanks!

Bob-D659 · Nov 5, 2011

Did you check the new belt length to the old one. Just a couple of mm can make a big difference. Is the diameter the same?

Tony-S · Nov 5, 2011

Diameter is the same, but I cannot compare lengths because the old one was in pieces from age. Do the wheels need lubrication?

George Nova Scotia · Nov 5, 2011

It sounds like the o-ring is too small, it might stretch out a bit but not much. I wouldn't lubricate the wheels. They should spin freely without the o-ring, I don't think I'd want any oil near the negative.

Give it a day then start looking for a bigger belt/o-ring.

Rick A · Nov 6, 2011

Sounds as though the belt is catching on, or is pinched under something. The OP reports all wheels turning as they should, a small belt shouldn't make it jamb in one direction only, but may cause it to be hard to turn. Is the O ring running through the nylon film guides properly, that is the only place I can imagine it would bind.

Tony-S · Nov 6, 2011

Well, this seems to have been the fix. The four wheel spun, but one of them spun more freely. A closer inspection of them revealed a bit of grease on each that appeared to have broken down. I cleaned all four posts and the wheels with rubbing alcohol, let them dry, then applied a small amount of lubricant to each post. Now it seems to work much better. I was careful with the lubricant, but I'll inspect negatives as they go through for signs of it. So far, so good.

Repair Beseler 35mm NegaTrans for 23C?

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