Rolleicord II-Advice needed on Iris Rebuild

Greg Heath · Jan 19, 2009

I have a rolliecord II and was cleaning the shutter. I am refurbishing the camera and have painstakingly cleaned and rebuilt the camera from the ground up. Cheap camera to learn on.
So for every step along the way, I took a digital macro photo every step of the dissassembly,to aid in rebuilding it. I got down to the F/Stop iris and stopped.

Yes, the one with 10 wafer thin semicircle blades.
After soaking it in Naptha and flushing it,I got curious. ( first mistake)
I dropped the two halves on my cloth bench towel...and you guessed it..
"shutter salad"..complete with all the "f" bombs I screamed at the same time.

After the sheer fright of seeing the shutter salad...I calmed down and went about learning about how to rebuild the iris. Learning truly does suck when that was not your first plan.

Can anyone give me any advice to on how to start and finish. I did read in the Romney book that the last shutter blade has to somehow be inserted in front. All the blades are to be sandwiched between two plates.
I have already tried this for no less than 11 hours with mediocre results.

I am not really interested in getting the camera serviced, but will complete it on my own, with help.

I will post pics soon so you can laugh at my misfortune.

Any iris/shutter links appreciated.

thanks,

Greg

archphoto · Jan 19, 2009

I don't laugh, it happened to me in the past at times.........
The first time is freightning, the second time you say oh.....

You need 3 things:
1) a round piece of cardboard to fill the hole temporairely (sorry for my english)
2) a pair of sharp bent tweezers
3) patience

I hope you photographed the aperture before it became a salad, look at the direction of the blades and start
putting the blades into place.
The last couple of them are a pain, because you have to lift one blade and ease het next under it and into place.

Somehow it is easier when you put the blades back in the aperture-open setting, so all blades are resting onto something.
If spacers are used you will have to put them in aswell ofcourse.

I haven't done this for a long time, so I'm a bit rusty, but you will get this back to gether !!!

Peter

Greg Heath · Jan 19, 2009

Here's where I am ...

I posted most of the shots I took of the f/stop Iris.

It starts at Photo #1771.

There are also pics of the shutter, which I have to do next, but compared to this should be a piece of cake.

I was amazed at the amount of crud that came out of the shutter and lens assemblies.

I think I'm doing it correctly but I'm not sure. each one of the metal pieces has a pin at each end. one on the top and one on the bottom. Each piece goes into either a slot or a pin hole on the structure holding it.

I'm not sure if I should start the rebuild on the silver base with the F/stop slider, or build it on the black plate and then press the top onto it and fasten it.

I have surgical tweezers and am using a lighted magnifying lamp for the rebuild.

I am working on my patience..

Thanks for the reply and any others who can too.

Feel free to download the photos for your own if you want them..

http://gallery.me.com/kb2qqm#100262&bgcolor=black

Greg

Greg Heath · Jan 20, 2009

thanks

archphoto said:
I don't laugh, it happened to me in the past at times.........
The first time is freightning, the second time you say oh.....

You need 3 things:
1) a round piece of cardboard to fill the hole temporairely (sorry for my english)
2) a pair of sharp bent tweezers
3) patience

I hope you photographed the aperture before it became a salad, look at the direction of the blades and start
putting the blades into place.
The last couple of them are a pain, because you have to lift one blade and ease het next under it and into place.

Somehow it is easier when you put the blades back in the aperture-open setting, so all blades are resting onto something.
If spacers are used you will have to put them in aswell ofcourse.

I haven't done this for a long time, so I'm a bit rusty, but you will get this back to gether !!!

Peter

Thanks for the steps to get the camera back to working.

Is there a photo or website on the internet that shows me more visually how to do this ?

sort of step by step. I am confused about how this works because looking at the iris it appears like an optical illusion. I shot many photos.

Is there a specific way to start the procedure?

I just can't visualize how the last couple of leafs go in...

Greg

archphoto · Jan 20, 2009

Thanks for the photo's !!!!
It helped me a bit in refreshing my memory.

Basicly all you have to do now is to look at your photo's and start reasambling after cleaning.

Photo 1741 the shutterblades, not that dificult as long as the blade with the bent tip faces the film, so it should be the last one
to be placed with the tip up. and remount.

The aperture blades go from under to on top, clean the area around the pins with a tooth-pick or something medium soft, supported by a piece of wood, do not bend them !!!
Use the part that has the shutterblades allready secured into place.
The best way is to start with one side and just build up, check your photo's !!! Print some if nescesary.

Send me a PM if nesc.

Succes !
Peter

PS use some graphite to grease the pins of the aperture blades

archphoto · Jan 20, 2009

Some words about grease:
While you are at it some parts can be greased if you have the propper grease for it.
Molycoat, a graphite grease is often used, I like my synthetic grease better.
With Molycoat try to get the oil from it as much as possible.
Use any grease verry sparingly, use a Q-tip to rub it in and whipe off any exess.

For remounting the aperture blades a nut can help to "secure" the blades you already put in, or get your wife to help you with it.
For holding down the blades that are in place use a toothpick, in that way you don't damage anything while holding down.

...............
Peter

Greg Heath · Jan 20, 2009

archphoto said:
Some words about grease:
While you are at it some parts can be greased if you have the propper grease for it.
Molycoat, a graphite grease is often used, I like my synthetic grease better.
With Molycoat try to get the oil from it as much as possible.
Use any grease verry sparingly, use a Q-tip to rub it in and whipe off any exess.

For remounting the aperture blades a nut can help to "secure" the blades you already put in, or get your wife to help you with it.
For holding down the blades that are in place use a toothpick, in that way you don't damage anything while holding down.

...............
Peter

I am rebuilding the #1775 f-stop iris not the primary shutter. Do i accomplish this in the same way?

Greg

archphoto · Jan 20, 2009

That part was about the iris, Greg. (Iris=aperture)

John Koehrer · Jan 20, 2009

Generally I agree with archphoto in technique. But have never used a lube on pivot or adjustment points with an iris. They are manufactured to be used dry.
For a stand I just use an empty 35mm film can that I weight down with BB's/hardware pumpkin seeds, etc.
If you don't weigh it down it becomes very unstable & tippy.
For a real learning experience with vocabulary, sneeze when you're putting in that last blade.

Greg Heath · Jan 21, 2009

up the creek

Thanks for all the help posts. I couldn't remember "aperature".

Time to go fix it..

and be successful.

Greg Heath · Jan 23, 2009

finally !! I need a stiff drink....

I finally succeeded today...after about 4 days of failing. The Classic Camera Repair Forum was a big help and well as the posters here.

http://www.kyphoto.com/cgi-bin/forum/discus.cgi

Start at the widest aperature for the Rolleicord II=f/3.5

Layer the blades on top of each other.

Blades 1 throught 6 go in pretty well. Easy.

#7 was pretty easy in that I just had to lift up the first blade and slide #7 into the slot underneath.

#8 was more difficult as I had to press down on all the other blades, but still manage to lift up blades 1 &2 to fit #8 in underneath into it's slot.

#9 was getting easier..because I started gripping each blade on the sides which let me man-handle it into place into it's respective slot.

#10... Number 10 was the most difficult because I had to slide #10 in place without disturbing the others, and hold down all the blades at once and I was running out of room.

Believe it or not that was the easy part.

Then I had to get the cover Pin plate on and insert all the upper pins into the plate, line everything up and screw it together.

At this point I was shallow breathing.

So I got the plate on and about 5 of the 10 pins matched, so for the next 30 minutes I held pressure on the plate and used a bent paperclip to maneuver the other pins into position one at a time to match the plate...

I couldn't believe I had finally done it....

screwed in the 3 screws...and actually started breathing again.

I tried the slide and it worked !....

Now it's sitting in some Naptha, to clean it up, and I will start the rest of the camera assembly tonight.

I will post the pics I took while doing this.

My biggest confusion was:

At what F/stop (3.5=open) to start the rebuild.

I understood how I should layer them up to #6 blade but misunderstood that instead of layering them in a circle over themselves, instead I should have started with blade #7 and slid it underneath the first blade and into it's respective slot on the lower slider ring, and then 8, 9, & 10 in their respective slots.

I have a new profound respect for camera repairmen and to those that have designed cameras.

I feel like my brain is twisted in a knot !

I will in the future just try to soak the Aperture Assembly in Naptha. I did learn allot having to put it back together though.
Much more than I bargained for. I sure do love my Rolleicord.

Thanks to all those that sent me encouragement and help !
A BIG thanks..!

I posted pics here of the Rolleicord II Shutter disassembly &Assembly, so I could figure out how to get it all back together. Feel free to download them if you need to do this to yours.

http://gallery.me.com/kb2qqm#100278

The last 5 pictures on page #2 were the actual steps that worked in getting the aperture back together.

The rest of the photos were me trying to figure out how everything went back together with no manual.

So far that was the hardest thing I have ever had to do looking through a magnifying glass for 4 days straight..
Now I can't wait to buy some more Rollei cameras to practice on...
Next time maybe I will just use Naptha on the aperture and call it a day.

(sketch was from Rick Oleson http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-27.html)

Greg

ic-racer · Jan 27, 2009

Just saw this thread, though, it looks like you are back in action. Good work with the persistence and I'll remember this thread if I ever get into trouble on a Rollei aperture rebuild.

I had to re-do the aperture blades on my Symmar-S a while ago. I had the advantage of purposely taking it apart, so I knew how the blades were intereleaved when time to get it all back together. http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showpost.php?p=279474&postcount=34

Greg Heath · Jul 20, 2011

renewed link to Compur shutter rebuild

Greg Heath said:
I finally succeeded today...after about 4 days of failing. The Classic Camera Repair Forum was a big help and well as the posters here.

http://www.kyphoto.com/cgi-bin/forum/discus.cgi

Start at the widest aperature for the Rolleicord II=f/3.5

Layer the blades on top of each other.

Blades 1 throught 6 go in pretty well. Easy.

#7 was pretty easy in that I just had to lift up the first blade and slide #7 into the slot underneath.

#8 was more difficult as I had to press down on all the other blades, but still manage to lift up blades 1 &2 to fit #8 in underneath into it's slot.

#9 was getting easier..because I started gripping each blade on the sides which let me man-handle it into place into it's respective slot.

#10... Number 10 was the most difficult because I had to slide #10 in place without disturbing the others, and hold down all the blades at once and I was running out of room.

Believe it or not that was the easy part.

Then I had to get the cover Pin plate on and insert all the upper pins into the plate, line everything up and screw it together.

At this point I was shallow breathing.

So I got the plate on and about 5 of the 10 pins matched, so for the next 30 minutes I held pressure on the plate and used a bent paperclip to maneuver the other pins into position one at a time to match the plate...

I couldn't believe I had finally done it....

screwed in the 3 screws...and actually started breathing again.

I tried the slide and it worked !....

Now it's sitting in some Naptha, to clean it up, and I will start the rest of the camera assembly tonight.

I will post the pics I took while doing this.

My biggest confusion was:

At what F/stop (3.5=open) to start the rebuild.

I understood how I should layer them up to #6 blade but misunderstood that instead of layering them in a circle over themselves, instead I should have started with blade #7 and slid it underneath the first blade and into it's respective slot on the lower slider ring, and then 8, 9, & 10 in their respective slots.

I have a new profound respect for camera repairmen and to those that have designed cameras.

I feel like my brain is twisted in a knot !

I will in the future just try to soak the Aperture Assembly in Naptha. I did learn allot having to put it back together though.
Much more than I bargained for. I sure do love my Rolleicord.

Thanks to all those that sent me encouragement and help !
A BIG thanks..!

I posted pics here of the Rolleicord II Shutter disassembly &Assembly, so I could figure out how to get it all back together. Feel free to download them if you need to do this to yours.

http://gallery.me.com/kb2qqm#100326&bgcolor=black&view=grid

The last 5 pictures on page #2 were the actual steps that worked in getting the aperture back together.

The rest of the photos were me trying to figure out how everything went back together with no manual.

So far that was the hardest thing I have ever had to do looking through a magnifying glass for 4 days straight..
Now I can't wait to buy some more Rollei cameras to practice on...
Next time maybe I will just use Naptha on the aperture and call it a day.

(sketch was from Rick Oleson http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-27.html)

Greg

The new link with the Pictures of the teardown and rebuild is at this newer link. Good Luck !

http://gallery.me.com/kb2qqm#100326&bgcolor=black&view=grid

Rolleicord II-Advice needed on Iris Rebuild

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