VN shutter problem

[Jeremy Greenaway]

I've finally sussed out the Van Neck Press Camera shutter setting issue.
The big knob seems to have two components - the outer with a lifting ring for various settings, and an inner, which has a screw head. It seems that this is the one that needs to be pushed. It's worked on the 'new' buy - a very early original VN probably from 1932 or 1933. This all-black painted version doesn't have a removable lens board, unlike my post-war shiny chrome models. The method works on one of the two, and once set, the top knob is rotated anti-clockwise to pull the lower blind down to enable viewing with the GGS. So, that's two that work OK, but sadly, despite numerous attempts, it doesn't work on my 'keeper' VN, which is vg condition bodily with a cracker of a clean Xpress lens.
So, looks like I'll have to find someone who can do a repair on the blinds mechanism - or give me a blow by blow guide to doing so!
At least, I'm getting near the day when I can go out and bang off some test shots . . . it's called taking exercise, officer!

 

[rknewcomb]

Glad you got that worked out on the two of them. I had gone back to mine and tried the procedure that I had told you in your other post and it mostly worked for me. My shutter runs so weak and slow its hard to figure things out.
I believe your early black Van Neck is when they were first making these VN cameras and they were heavily modeled after the German made Goerz Anschutz Press camera. That's why they look so much the same.
Robert

 

[Jeremy Greenaway]

Glad you got that worked out on the two of them. I had gone back to mine and tried the procedure that I had told you in your other post and it mostly worked for me. My shutter runs so weak and slow its hard to figure things out.
I believe your early black Van Neck is when they were first making these VN cameras and they were heavily modeled after the German made Goerz Anschutz Press camera. That's why they look so much the same.
Robert

Quite so! The black one is certainly more akin to the Goerz - probably why it's got Zeiss glass. Fortunately, the shutter blind springs in all three are excellent. Snappers in those days must have developed incredibly strong thumbs and hands! Don't forget that the lower tension has also to be wound up with the little knob. Not easy either. I wind mine up to 7 or higher and the blinds fly.
Now I have a dilemma: a 'keeper' with excellent body and lens but possibly non-functional shutter; one with a fair to good body and lens and fully functional shutter, and the 'Mark 1' with good body, fair 'foreign' lens and fully functioning shutter. I do need to move one on (not the Mk 1) so getting the shutter setting sorted on the 'keeper' seems to be the right way to go.
Jeremy