What did you fix today?

John_Nikon_F · May 31, 2009

Over the past couple weeks:

• Built a frankenstein Nikkormat, using an FT body and an FT3 mirror box. Have yet to get the whole thing working, but will work on it in my spare time.
• Combined a couple parts FTn's into one working FTn that just needs to have the wiring to the meter hooked up to get it working completely.
• Cleaned up a Nikkormat EL that must've gone swimming, but still functioned properly.
• Figured out why one of the FTn parts bodies wouldn't fire - had gone swimming, and the cocking lever had become disconnected from the winding mechanism. Fires once manually cocked, and the stop down mechanism is engaged. All speeds sound ok.
• Replaced the EM/FG/FG-20 rewind knob on my FE2 with one from my old FM2n, which entailed unlatching the back, after the rewind shaft dropped into the body after closing the back. Still need to readjust the ISO dial so it isn't off a stop.

Future projects will probably consist of locating a new top cover and baseplate for the FE2, buying a new FT2 top cover, then installing the parts on the respective bodies.

Alan Davenport · May 31, 2009

I finally found an extra tail-board for my Burke & James 5x7. After stripping the old Battleship Grey and applying a nice Cherry stain that matches the camera, I am now ready to do some portraiture with the 12" lens.
Oh ya, reworking the ground glass with #400 and then #500 silicon carbide abrasive grits makes a world of difference in the quality and brightness of the image on the GG. Beats a Fresnel lens.

Alan

studiocarter · Jun 1, 2009

A Burk & James 'Grover' 8x10 monorail camera back was made to fit. The camera came with two backs and only one fit. The 5x7 adaptor back didn't go on. None of the pins would line up?! It must have come from another kit.
All the pins were removed; it reminded me of track at Xmas train setup; the holes were filled with wood putty; after dry, they were drilled. The back was centered first, then clamped to hold it in place. A hand drill was used to carefully drill with. Base pins went in first; the clamp was moved to the top and then those holes were drilled.
It worked!

A completely different story concerns a Fairchild Aerial K-38 shutter with Kodak lenses - with my brother in laws help, we got it to fire. "BANG!" Using three winds, it sounds like a gun shot. I wonder exactly how fast it actually goes? That lens and shutter stands 11 1/2" tall, 5" wide in the back and 6" wide in the front, not counting the Yellow filter, the front element is a 36 inch, 918mm lens. Shutter blades and iris blades are right next to each other. The opening in the iris is 1 1/4 to 3/1/4. We didn't fit the lens, only my ignorance of how to use it has improves a little.

Marc Akemann · Jun 11, 2009

Replaced all the foam seals in an Olympus XA. Came out great.

Marc

sarahfoto · Jun 11, 2009

My Polaroid 545 filmholder, thanks to Ian C!
-Sarah

sidearm613 · Jun 11, 2009

I fixed this wacky Noritsu Machine that retrieves the leader from 35mm canisters automatically. now it doesn't tear my film when it goes in to get it back.

Oh, and I set up a bunch of stage lights a theatre, burning my had on a PAR can. Bummer

Kino · Jun 11, 2009

darinwc said:
http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/pentaxmeproblems.html

The third pic points to the wind lock lever. I used a wire bending pliers (smooth round tapered tips). one tip under the neck of both levers, the other over the nose of the black lever. Gently bend it clockwise. Too much and it will lock up on next wind.

Thanks for the Tip; finally got around to doing this and it took all of 3 minutes. Seems to have done the job and now I will have a fully functional Super ME as soon as I buy some batteries!

dougjgreen · Jun 12, 2009

New light seals and mirror bumper on a Canon A-1, and I un-jammed the mirror on a Minolta XE-5.

Philippe-Georges · Jun 16, 2009

I fixed the circulation pump of my Colenta's water jacket. As the water jacket contains 90 L, and after a certain time algae are living in it, the mesh filter got saturated. I drained the jacket, dismantled the circulation system and cleaned the pump and electro magnetic valve. Then I filled the jacket again and purred in a jar of house hold 'eau de Javel' (= hypochlorite de sodium) and let it stand for a night, all the green stuff was gone. Then rinsed the jacket several times and the machine ran like new. The jacket water is used in the process as washing water.

Philippe

thisismyname09 · Jun 16, 2009

took apart and unjammed the aperture on a no-name brand tele zoom lens for my AE-1.

mablo · Jun 16, 2009

This week I've mostly been fixing a broken 21mm viewfinder.

Dave Dawson · Jun 19, 2009

I took dings out of filter rings on a 135mm Symmar, 90mm super angulon and 90mm sinaron.

Cheers Dave

Curt · Jun 19, 2009

I fixed an old Gralab timer which was dirty and the hands were way out and didn't line up. After removing the hands and opening it up I cleaned the black paint and scrubbed the hands and face off with a pad. The dayglo is extremely dense and stands up to stiff scrubbing. The hands have screws that allow them to be aligned straight up. The clock timer is small and simple, no wonder it lasts for decades. I use this one for my enlarger fan.

David A. Goldfarb · Jun 19, 2009

Today I took a Dremel to the auto-stop down flange on an M42-EOS adapter that I use on my Zeiss 35mm/f:2 ZS mount lens. The lens has a manual stop down lever on the barrel, so I can open the aperture for focusing and stop it down for the exposure. The flange depressed a pin that kept the iris stopped down all the time, which is useful for M42 lenses that don't have an external lever, but otherwise gets in the way. My M42-FD adapter doesn't have the flange.

Wade D · Jun 20, 2009

I did a CLA on a 135mm f/4.5 Tominon lens in a Polaroid MP4 shutter. The lens elements were filthy and the shutter was a bit sticky but not too bad. Now the glass is clear and the shutter works perfectly. The hard part was finding where I had put my spanner wrenches to take apart the elements.:rolleyes:

John_Nikon_F · Jun 22, 2009

Last night, I monkeyed around with a project that I've been working on for a while. A hybrid Nikkormat FT/FT3 body. FT casting and top/bottom covers with FT3 mirror box. Am getting closer to having the whole thing work. Still have to get the mirror box to fire when the shutter release is depressed, but the shutter works now. Didn't before.

-J

Laurent · Jun 22, 2009

I "fixed" my Yashica mat 124 lazy shutter... the only thing I had to do was to remove the rear lens and "tick" the blades (but this is of course what I tried last, so I got the cover off, scratched the front lens ring (then lens remains untouched, so the camera is a bit uglier but still works fine).

This camera looks like a beater but works fine...

Laurent · Jun 22, 2009

If non photography related stories are allowed, I also fixed some junkyard bicycles for use in my son's school... I still love to use several bikes to make one that's working. These ones are ugly, but work like a charm (they're used for some education about street policies).

John Hermanson · Jun 23, 2009

Rebuilt a Olympus 35RD shutter which had oily blades. Converted it to silver oxide battery, replaced the foam. John, www.zuiko.com

mike c · Jun 23, 2009

Summer now,bought a used fridge for a song and are gonna stick my fix'ins in it,paper, film,assorted chems and and perhaps some adult beverages.

Mike

GJA · Jun 24, 2009

Got an ugly EL from KEH, filled with nasty mold. I made a lens key out of brass, opened the lens and cleaned every element. Seems to be good as new now, although one element that was cemented together is no longer. It looks as though there was a very thin film of plastic between them which I removed, i doubt this issue will affect performance.

Toffle · Jun 24, 2009

Saunders/LPL 6700... new bulb... no big deal... but it's a new enlarger for me, so I'm quite excited. The filter adjustment knobs are quite stiff, though... I'll need to fix that.

McFortner · Jun 25, 2009

The shutter curtain on my Minolta X-370 is working again. I don't know how since I haven't touched it for 2 months. It would not retract all the way, so I finally got a X-9 to replace it and when my son asked why I took the X-370 out to show him the problem. The darn thing worked fine when I went to show him. Go figure.

Michael

Michael Finder · Jun 25, 2009

I adapted a B&J 8x10 back to fit onto my Vageeswari wood field camera - first I stripped off all the battlesip grey paint. It is now raw timber waiting to be finished.

darinwc · Jun 25, 2009

re-sealed a junker canon A1.. replaced the rewind knob with a chrome one from an ae1. Actually have a nice working camera now!~

What did you fix today?

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