Agfa Karat 36 chewing film

[farlymac]

My Karat which I overhauled some time ago has started to act up. It's tearing up film over the sprocket. This morning, I took the film clamp out, and added tension to its spring, but that didn't help matters any. Then I put more tension in the springs on the pressure plate and its frame. No improvement. The camera winds normally for about five frames, then starts ripping the film because it has jumped the sprocket wheel. Anyone have experience with this, and how it might be fixed? Everything works fine when there is no film in the camera, and I can't find any kind of a tight spot in the sprocket wheel turning.

PF

 

[citizen99]

Maybe worth a look at this part of the mechanism ?

 

[farlymac]

One of our other Flickrmates pointed me to your post. It was a great help in solving the problem, though I still had to figure out how to access the screw. The spool on mine was turned so that the slot would always be facing you at the end of the winding stroke. The access hole was also in this spot, but not the screw, so I had to turn the spool on the shaft until I located the screw. It took two quarter turns of the setting screw to achieve the proper tension, and I got a complete used roll of 36 exposures through the camera without tearing. Now I need to load it up with some Ilford FP4 Plus to give it a real test. Thanks.

PF

 

[citizen99]

Glad you've had success 🙂 , it was a while since I did that and I had to dredge the depths of my memory 🙄. The Karat 36 is one of my favourite 35mm cameras, although I use MF more often these days.

 

[farlymac]

Oh, yeah, I got some great results from that camera on the second roll (the first one, the front group of elements was reversed, and that was wierd looking). It's fairly easy to handle, even with the reverse winder, and the lens is outstanding. I was able to find some Cenei filters for it, so that I can put a hood on it without worrying about it falling off. And the cap from a particular film can works as a push-fit lens cap. I've got a second one to overhaul some time this winter, and it's got the Rodenstock Karat-Heligon. It will be interesting to compare the Solinar Tessar to the Heligon Planar. Once again, thanks for the photos.

PF