Bolsey Jubilee - disassembly

[pschauss]

I have a Bolsey Jubilee which I got for $10. I have not tested it with film yet but it appears that everything works except for the rangefinder. How do you get the top off it? Looking inside, I found two screws, one in the take up spool chamber and another in a similar spot on the other side, but there appears to be something else holding top on as well.

Thanks,

 

[rick oleson]

@^##%$. I can't believe I don't have any notes on Bolsey. Have you removed the wind and rewind knobs?

 

[rick oleson]

OK, here we go (based on a B2, hopefully they're close enough):

1. Remove the wind and rewind knobs. NOTE: each knob has TWO set screws, one inside the other. You need to fully remove the first screw, reach into the hole and loosen the second in order to lift the knob off. Note also: the frame counter dial stays attached to the top cover.

2. Pull the rewind shaft out from the bottom (it doesn't prevent disassembly but it kind of drags on things if you leave it in)

3. Remove the 2 screws you mentioned from the bottom.

Now the top will lift straight up. The only thing still holding it is the flash sync wire.

 

[pschauss]

@^##%$. I can't believe I don't have any notes on Bolsey. Have you removed the wind and rewind knobs?

It isn't obvious how they come off. I don't see any set screws holding them on.

 

[rick oleson]

Hmm. The earlier models have set screws in the outer face of the knobs. Have you tried to unscrew the knobs?

 

[pschauss]

Hmm. The earlier models have set screws in the outer face of the knobs. Have you tried to unscrew the knobs?

The knobs do unscrew. The advance knob is a left hand thread, the other is right hand. I have both of the off now, along with the two screws in the film feed and take up chambers. There is, however, still something holding the cover on the left hand side (looking at back of the camera).

It feels like something in the hole that the flash screws into might be the what is keeping the top from coming off at this point. Is it possible that there is something in that hole which needs to be pushed in?

 

[rick oleson]

That is possible; unfortunately I haven't been inside a Jubilee, and the B2 doesn't have that obstruction. For what it's worth, here's what the B2 looks like:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vxqp9aoomic7dlz/B2 top cover.pdf?dl=0

 

[pschauss]

Rick,

The drawing is helpful. Is the fork on the rewind shaft supposed to come off when I remove knob? On my Jubilee it does not and I suspect that may be what is keeping the top from coming off.

 

[rick oleson]

In the B2, the rewind shaft has a friction snap ring in a groove about halfway down the shaft. The friction of this restricts removal of the top cover, and it also makes it a bit more difficult than expected to remove the shaft. I used a light tap with a hammer on a pin punch to drive the shaft out of the camera, after which the top cover came off easily. On reinstallation, the snap ring may also interfere with insertion back into the hole in the chassis. I used a pair of long nose pliers to squeeze it down to get it started. I'm not sure it wouldn't be OK to just remove that ring to make the shaft easier to install, I don't think I've seen that on most other cameras.

 

[pschauss]

Rick,

It was the shaft for the rewind fork. I gave it a light tap with a hammer and nailset, it came right out and the top came off easily. Now I can see that the reason that the rangefinder does not work is that the half mirror on the right side is missing. When I opened the top, a few glass fragments fell out which, I suspect were from the mirror.

 

[rick oleson]

Great news! Glad you got in there.

 

[charjohncarter]

Rick, you have CLA'd a camera for me and sold me a 6x6 screen. But that is small potatoes compared to your knowledge. The screen and 35RC work great, cheers.

 

[rick oleson]

Rick, you have CLA'd a camera for me and sold me a 6x6 screen. But that is small potatoes compared to your knowledge. The screen and 35RC work great, cheers.

Thanks! Cheers yourself 🙂