Braun Super Paxette - cleaning VF / RF ?

[Luddite Frank]

So, I got bitten by the "Braun bug", and am now accumulating Super Paxettes.

Am trying to clean one up as a b-day present for a collector friend.


Camera is basically in very good cosmetic condition, fully functional and all that.

But there's some schmutz on the inside faces of the front VF and RF windows...

Any way to get in there and clean it up ?

Does the VF eyepiece unscrew from the back of the top plate ?

The biggest offender is a "crumb" of something right inside the circular mask for the RF window...

Thanks !

Luddite Frank

 

[Grytpype]

I'm assuming this is one of the original type Super-Paxettes? I should think you'll have to take the top cover off. It's a very long time since I did it, and I don't appear to have made notes, but as far as I can remember it's pretty straighforward once you have taken off the rewind knob and the wind-lever.

One tip though: Do NOT take the centre screw out of the wind-lever assembly! It will spring apart and it is a ******* to put back together. Take off the plate that holds the bottom of the take-up spool. There is a spring-loaded part that will try to escape from the bottom of the sprocket-spindle - hold it in with a bit of sticky tape (or put the plate back). Take out the spool and remove the centre-screw in the bottom of the wind-lever assembly (it controls the tension of the take-up clutch). At the right-hand front of the rangefinder housing you should be able to see a slot which is where the outer end of the return-spring for the wind-lever fits. Pull it out forward with a bit of thin wire, and you can lift off the wind-lever assembly intact.

It sounds complicated but it is easier than reassembling the wind-lever components!

Steve.

 

[Luddite Frank]

Thanks Steve, especially the bit about the center screw atop the wind knob - it's very tempting !

Camera in question is the first Paxette to have an integral, coupled RF.


I have read posts along the way about some Super Paxettes having the top cover glued-on, and that they are nearly impossible to service. Perhaps these are the later cameras with the integral light meter?

I noticed a screw through the top plate under the rewind knob, presuming there's a twin under the wind knob/lever...

Don't want to wreck this exmaple...

 

[Grytpype]

We are definitely talking about the same camera, then. Once the rewind-knob and the wind/cocking lever are off I think it's just the screw you have seen and a couple on the cocking side (plus a clip on the rewind spindle) and the top is off - definitely not glued on! There may be some light-seal black yarn, but this should stay where it is. Incidentally, if you need to adjust the RF, there is a little knurled wheel near to where the removable plug at the right rear of the top cover would be - hard to see with the camera assembled because everything in there is matt black, but easy with the top off.

 

[Luddite Frank]

Here's a pic of the camera in question ( should have included this with my initial post !!! )

 

[Grytpype]

That's the one. It will be a nice camera with the Tessar. It's the Super Paxette II (see http://www.ukcamera.com/classic_cameras/braun1.htm).

 

[Penny Lane]

HUGE bump on this one, but it goes to show the importance of the information that's put up on this forum - Gryptype's post gave me the crucial bit of information to get the Super Paxette I had lying around in shape. RF had stopped working. The arm's pivot had got stuck, as had the transfer pin inside the body. Once I knew how the wind lever comes off without creating a problem, it was a pretty straight-forward fix 😎 So: thanks for the tip!

Derk