FED 3B shutter

[Mauro]

I am a happy owner of a FED3B, but yesterday I discovered - while checking it with the back open - that at 1/60 speed, sometimes the second curtain does not complete its run and stop few millimeters before reaching the left side.
It happens only at 1/60 and not always: I would like to read your comments on it, and any tips about the best way for fixing it.

Thanks for your help!

 

[wolves3012]

Presumably the first curtain is completing its travel ok? Once the 2nd curtain is actually released there's only the tension roller pulling it along via the tapes. The curtain drum is on a shaft that rotates for the first curtain (so friction there can foul it on slower speeds or drag it along on faster ones) as can debris in the path of the laths or low tension on the tension roller.

1/60th happens to be the fastest of what are, technically, the slow speeds and I wonder if there's some implication to that. First check the obvious, that the laths aren't fouled (probably won't be if the first curtain moves properly). Next I'd go for some lube on the release mechanism and look for anything fouling the path of that. I'd also lube the bearing for the second curtain release and the drum itself where it sits on the first curtain shaft. Both the latter are likely not to have been lubed for some time and both are awkward to get at - you need a precision lubricator or an old hypodermic and some care! Major disassembly isn't required beyond taking the top cover off. One other thing to look at is the shutter-cocked catch (ok, I'm making the names up!) in the bottom of the camera - it sits on the lower end of the curtain drum. I recall that this has a slight detent as you start to wind, but I think it would affect the first curtain not the second.

I can't think of anything else at this point...

 

[fidget]

Is it ok on a 30th and when released in the B setting?

 

[Spyderman]

Technically on FED 3 the 1/60 is one of the fast speeds. It's Zorki 4 & Co. that have 1/60 implemented with use of the slow speeds escapement...

If I were you I'd try first flush the curtain roller axes with lighter fluid, then after it evaporates a slight drop of oil to the axes. If this doesn't help I'd try increasing the tension, but that'll make the camera difficult to wind and loud...

 

[Mauro]

Dear friends,
many thanks to you all! Yesterday evening I worked on my beloved FED, and it seems that my efforts got the target.
I used a graphite oil (very few drop with an hypodermic) on the roller axes and on the gears connected to the winding lever: the problem has disappeared and the camera is less noisy when winding.
By the way, it happened with the 1/60 only, all other speeds worked well.
I will load a roll this weekend for testing it, but I am confident that now it is ok (I cocked and released the shutter so many times yesterday evening trying to hear to the different shutter sounds).
Thank you very much, you have helped me to have a happier weekend!

 

[Spyderman]

Good to hear that! FED 3b is the M3 of FSU cameras - enjoy it 😉

 

[wolves3012]

Glad you have it sorted - now go use it 🙂

 

[gb hill]

Hi Mauro, Glad to see that you got the camera fixed. My Fed 2 did exactally the same thing. It would only stick on 60 of sec. All other speeds were fine. In my case oiling the camera was only a tempory fix. But the problem is easy to fix. Go to top of the russian rf page and you will see sticky on adjusting curtain tension by fidget. Follow the instructions by adjusting the 2 screws on bottom of the camera and that will fix it.