Kodak Signet 40 rewind crank

[farlymac]

Anybody that knows how to get the rewind crank out of a Signet 40, besides the usual stick-and-twist method? I can't get mine to come apart, and am beginning to think Kodak came up with some design that negates the tried-and-true way of doing things.

I need to get the top off to clean the viewfinder, otherwise I'm shooting blind.

PF

 

[John Robertson]

did you check whether its left or right hand thread

 

[farlymac]

John, I darn near took the skin off my fingers trying to turn it both ways. Tried a jar opener because it has a rubber lining that wouldn't mar the rim of the crank, and it couldn't budge it. I'm considering buying the repair manual, but would rather spare myself the expense.

PF

 

[former member]

Are there any screws down the middle of the shaft? I have seen that one before. Set Screws in the handle?

I do not have a 40, only a Signet 80. It is different. But I have seen strange rewind cranks.

 

[Spavinaw]

I have an old Signet 40. I just pried the cover off the top of the rewind crank. The shaft is attached to the top of the crank like a rivet. That is, the tip of the shaft protrudes through a hole in the rewind top plate, and then the tip of the shaft is spread out. No easy way to get them apart. Are you just trying to get the screw out that is under the top of the rewind crank or have you already done that? If you are trying to get the screw out, then carefully pry off the cover with a knife, drill a hole over the screw head, put a screwdriver through the hole , and remove the screw. Reassemble with contact cement and the hole will never be seen. Hope this helps.

 

[farlymac]

Now thats a solution, Spavinaw. Simple, but elegant. Will give it a shot sometime in the next few days, and let you all know how things work out. Or I could get a small right angle screwdriver, but I don't think they make them in the size I would need, so the drill-and-cover method seems the best way. I'll include photos of the operation on my next post.

PF

 

[farlymac]

I finally got tired of looking at the Signet just sitting there on the shelf, and started looking through my old tools for a small right-angle screwdriver. Could have swore I've got one somewhere. No luck there, but I did find an Allen wrench that had been twisted on something that would not budge, so I whacked the twisted part off, then filed down what was left to make a screw blade. Worked like a charm.

Two screws, and the whole top comes of with the rewind crank . Ten minutes later, and the camera was back in operating condition, and I could now see through the viewfinder. I made sure not to try to clean the mirrors, as I've read too many horror stories of ruined surfaces. I just took a soft brush, and some blown air to them, as they looked pretty good anyway. But the viewfinder windows were another matter. What a load of gunk left on the Q-tips! One thing to look out for, you have to make sure that you hold the pawl lever for the film counter to one side with a small screwdriver so it clears the bottom of the counter while putting the top back on.

This is a beautiful camera, and I think it is one of Kodaks better designs, mechanically, and artistically. The only thing it lacks is an accessory shoe.

I'll post the repair photos after the first of the month, when my Flickr account opens back up (I maxed out my uploads this month). Guess I'll have to go 'Pro' to take care of that little problem.

PF

 

[Spavinaw]

Glad you got it fixed. Enjoy!

 

[farlymac]

As promised, the pics from the clean-up detail on the Signet 40.


6) Beauty shot by br1078phot, on Flickr

Click on photo to see the rest of the set

And a test shot from before the clean-up


3_Incoming! by br1078phot, on Flickr

PF

 

[ZeissFan]

Can you show in a photo where those screws are located?

 

[farlymac]

Mike, the scews are on the top of the camera, one of them being under the rewind crank as shown in the teardown photos on Flickr.

PF

 

[ZeissFan]

Ah, I see now. Thanks. I have the same camera with the same issue -- dirty viewfinder. Plus, I have the additional benefit of having a number scratched into the metal of the top deck.

I like how you made your own tool. I had to make a special tool once, as well. I cut down a nickel, because it was the correct diameter, and it was a very hard metal.

 

[farlymac]

Mike,

I used to repair signal equipment for the railroad, and we were always making our own tools to get into spots that nothing else would reach. And it didn't help that the stuff we were working on was older than most of us, some of the manufacturers were no longer in business, and you couldn't get the special tools anymore.

I just finished making an indicator/pointer/adjuster for the aperture settings on an Ikomat 520 that I got from someone who fancied himself a camera repairman. Fabricated it out of part of an old computer hard drive that I dismantled for recycling the electronics. Also had to dig out the set screw from the focusing ring that he buggered up. What is nice about this camera is the set screws actually go into holes, not just friction holding things together, so I can get away with only two of the three screws. Now I need to find a 31.5mm push-on to Series V adapter so I can mount filters on it. I've got one for Series VI, but it gets in the way of things, and I didn't see any push-on filters in that size for sale. I figure that it wasn't one of Zeiss's standard lens diameters, as they quickly abandoned the Ikomat name in favor of Ikonta, and may have redesigned the lens barrels/focusing rings.

A quick and dirty way to make a spanner for a lens with very narrow slots is to take a utility knife blade, grind down the sharp edge (for safety), and cut the other edge to fit into the width of the lens ring while clearing the outer rim of the lens. A Dremel tool with a cutting wheel works great for this. Just cleaned up an Argus A2B lens using that method. I need to find something to clamp the blade into though so I don't hurt myself. Even with the sharp edge ground down, and some corners cut off, it could still inflict some damage on soft tissue.

PF