MrRanger
Rangefinder Jockey
Hello all! My name is Mike and I am a long time amateur (emphasis on "amateur") photographer who has collected, used and abused many different types of cameras. I have bought and sold, broke and fixed more cameras than I care to remember. I have NO formal training in either camera repair OR photography - I just do it cause I like it!
I have acquired a Argus C44-R, my first Argus, that is actually in excellent condition body-wise with the standard f2.8 50mm Argus lens. Of course, it still needed a cleaning inside and out including the inside of the viewfinder windows. I got the top deck removed and cleaned the inside and the mirror. Also re-glued the front viewfinder bezel as it fell out when I removed the top deck.
Proud of my accomplishment, I reassembled the camera looking forward to loading film in it for some test shots. As I assembled the quick wind lever, return spring and screw, I noticed that I couldn't seem to tighten the screw. Further inspection showed that I had BROKEN the lever screw when I took it out! (Seems like an awfully tiny screw for the amount of pressure you put on the wind lever)
Anyway, I'm crusing Ebay trying to find a beater I can use for parts. Looks like I'm going to need the lever screw and the ring gear on the wind mechanism. Maybe it would be easier just to replace the entire wind mechanism. One way or another I am going to fix this beauty, even if I do have to pay Ebay prices. Anybody happen to have a C44 with the rapid wind mechanism in their junk pile?
Thanks for letting me ramble on
Mike
Mudman
Well-known
A shame to have bricked a brick's cousin. Hope you get it running!
MrRanger
Rangefinder Jockey
Thanks Mudman! I won't even say the words that erupted when I found that I had broken that screw :bang: I don't know why but I was really drawn to this camera so I'm going to get it running one way or the other!
Mike
Mike
Perry_B
Member
That is a left-hand thread screw (and made of brass), and it will break easily if turned the wrong way. Is the screw on your camera removable, or sheared off in the shaft? I have a junk C44r (bad shutter but intact wind mechanism) that you can have if you would like to try a transplant. Send me a PM if so.
There is a good set of instructions for the C44r top plate removal and replacement here: https://www.rangefinderforum.com/classics/forum/messages/15681/13079.html?1219929724
There is a good set of instructions for the C44r top plate removal and replacement here: https://www.rangefinderforum.com/classics/forum/messages/15681/13079.html?1219929724
MrRanger
Rangefinder Jockey
Duh-O! :bang: That was exactly what I did! Can't get the rest of the screw out, sent you a PM...
farlymac
PF McFarland
Here's a thought. If you have a Dremel tool, you could use one of the small drill bits that either come with the tool, or in an auxiliary package, by drilling what is left of the screw normally to a shallow hole (not all the way through), then using a bit the next size up reverse the drill. It might grab a purchase on the screw, and back it out of the shaft.
PF
PF
MrRanger
Rangefinder Jockey
Actually, that might work although it is a mighty small screw hole. Of course, then you would have to source a small screw to match. I was contacted by a member here and was offered a donor C44 so thanks to his kindness I will just replace the wind mechanism. Thanks for the idea farlymac!
Mike
farlymac
PF McFarland
It's always good to see someone wanting to get an Argus up and running again. Hope the repairs go well, Mike.
PF
PF
MrRanger
Rangefinder Jockey
Argus C-44R resurrection!
Argus C-44R resurrection!
Hello again Ladies and Gentlemen! This is an update on my original posting “New” Argus c-44R, in which I admitted my stupidity in breaking the wind lever screw because I didn't know it was a LEFT HAND THREAD. With the help of a kind member, Perry_B who sent me a donor C-44 I have able to successfully revive my C-44R. Notice the note of encouragement that Perry sent with the camera -
This is the part in question that I needed –
It is a lovely machined brass piece the is press fit into the camera body. A real challenge (at least for me) to remove and replace.
This is not a step by step tutorial. This is just to show you the areas of the camera in question and how to get to them. First, of course, is the removal on the camera's top deck (not going into that, it is fairly simple, says the guy who broke his camera doing just that!). Once the top deck is off you will see the brass colored Counter Plate Assembly-
And other side -
You will remove the three screws holding the Counter Plate Assembly and lift it off. After you remove the Plate you need to remove the two small springs – the Pivot Plate Spring and the Ring Gear Brake Spring on either side of the Ring Gear housing-
Once you get those springs corralled, you can remove the white plastic Stop Plate, the Counter Dial Gear, the Counter Idler Gear and the Pivot Plate Assembly and Ring Gear which are removed as a unit. You can find these parts in the parts diagrams on the Argus Collectors Group Forum - https://www.arguscg.org/
Once you remove all that, you have exposed the object of my search, the Ring Gear Mount -
Now comes the fun part. To remove the Ring Gear Mount, you must first remove the Film Takeup Spool -
How do you do that, you ask? Well, do you see that triangular shaped piece at the bottom of the Takeup Spool? -
That has to be removed. How do you remove that? You have to scrape off the leatherette from the front left hand side (facing the camera) -
You will see two screw heads if you look real hard. You only need to remove the one on the left. With that, the Spool and Support Block will fall right out! And I do mean fall out. You want to be careful because there are two very small silver spacers and a spring that are in the center of the Spool. They usually stay inside of the Spool, but they might fall out. Then remove the Friction Disk, Sun Gear and white plastic Thrust Washer.
Now you can see up into the bottom of the Ring Gear Mount -
You will need to get a brass punch or wooden dowel that will fit into that hole and with a small hammer, carefully but forcefully hit that punch or dowel until you pop the Ring Gear mount out.
Of course now, I had to repeat the above procedures to remove the damaged Ring Gear Mount on my C-44. The only difference was that now that I knew the location of the screw that I need to remove the Takeup Spool, I just cut a small square of leatherette from over the screw head and then glued it back on when I was done -
After I beat out the old Ring Gear Mount I just tapped the donor Ring Gear mount in using a brass punch and hammer VERY carefully. After that, just had to reassemble the camera and VIOLA! It LIVES!
Mike
Argus C-44R resurrection!
Hello again Ladies and Gentlemen! This is an update on my original posting “New” Argus c-44R, in which I admitted my stupidity in breaking the wind lever screw because I didn't know it was a LEFT HAND THREAD. With the help of a kind member, Perry_B who sent me a donor C-44 I have able to successfully revive my C-44R. Notice the note of encouragement that Perry sent with the camera -
This is the part in question that I needed –
It is a lovely machined brass piece the is press fit into the camera body. A real challenge (at least for me) to remove and replace.
This is not a step by step tutorial. This is just to show you the areas of the camera in question and how to get to them. First, of course, is the removal on the camera's top deck (not going into that, it is fairly simple, says the guy who broke his camera doing just that!). Once the top deck is off you will see the brass colored Counter Plate Assembly-
And other side -
You will remove the three screws holding the Counter Plate Assembly and lift it off. After you remove the Plate you need to remove the two small springs – the Pivot Plate Spring and the Ring Gear Brake Spring on either side of the Ring Gear housing-
Once you get those springs corralled, you can remove the white plastic Stop Plate, the Counter Dial Gear, the Counter Idler Gear and the Pivot Plate Assembly and Ring Gear which are removed as a unit. You can find these parts in the parts diagrams on the Argus Collectors Group Forum - https://www.arguscg.org/
Once you remove all that, you have exposed the object of my search, the Ring Gear Mount -
Now comes the fun part. To remove the Ring Gear Mount, you must first remove the Film Takeup Spool -
How do you do that, you ask? Well, do you see that triangular shaped piece at the bottom of the Takeup Spool? -
That has to be removed. How do you remove that? You have to scrape off the leatherette from the front left hand side (facing the camera) -
You will see two screw heads if you look real hard. You only need to remove the one on the left. With that, the Spool and Support Block will fall right out! And I do mean fall out. You want to be careful because there are two very small silver spacers and a spring that are in the center of the Spool. They usually stay inside of the Spool, but they might fall out. Then remove the Friction Disk, Sun Gear and white plastic Thrust Washer.
Now you can see up into the bottom of the Ring Gear Mount -
You will need to get a brass punch or wooden dowel that will fit into that hole and with a small hammer, carefully but forcefully hit that punch or dowel until you pop the Ring Gear mount out.
Of course now, I had to repeat the above procedures to remove the damaged Ring Gear Mount on my C-44. The only difference was that now that I knew the location of the screw that I need to remove the Takeup Spool, I just cut a small square of leatherette from over the screw head and then glued it back on when I was done -
After I beat out the old Ring Gear Mount I just tapped the donor Ring Gear mount in using a brass punch and hammer VERY carefully. After that, just had to reassemble the camera and VIOLA! It LIVES!
Mike
Perry_B
Member
Nice job! That model of Argus is one of their nicest cameras, IMO.
Perry
Perry
MrRanger
Rangefinder Jockey
I agree Perry! That's why I REALLY wanted to try and save it. Now I need to get film in it and take pictures!
Mike