Semushkin
Established
Comrades,
Following the intructions from Comrade wolves3012, I opened the Trudkommuna which could not advance film:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53441
The pressure plate was the culprit. Here it is in the correct position:
pic.1 (see below)
As you see is not perfectly circular but has a tongue with a slot in it that is supposed to be kept in place by a screw. This orients the hole correctly. The hole is a left-over from the earlier models that had a plug in the back that was supposed to align with this hole. As Comrade wolves3012 pointed out, they discontinued the plug before the hole!
Anyway, the tongue had slip over the screw in my camera, raising the top part of the pressure plate, and pressing it against the top rail. It happened again when I tried to reassemble the camera but finally I got it right. I also flattened the springs a little to decrease the pressure of the plate. Film now advances very smoothly. The shutter crate seems clean, the screws fit well with the shell, the curtains look new with metal laths (apparently the originals should not have them), the speeds seem fine. Shutter gears are clean if a little under-lubricated. The claim by the seller (rusfoto) that the camera had been CLA'd is probably true, and the plate was probaly placed wrong during post-CLA reassembly.
The seller incidentally immediately offered to solve the problem when I was at a loss yesterday.
I also discovered the numbers 29 IX 7 scratched on the side of the crate:
pic. 2 (see below)
The Russians customarily use Roman numerals for the month in dates, so this is quite probably a date.
Is it perhaps the date of the last CLA, 29 Sept. 2007 ?
However, the scratches look old and they are rusted (not obvious from the photo). So another possibility is a production date, scratched by a communard in the Dzerzhinsky Commune: 29 Sept. 1937: This theory has the following evidence in favor:
1) Actually, in Sovet timepieces produced in the first decade of Soviet watch production (the Thirties), the production year is stamped on the movement with only the last digit of the year, so 7 is 1937, 4 is 1934 etc. From 1940 on, they switched to 2 digits. In that case the 7 would stand for 1937. The camera serial number, 48XXX indicates 1937 production from the Oscar Fricke data.
2) The scratches are rusty and look quite old. Would it have rusted since last september?
3) The cursive style of the 7 with the curved top looks old as well.
Have any of you encountered something like this in old FEDs? The production date theory is perhaps a little far fetched but more fun than the CLA date theory.
When I got the camera and could not load film I was quite upset. After all this I ended up enjoying myself considerably!
The Trudkommuna is loaded with B&W 400 and the first shots have been fired!
Following the intructions from Comrade wolves3012, I opened the Trudkommuna which could not advance film:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53441
The pressure plate was the culprit. Here it is in the correct position:
pic.1 (see below)
As you see is not perfectly circular but has a tongue with a slot in it that is supposed to be kept in place by a screw. This orients the hole correctly. The hole is a left-over from the earlier models that had a plug in the back that was supposed to align with this hole. As Comrade wolves3012 pointed out, they discontinued the plug before the hole!
Anyway, the tongue had slip over the screw in my camera, raising the top part of the pressure plate, and pressing it against the top rail. It happened again when I tried to reassemble the camera but finally I got it right. I also flattened the springs a little to decrease the pressure of the plate. Film now advances very smoothly. The shutter crate seems clean, the screws fit well with the shell, the curtains look new with metal laths (apparently the originals should not have them), the speeds seem fine. Shutter gears are clean if a little under-lubricated. The claim by the seller (rusfoto) that the camera had been CLA'd is probably true, and the plate was probaly placed wrong during post-CLA reassembly.
The seller incidentally immediately offered to solve the problem when I was at a loss yesterday.
I also discovered the numbers 29 IX 7 scratched on the side of the crate:
pic. 2 (see below)
The Russians customarily use Roman numerals for the month in dates, so this is quite probably a date.
Is it perhaps the date of the last CLA, 29 Sept. 2007 ?
However, the scratches look old and they are rusted (not obvious from the photo). So another possibility is a production date, scratched by a communard in the Dzerzhinsky Commune: 29 Sept. 1937: This theory has the following evidence in favor:
1) Actually, in Sovet timepieces produced in the first decade of Soviet watch production (the Thirties), the production year is stamped on the movement with only the last digit of the year, so 7 is 1937, 4 is 1934 etc. From 1940 on, they switched to 2 digits. In that case the 7 would stand for 1937. The camera serial number, 48XXX indicates 1937 production from the Oscar Fricke data.
2) The scratches are rusty and look quite old. Would it have rusted since last september?
3) The cursive style of the 7 with the curved top looks old as well.
Have any of you encountered something like this in old FEDs? The production date theory is perhaps a little far fetched but more fun than the CLA date theory.
When I got the camera and could not load film I was quite upset. After all this I ended up enjoying myself considerably!
The Trudkommuna is loaded with B&W 400 and the first shots have been fired!
Attachments
Last edited:
Mr_Flibble
In Tabulas Argenteas Refero
Well done on fixing your NKVD! 
No idea about the code/date though.
No idea about the code/date though.
QUAsit
Established
Thoughts about 29.09.1937 are correct
Semushkin
Established
QUAsit said:
Happy to hear that. Have you seen other Soviet cameras with assembly/production date scratched inside? It would be very interesting to know.
Thanks
Semushkin
TVphotog
Television Grunt
I think that some of my Kievs have dates scratched on the shutter crates. I know that two of my oldest have numbers scratched into the crates, but I don't have them on hand to check the numbers to see if they fit in with your theory. I will check this evening.
Semushkin
Established
TVphotog said:
That would be very nice Comrade. We can the check with the serial numbers (first 2 digits are year, no?). Eagerly awaiting news of your findings!
Semushkin
tomaas
Member
three pictures from fed 1 43xxx.
date?
pic 1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24432469@N04/3024857433/in/photostream/
date?
pic 1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24432469@N04/3024857433/in/photostream/
tomaas
Member
tomaas
Member
fanshaw
Well-known
I have just dismantled an old Fed, having a pressure plate with the hole. I can't see any date marks scratched on the shutter crate.
wolves3012
Veteran
I'm going to be replacing the curtains in my NKVD before long, I'll keep an eye open for any internal scratches and let you know if I find any. I'll also be taking a close look at the pressure plate, it does have a hole like yours does.
dll927
Well-known
Just be careful which calendar they are following. The Soviets were sometimes using ones that don't correspond to ours.
Having been around these forums and others for a while by now, I 'm (sort of) getting used to un-American ways of listing dates. We usually put month/day/year. But when I see something starting with 17, let's say, I know somebody used a different method. Last I heard, there are only 12 months in a year, so I know the first two are reversed. But it still catches me sometimes. But is 4-9-08 April ninth or September fourth? To me, it's April 9th!! I suppose as long as I'm not investigating criminal activity it really doesn't make much difference.
Having been around these forums and others for a while by now, I 'm (sort of) getting used to un-American ways of listing dates. We usually put month/day/year. But when I see something starting with 17, let's say, I know somebody used a different method. Last I heard, there are only 12 months in a year, so I know the first two are reversed. But it still catches me sometimes. But is 4-9-08 April ninth or September fourth? To me, it's April 9th!! I suppose as long as I'm not investigating criminal activity it really doesn't make much difference.
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bcostin
Well-known
This is an interesting discussion. I haven't needed to disassemble my FED NKVD and hadn't looked for any numbers inside until now.
The serial number stamped on the top plate is 27813. Scratched into the side of the shutter crate are the numbers "29/8"; I don't see any others. This camera also came with a FED-50 collapsible lens with the number "2314" inscribed in the chrome of the focus ring.
The serial number stamped on the top plate is 27813. Scratched into the side of the shutter crate are the numbers "29/8"; I don't see any others. This camera also came with a FED-50 collapsible lens with the number "2314" inscribed in the chrome of the focus ring.
wolves3012
Veteran
I've just finished the overhaul on my NKVD (finally). New curtains and a new half-mirror. After a couple of hitches it's all working nicely. I had a look for markings and only found a couple - the pressure plate is marked 9 1 49 (1949, presumably) and there's a 22 scratched on the side of the crate (same place as in the photos above) and something else has been obliterated. Serial number of mine suggests a 1939 but for sure it's been apart before and could well be a "Frankenstein" job.
Semushkin
Established
Or it (9-1-49) could be the date of a service or repair
wolves3012
Veteran
One other thing of interest I found in this camera is that the speed selector is drilled with a hole for 1/1000th second. The only thing that prevents it being used is the shape of the upper part of the speed selector (the part you actually move with the dial). A few minutes work with a file would make the speed accessible, although I've no experience of the FED-S to know if (a) it's reliable and (b) if there were other differences on the "S" version to make it work better.
wolves3012
Veteran
It could be but I have no way to know. The scratchings on the crate have been deliberately scratched out so all I have to go on is the serial number - that dates it to late-ish 1939. The serial number is on the top plate and could obviously have come from another camera. All it leaves me knowing is that the top plate is from 1939!
Semushkin
Established
You can never know for sure (unless you know some things about original/previous owners) but it is fun making theories. Seems like you have a very interesting NKVD, Comrade wolves3012. Shoot it a lot and enjoy it!