KoNickon
Nick Merritt
I had sitting in a box a humble Canon TLb that I'd put away some time ago, probably because the meter didn't work and it wasn't particularly "special" enough to warrant more attention. I remembered why it was there as soon as I put it up to my eye -- a large black squarish patch in the lower right portion of the viewfinder, probably some errant foam from the prism housing. Distracting, but outside the center microprism and so I can look past it. And, the meter seems working and accurate. (1 second, 1/2 and 1/8 don't work, but I don't use those, honestly.)
Looking around at various repair videos (all about the FTb), it appeared to be pretty easy to get the top cover off and to remove the prism to get at the offending blob. Unlike the full-featured FTb, there's no hotshoe, so no wires to worry about in removing the cover. I was worried about removing the shutter/film speed dial, but setting it to 1/500 and ASA 25 removes spring tension from the settings, according to the online videos, and sure enough, no problems there.
I figured that removing the film advance lever would be straightforward, and indeed the videos I saw indicated you just needed to remove the cover with a spanner wrench and the rest would be easy. One reply to one of the videos said that the FTb is covered in some detail in Tomosy's camera repair book. I have that book and read the relevant pages, but he was talking about there being set screws under the cover that had to be loosened in order to remove the lefthand-threaded locknut (?!). Surely he was wrong -- and anyway, I've found he kind of glosses over things for an amateur like me. But no, he was right -- there they were, and I couldn't budge them for love nor money. Removing the cover was more difficult than it should have been, because someone had applied contact cement to it in reinstalling it, which of course got on the set screw heads too. The screw heads looked pretty bad; I wonder whether whoever was in there might have mangled them.
So, defeated, I closed everything back up. I may try some acetone to see if that will remove any remaining contact cement, but if the screw heads are trashed, there's not much to be done. I had the dark thought of getting a sturdier spanner wrench and just forcing the locknut loose -- but that would be wrong....
I have an essentially functional camera. There's no way sending this to a professional would be worth it (and I'd hate to impose this problem on anyone -- don't know what they could do anyway). But, so close yet so far.
Thanks for reading.
Looking around at various repair videos (all about the FTb), it appeared to be pretty easy to get the top cover off and to remove the prism to get at the offending blob. Unlike the full-featured FTb, there's no hotshoe, so no wires to worry about in removing the cover. I was worried about removing the shutter/film speed dial, but setting it to 1/500 and ASA 25 removes spring tension from the settings, according to the online videos, and sure enough, no problems there.
I figured that removing the film advance lever would be straightforward, and indeed the videos I saw indicated you just needed to remove the cover with a spanner wrench and the rest would be easy. One reply to one of the videos said that the FTb is covered in some detail in Tomosy's camera repair book. I have that book and read the relevant pages, but he was talking about there being set screws under the cover that had to be loosened in order to remove the lefthand-threaded locknut (?!). Surely he was wrong -- and anyway, I've found he kind of glosses over things for an amateur like me. But no, he was right -- there they were, and I couldn't budge them for love nor money. Removing the cover was more difficult than it should have been, because someone had applied contact cement to it in reinstalling it, which of course got on the set screw heads too. The screw heads looked pretty bad; I wonder whether whoever was in there might have mangled them.
So, defeated, I closed everything back up. I may try some acetone to see if that will remove any remaining contact cement, but if the screw heads are trashed, there's not much to be done. I had the dark thought of getting a sturdier spanner wrench and just forcing the locknut loose -- but that would be wrong....
I have an essentially functional camera. There's no way sending this to a professional would be worth it (and I'd hate to impose this problem on anyone -- don't know what they could do anyway). But, so close yet so far.
Thanks for reading.
GMOG
Well-known
Get the goo off of those screw heads and take a look. Then you'll really know how good/bad they are. If they are really bad drill the heads off and extract the remains after you get it apart. A ball burr would be even better (Got Dremel?). If the part the steel threads are in is brass you can use acid to remove them, assuming they don't just turn out. I've used sulfuric acid from a car battery to do this. You only need the acid to loosen the remains, not necessarily to dissolve them away entirely.
I ran into a badly rusted screw head on the '30 Ia I'm in the middle of now. The ball burr cut away the remains of the head to the point I could get the top off the shell but I still need to remove the remains of the screw.
I ran into a badly rusted screw head on the '30 Ia I'm in the middle of now. The ball burr cut away the remains of the head to the point I could get the top off the shell but I still need to remove the remains of the screw.
JSteed#2
Established
Just to make you feel better, i tried to replace the advance lever on my Leicaflex SL myself. Found diagrams, figured "I can do this." Wrong. I never got the shutter speed dial off but managed to disconnect so that it remained in place but no longer controlled shutter speeds...just turned.....So i spent the money. Hope itis some consolation.
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
I don't have a Dremel, no, but you're right that it could come to something like that. (I do have a birthday coming up....) Never thought about acid dissolving the screws (and yes, the lock screw itself does appear to be brass). I will go in with some better solvent, and maybe some penetrating oil if indeed the threads are usable.
I have to tell you that your picture freaks me out a little -- I'm having root canal work next week.
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
Thanks for this. I feel your pain. I should have the attitude of, it's just an inanimate object, but the medical injunction "first, do no harm" always comes to mind.
DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
If you value this camera, bundle all the bits into small plastic bags, and take the entire lot to a good repair shop, to have someone who knows what they are doing put it back together. It will cost, but it's a basic truism that all good lessons in life tend to come with a price.
CoNickon, as for root canal treatment, rest assured that the thoughts of what will be going on far outrace what will actually be happening on the chair. Consider asking the dental specialist for extra anesthetic or even ongoing Happy Gas (nitrous oxide) treatment, and flip up the chairtop mirror so you can't see what is going on. Think positive thoughts throughout, or mentally imagine someone you dislike or despise to be getting the treatment...
You will survive it. And OP, it may not be any consolation that your Canon repair bill will likely be akin to the cost of your first root canal session.
However, you both will survive, and that is the important thing. My best wishes to the two of you.
CoNickon, as for root canal treatment, rest assured that the thoughts of what will be going on far outrace what will actually be happening on the chair. Consider asking the dental specialist for extra anesthetic or even ongoing Happy Gas (nitrous oxide) treatment, and flip up the chairtop mirror so you can't see what is going on. Think positive thoughts throughout, or mentally imagine someone you dislike or despise to be getting the treatment...
You will survive it. And OP, it may not be any consolation that your Canon repair bill will likely be akin to the cost of your first root canal session.
However, you both will survive, and that is the important thing. My best wishes to the two of you.
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
Thanks! I'm both the Canon owner and the one about to undergo the root canal.
CMur12
Veteran
Thanks! I'm both the Canon owner and the one about to undergo the root canal.
Nick, I had a root canal with ample novocaine and nitrous oxide: Piece of cake!
It took a while though. Part way through, I needed to use the restroom. As I got unsteadily to my feet, I couldn't remember where the restroom was! (Actually, the lapse was only momentary.)
The camera will cost a lot less. I don't think in terms of absolute value (what one might get for it on the auction site). I think about what the camera means to me, the fact that it will be in top operating condition, and that I'm saving another camera for film posterity.
Go forth, ask for nitrous, and get the camera fixed!
- Murray
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
Words to live by!Nick, I had a root canal with ample novocaine and nitrous oxide: Piece of cake!
It took a while though. Part way through, I needed to use the restroom. As I got unsteadily to my feet, I couldn't remember where the restroom was! (Actually, the lapse was only momentary.)
The camera will cost a lot less. I don't think in terms of absolute value (what one might get for it on the auction site). I think about what the camera means to me, the fact that it will be in top operating condition, and that I'm saving another camera for film posterity.
Go forth, ask for nitrous, and get the camera fixed!
- Murray
Thanks.
skopar steve
Well-known
Whenever I get a root canal I pretend I'm in a medieval dungeon proving I'm not in league with the devil. Have not been burned at the stake yet.
newbearflag
Newbie
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
"Whenever"? Yikes!
Meanwhile, my wife has had shingles for a couple of weeks. Clearly the gods are angry with us. I think I'll take the toothache over shingles any day.
skopar steve
Well-known
Shingles yikes! You have my sympathies.
Leon C
Well-known
Got any pics or is it all away now?
Sometimes applying heat with a soldering iron can loosen screws in some circumstances.
I've also used these on occasion to get tricky screws out, best tool I've bought in a while but not always possible to use.
There's also some nice tips here about removing stubborn screws if you scroll down a little.
Fundamentals: Screws and Drivers (1/3)
In the previous article we’ve outlined most of the essential tools for repair and maintenance of classic Nikons and Nikkors. Now, we’ll be discussing the best application for these tool…
richardhaw.com
Jonathan R
Well-known
From experience of devices other than cameras, I believe it's essential to use a JIS screwdriver for anything from Japan. Other crosshead drivers will inevitably mangle the screw head.
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
These were mangled before I got there. Oh well. I actually was shooting with the camera today and the shutter acted up -- behaved like it was on B at all speeds. After taking the film out and exercising it a fair amount, I think it's gotten this out of its system. I wasn't happy, I can tell you.
ChrisPlatt
Thread Killer
My brother bought a Petri SLR at the PX when he served in Vietnam '69-'70.
Back home in the 1970's one of the lenses had a mechanical problem.
He's a steamfitter by trade and an experienced do-it-yourselfer, so he thought how hard could it be to repair the lens?
When he brought it to the Petri authorized repairer in pieces they told him they had never seen one taken apart that far.
Chris
Back home in the 1970's one of the lenses had a mechanical problem.
He's a steamfitter by trade and an experienced do-it-yourselfer, so he thought how hard could it be to repair the lens?
When he brought it to the Petri authorized repairer in pieces they told him they had never seen one taken apart that far.
Chris
Last edited: