| Author | Message | ||
     Dan Cluley Rating: N/A |
Rick is right. Do not wind/shoot that camera any more than you have. The first thing to do is clean the shutter blades (they most likely have old oil/grease that has gotten into the mechanism and causes much drag on the shutter mechanism) I use zippo lighter fluid. After removing the lens and the back, lay the camera on it's back (on paper towels or something) and pour a little fluid onto the front of the shutter blades. Now wind/shoot once or twice to work the fluid into the area outside the shutter opening. Then use a cotton swab to gently clean both sides of the blades. Let it dry overnight. This may cure your problem, but most likely the main shutter spring has either come unhooked or broken. This is not an impossible fix, but does require removing the leatherette from the front to access the screws that hold the shutter mechanism into the rest of the body. If you are really lucky the leatherette glue has gotten brittle, and the edges have started to peel up. A little prying and each side might pop off easily. More likely the stuff is still stuck down tight. In that case, apply a coat of mineral spirits (paint thinner) and let is soak into the leatherette for an hour or two. This should soften up the glue underneath, if not try another application. Worst case scenario, you have to scrape it off in little pieces and make replacements. Once the leatherette is off, the 4 screws around the lens mount are pretty obvious, and the top plate comes loose after removing the wind knobs and flim counter. For more details of the inner workings, check this site http://arguscg.tripod.com/id105.html The Argus Collectors Group has the parts diagrams for the C-44R (the follow up model to your C-44) It has a different wind lever, and rewind crank, so the top is a little different, but 90% matches yours. If you need any more info, feel free to email me. Dan Cluley [email protected] |