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Adrian
Tinkerer
Username: Adrian
Post Number: 85
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 27, 2007 - 02:55 am: | 
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My Balda Baldessa has always been a bit awkward to load with film. In fact, the second roll I put through it had to be reloaded under a heavy duvet after dark whilst on holiday! I put a roll in this last holiday and forgot to set the counter, so I had no idea how many shots were left by the end of the week. This led to nervous windings-on, waiting to see if it would end or if the film had jumped out of the slot again. As it happens, the film WAS engaging on the spool, and all was OK but I checked the manual and discovered that there should be a nice fat lug on one side of the slot in the take-up spool to engage the sprocket holes.
Mine just has a little nubbin that may or may not once have been big enough to fit reliably into a sprocket hole. Dismantling it to replace the spool doesn't seem to be an option, as (unless it is all held together by long screws under the top plate) there are no visible screws to disassemble the bottom half - in fact, one rivet is visible, which suggests it may be rivetted together. Besides, I have no spare spool or parts Baldessa.
I like it, and my girlfriend uses it as much as her modern point-&-click. All the controls are set for the right hand and, as a leftie, she finds a camera that you can hold firmly in your good hand, really easy to use - she says it's the most left-hander friendly camera she's ever used.
So I have good reason to want to make it easier to load - but how? Any suggestions would be gratefully received!
Many thanks,
Adrian |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 181
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 27, 2007 - 07:11 pm: |
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Drill small hole and glue in a small piece of plastic rod. In fact you can do a good repair with a brass 1/4" round-headed modelling nail. The ones I have epoxy into a 1.5mm hole and have work well on the 3/4 occasions I have carried out this repair. |
Adrian
Tinkerer
Username: Adrian
Post Number: 86
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 28, 2007 - 01:44 am: |
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That sounds ideal, Glenn. Thank you! I've got a Dremel, so I'll find something similar to do a couple of dry runs on first, then do it.
One question - it's so simple, why couldn't I think of it first!
Adrian |
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