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Overexposeunderdevelop
Tinkerer
Username: Overexposeunderdevelop
Post Number: 1
Registered: 05-2013
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - 04:29 pm: | 
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So I have a hand me down Argus C4 that's in pretty good condition. It was working perfectly fine for the last few months, but recently I've had some issues with the shutter speed. The shutter speed dial got loose and the screw started to come out, so I tightened it up a bit. But now the camera seems to be stuck on the bulb setting, even when I reassembled the dial and changed speeds.
I've tried to get at the shutter itself to see if it was sticky, but I haven't been able to disassemble the lens housing entirely.
I can't seem to get the part labeled RH (Tight!) off.
seen here: http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/c4-2.gif
Any help would be greatly appreciated. |
Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum
Post Number: 554
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - 07:12 pm: |
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RH stands for Right Hand, as in the opposite of most threads. You have to turn it clockwise to remove the ring.
PF |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 1305
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - 08:40 pm: |
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NO NO NO! RH is Right Hand: Normal thread, CLOCKWISE TO TIGHTEN!
That ring is just TIGHT. |
Overexposeunderdevelop
Tinkerer
Username: Overexposeunderdevelop
Post Number: 2
Registered: 05-2013
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - 10:23 pm: |
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Hey Rick, just sent you an email, It's been fixed, wasn't a shutter issue so i didn't take apart the lens, but with the shutter speed dial. Works like a charm now, thanks for all your help! |
Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum
Post Number: 555
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 16, 2013 - 07:20 pm: |
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Sorry. I had another brain fart.
PF |
Hollenbj
Tinkerer
Username: Hollenbj
Post Number: 125
Registered: 03-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 17, 2013 - 10:58 pm: |
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Well.
Chalk up another success for Rick! I think his notes and drawings have helped more people than we can imagine. Seriously, I am impressed.
Don't get me wrong. I don't mind sharing the experiences and discoveries I have while repairing my substantial backlog of broken cameras. However, I doubt I could marshall the patience and skill necessary to make sketches and descriptions of my endeavors, scan and convert them to pdf, and finally organize them on my website for distribution.
Rick does all this for the benefit of the random "internet traveler" searching for guidance on how to fix their aging camera instead of tossing it in the trash bin and buying a cheap digital...
I'm sooo impressed. Way to go Rick!!! |
Jagstang
Tinkerer
Username: Jagstang
Post Number: 14
Registered: 01-2013
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 18, 2013 - 08:39 pm: |
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Glad you got your C4 working. I have a C4R with a sticky shutter that seems to be causing the actuating cam to get out of sync with the rest of the mechanism but thanks to Rick's diagrams it's getting there. Why I picked a C4R to mess with when I have a laundry list of other camera related tasks to do I have no idea, but it's been an amusing way to spend the last few days. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 1306
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 07:10 pm: |
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If the shutter blades are sticky, be careful! DO NOT fire the shutter until you get the blades cleaned. The springs in this shutter are powerful enough to break the internal linkage if the blades stick. |
Scott
Tinkerer
Username: Scott
Post Number: 188
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 27, 2013 - 10:12 pm: |
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Long time ago, I had a Argus C4 (with the Geiss lens mount, but I guess the insides are the same on all C4s?). I got the shutter to cock and release a few times, then something apparently broke inside, and I couldn't cock it anymore.
I recall reading about this problem, did a few searches, but did not find the thread.
Any experts here who can give me tips as to where to look? Likely on the top or the bottom?
I suspect it is partly a lubrication issue-- so where should I dab the grease to prevent breakage if I ever get another C4? Or is it connected to dirty shutter blade syndrome?
It's no good to me as it is, so I will tear into it when I have a couple of hours to spend on it. |
Donnie_strickland
Tinkerer
Username: Donnie_strickland
Post Number: 174
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 - 04:26 pm: |
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http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-128.html |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 1307
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 - 04:30 pm: |
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Hi Scott: the problem is dirty blades. They stick together, and the shutter springs are so powerful that it can self-destruct if the blades won't move. The link that broke is replaceable, held in with 2 screws - you can scavenge another from any C4, C44 or 21 model Argus (that doesn't already have it broken of course). |
Jagstang
Tinkerer
Username: Jagstang
Post Number: 20
Registered: 01-2013
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 - 07:30 pm: |
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Just to bump, still having issues with the C4R. I don't think it's a sticky shutter. What happens is I can fire it, and the actuating cam moves a little bit. Then as I recock it, the cam will move enough to open the shutter but not close it, causing me to have to manually close it by advancing the actuating cam by hand. The timing/delay mechanism is somewhat working as I can hear it click/run at different speeds when I go to move to the cam closed, but I don't know if that's related. It's almost like the cam isn't going quite far enough to engage the delay mechanism.
The odd thing is while cleaning it, I managed a few times to get it to work. But when I left it to dry out after cleaning the blades/mechanism with naptha, it went back to sticking. I'm thinking the spring on the actuating cam may be weak or something but wanted to make sure it isn't something that now needs re-lubricated or that it just doesn't need a further cleaning of the shutter blades. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 1308
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 - 09:50 pm: |
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From your description I gather that you have the shutter out of the camera. You might try a drop of very light oil on the pallet in the timing escapement, to see if maybe the machining there was a little rough and needs some lubrication. Just a very small amount though. As for the blades, another cleaning can't hurt, but don't put any oil in that area. |
Scott
Tinkerer
Username: Scott
Post Number: 189
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 30, 2013 - 11:51 pm: |
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thanks for all the tips! always appreciated  |
