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Tony Duell
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 01, 2004 - 02:28 pm: | 
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I have a Minox B Subminiature camera, and I need to get inside the exposure meter section. I can trivially separate it (with the film loading cover) from the rest of the camera, and there's a thin black plastic sheet over the 'inside end' that I can hook out too.
After that, I am stuck. Tomosy's 'Book 1' suggests the cover is just glued on, and can just be pulled off, but I can't move it with reasonable force. I've also tried to unscrew the flash socket, but it doesn't seem to come out, or loosen the cover.
Any ideas? |
James
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 01, 2004 - 09:28 pm: |
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I've never done it, but I've been told that the meter housing is indeed glued onto the back plate. You need to apply heat to soften the glue. The trick is to use only enough heat to do the job without melting the meter window. Some have reported success using a small propane micro-torch. Others have used an electric iron of some type. I've never been brave enough to try it myself.
James |
Tony Duell
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 03, 2004 - 02:29 pm: |
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Thanks. I'll give that a try. I have a hot-air gun which I can try first (it gets hot enough to shrink heat-shrink sleeving), if that doesn't do it, I have an assortment of good soldering irons... |
Brian Williams
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 05, 2004 - 01:27 pm: |
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If the heat doesn't work, try alcohol (shellac thinner). I have worked on B's where the cover has come off because the "glue" dried out, and I believe is is just shellac. It does soften and wipe off when soaked in alcohol.
I don't know whether a dunking would damage the selenium cell -- I doubt it would hurt the meter mechanism. Probably better to first try injecting alcohol between the cover and bottom plate with an insulin needle.
Once you do get inside, be very careful not to touch or damage the coil springs supporting the meter needle. They are extremely fragile. The top coil will be exposed when you remove the cover, and the bottom one if you unscrew the meter from the bottom plate. |
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