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Casper
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 24, 2005 - 04:19 pm: | 
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I followed Henry Taber's instructions on how to clean the shutter and aperture blades of my 35 RD (see camera articles). I'm now at the point where I have to put the aperture/shutter-housing back in to the camera. Does anybody know a trick how to do this effectively because I'm already trying for half an hour without success. |
WernerJB
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2005 - 02:38 pm: |
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I encountered exactly the same problem, and it is indeed a tricky kind of work that has to be done. If you look closely you'll see that the protruding notched operating lever (in Henry's words "shutter activating arm") that opens and closes the blades has to find its right place in the mechanism, but is in the way when you try to put the aperture/shutter blade housing back in again. Even if you loosen this "arm" things do not become easier, as it is also a fumbling job to reassemble it. It took me several attempts (yes, I did take it apart several times volitionally and became better every time) to find the right method, this is to say it is possible to get everything back together again, without the use of force (!) if you are patient. It took me a whole Sunday afternoon, compared to this, half an hour is just nothing. If you feel like throwing everything against a wall, it won't work, in that case put everything aside and start again if you are cool & relaxed again, hope this helps, W.
PS: Don't forget the spline shaft, otherwise you cannot operate the speeds ! |
charlie
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 26, 2005 - 07:13 am: |
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I have a 35DC I'm trying to diagnose and repair. After reading these I think I'll go very slowly. |
Henry
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 30, 2005 - 02:17 pm: |
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Although I did the blade cleaning article, I didn't go in any deeper. Now I'm getting ready to open an Olympus RD again. I'll need to get into the shutter, which from the looks of things is in the body. Any tips or tricks that would be handy to know before I grab the screwdrivers?
Is the RD similar to the SP?
Henry |
Winfried
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 31, 2005 - 12:12 am: |
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The SP and the RD are completely different designs. While the SP has a standard shutter mounted to the body in the conventional way, on the RD they made their proprietary shutter. The shutter escapement is NOT inside the lens barrel but behind the lens plate. |
WernerJB
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 31, 2005 - 03:23 am: |
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The separation of both shutter and blade mechanisms is of great advantage, offering access to both if you take off the front plate of the camera: everything is easily accessible. The whole camera can easily be dismantled into several separate "modules" (front plate with transmission mechanisms on its back: careful, do not bend or unhook any hairsprings; self timer; shutter; metering system) . They all can be looked at as individual arrays and repairing them is not too difficult as you always see what the arms, levers, etc do, when you operate them. The only thing you have to be careful about is the light meter which is located at the bottom of the camera on the right (seen from the back, similar as in the RC). Working on this camera is fun ! |
Henry
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 31, 2005 - 05:15 pm: |
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Thanks guys. I'll be tearing into it tomorrow.
Henry |
WernerJB
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 03, 2005 - 10:21 am: |
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Casper, Henry, did you finally succeed in reassembling/ repairing you Oly 35 RDs ?
I am currently working on my second specimen,the front lens cell came out like a cinch, no glue had been used! But the rear lens half was exactly the opposite, I knew beforehand that the black ring around it was nothing but a plastic collar preventing stray light from entering the film chamber (together with the foam light baffle, rotting away as usual) through the lens barrel, replacement by black cotton string is easy. When unsrewing the rear lens cell make sure not to remove only the last glass element, you have to tackle the whole thing! The excessive use of glue to keep that lens part in place is a real mess, I had to use very solid pliers to get it out!
I decided to completely take the camera apart because it had obviously been used at the beach, inside there was sand everywhere AND the shutter blades were as oily as sardines in a tin. The first steps of dimantling the camera are identical with what Henry's article shows. This time it was NOT possible to separate the shutter/aperture blade housing, so I removed the leatherette, took off the front panel carrying the lens plus shutter assembly (on its back; next to it a crosshead screw also has to be unscrewed) and I had to do someting to get the activating arm out of the way first, but I only loosened its slothead srew a bit and could then free the housing. The black wire next to the white one has to be desoldered, then the shutter/lens module is free for cleaning or any other repair of the shutter, aperture mechanism etc., let me repeat it, this camera is fun to work with ! |
Martin
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 05, 2005 - 03:10 am: |
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Hi Casper,
I have a 35RD in bits in a box. It was cosmetically fine before being partially dismantled. Lens is still complete. I can't throw it away- is it a help to you? Its yours for the postage- I'm in Sydney. |
Henry
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 05, 2005 - 07:52 am: |
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The RD I'm working on appears to now be functional, however I haven't had the spare time to fully reassemble. |
WernerJB
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 05, 2005 - 10:34 am: |
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I successfully cleaned the complete shutter/aperture housing module as a whole, immersing it in lighter fluid first for a while, then using a special cleaning agent in a spray can (Isopropyl by CRC Industries) which leaves almost no residue on the cleaned surfaces when getting dry. Remaining stains can easily be wiped squeeky clean with cotton swabs.
Meanwhile the camera is back together again, fully functional and looks like new, everything is fine, and, what is best, the entire operation just took me three afternoon/evening sessions. |
Henry
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - 06:08 pm: |
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Martin,
I have finished the RD I was tinkering on. But after fixing the locked shutter problem I find the galvanometer is dead. A weird dead too... If yours has a working galvanometer, how much to ship to Oklahoma, USA? (email me privately)
The galvanometer has continuity but will not react to battery power. I have never had one act like this. The needle is free and both coiled clock springs are fine. The coil shows some electrical resistance so juice is getting through. Yet, with battery power the needle won't move.
Henry |
Dan Mitchell
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 14, 2005 - 04:26 pm: |
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Henry,
From what I remember, the circuit on the RD is a little wierd. The auto/manual switch is in parallel with the meter. In auto the switch is open and current flows through the meter. In manual the switch makes a short around the meter.
It sounds like maybe the switch has gotten permanently closed. I had a problem like that on an RD. The insulator around the switch had melted when I soldered the contacts back on.
You can disconnect the black wire to the switch and check the meter again to see if that is the problem. |
Henry
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 14, 2005 - 04:34 pm: |
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Dan,
The meter has been completely removed. It has one black wire that runs to the board under the bottom cover. Nothing I do can get the meter needle to move.
And yes, the circuit is a bit weird. Maybe I should draw it while it is still fresh in my head.
Henry |
