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Railcrew
Tinkerer
Username: Railcrew
Post Number: 45
Registered: 03-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 24, 2012 - 10:46 pm: | 
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I got a Tower (Nicca) Leica style camera but it is missing the take-up spool. I tried eBay to no avail, anybody know where I can get one? The camera is in perfect condition and I want to use it ASAP, Thanks |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 1036
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 25, 2012 - 09:22 am: |
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Take up spools such as these are very simple to fabricate using the styrene extrusions and sheet available at all good model shops. A bit of careful planning with a pair of digital calipers, paper and pencil will soon produce a working drawing; then the simplest of tools and the kitchen table will soon have a usable replica produced. |
Railcrew
Tinkerer
Username: Railcrew
Post Number: 46
Registered: 03-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 25, 2012 - 09:53 am: |
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Wow, really? really? Don't I need one to look at and measure in order to fabricate one? This is my only camera of this type, I've never even held one in my hand before this. how the hell am I supposed to fabricate one if I don't even know what they look like? Sorry for the abrupt response but your answer just pissed me off. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 1248
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 25, 2012 - 11:29 am: |
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I have to agree on this, Glenn, that reply sounded a little bit flippant. I think the Nicca arrangement works the same as the Leica, in which a certain amount of friction between the takeup spool and its spindle is required for it to work properly - it doesn't seem like an Elmers-Glue-and-toothpicks kind of job to me.
Railcrew, you might try writing to the guy at dagcamera.com - I don't see takeup spools listed but he might have some. Make sure to point out to him that you have a Nicca, not a Leica, as I'm not sure whether these would be interchangeable or not. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 1249
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 25, 2012 - 01:17 pm: |
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Hi again Railcrew:
This may be useful, but no guarantees: I just checked the takeup spool from a Zorki in a Leica IIf, and it looks like it would work in spite of the design being slightly different. This same spool was used in all Zorki models - you may be able to pick up a beat Zorki cheap just for the spool. One caveat: the Zorki spool has pins sticking inward which keyed to the spindle instead of the Leica's friction-fit arrangement. To work in the Leica, the friction between the bore of the spool and the OD of the spindle has to be enough to pull the film, but not enough to tear it as you wind. If the spool slips too easily, the film will not take up on the spool, and (worse) if the pins jam against the spindle and don't let it slip, you can tear the sprocket holes out when you wind on. You also may find the Zorki spool a bit difficult to pull out of the camera for reloading.
The bore of my Leica IIf spool measures about 11.2 mm diameter, in case you want to try making something to fit. This bore can extend the entire length of a regular 35mm film spool, with the flanges 1mm thick at each end. There is a knob that extends below the bottom flange, which you grab to insert and remove the spool; the hole in this knob wants to be smaller, about 6mm to 1/4 inch diameter, to fit on a stabilizing pin in the baseplate. Outside diameter of this knob is not critical. The total height of the spool, including flanges and the knob, is about 43mm.
I found these on eBay that might work:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Leitz-TAKE-UP-SPOOL-for-LEICA-/321023435176?pt=UK_Photography_VintagePhotography_VintagePhotoAccessories&hash=item4abe7ce1a8
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CANON-RF-RANGEFINDER-ORIGINAL-TAKE-UP-SPOOL-MINTY-FREE-WW-SHIPP-/110967205457?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19d6292e51 |
Railcrew
Tinkerer
Username: Railcrew
Post Number: 47
Registered: 03-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 25, 2012 - 04:03 pm: |
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Thanks for the great response Rick! I heard about DAG and have emailed him, waiting for a response now. I'm not much for scratch building but I will keep it in mind and thanks for the links. I was searching for Nicca take-up spools, didn't know if a Leica would work.
Also it's nice to know the most respected member of the forum agrees with me. I just got a little heated. I seem to write faster than I think sometimes when I'm upset. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 1250
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 25, 2012 - 04:24 pm: |
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I'm not sure if a Leica spool will fit either, but I think it's a pretty good chance. The Nicca was an exceptionally close copy. |
Brcamera
Tinkerer
Username: Brcamera
Post Number: 224
Registered: 08-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 25, 2012 - 07:06 pm: |
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Leica spools won't fit the Nicca bodies directly due to different dimensions. While the Leica spool has an inside diameter of app 11.2mm, the Nicca spool is app. 9.5mm and the Nicca spool is a bit longer in length. I have attached a couple of photos to show the differences. With a bit of work you could make the Leica spool fit...
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Railcrew
Tinkerer
Username: Railcrew
Post Number: 48
Registered: 03-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 25, 2012 - 07:26 pm: |
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good thing it's not the other way around, thanks |
Prasanna
Tinkerer
Username: Prasanna
Post Number: 78
Registered: 10-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 26, 2012 - 01:41 am: |
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The Leica spool that looks larger can be augmented to with a sheet rubber shim [cut from old cycle or car tubes] to reduce the internal diameter and fit the Nicca. It will provide the necessary friction. But the length would still be a problem.
I would endorse what Glenn suggested. I have made a number of spools in that fashion using PVC tubes and plastic washers to fit Fed and Zorki cameras. They work well. Also, Fed and Zorki spools are not all identical. There is no standard size that will fit all the models. |
Msiegel
Tinkerer
Username: Msiegel
Post Number: 306
Registered: 03-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 26, 2012 - 03:06 am: |
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I wonder if the part you found in the Nicca was used by a previous owner to fit a different take up spool.
Just a wild guess to be honest. |
Railcrew
Tinkerer
Username: Railcrew
Post Number: 51
Registered: 03-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 30, 2012 - 04:03 pm: |
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I would like to apologize to Glen and the group for my nasty post above, all help is truly appreciated, Thanks. |
Railcrew
Tinkerer
Username: Railcrew
Post Number: 56
Registered: 03-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2012 - 03:07 pm: |
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I ended up getting a Russian spool on eBay, after using the Dremel tool to grind down a shaft internal rivet it fits fine, I've taken 5 pics so far and it seems to be working. I know the height of the shaft is an issue but so far so good. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 1259
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2012 - 08:35 pm: |
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sounds good! |
Railcrew
Tinkerer
Username: Railcrew
Post Number: 57
Registered: 03-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 13, 2012 - 01:21 pm: |
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Ok, after about 15-18 frames the film stopped advancing (sprockets spinning in holes) and tore as I rewound it (but I suspect it was going bad around 12 frames as it sounded funny).
I suspect the spool height is off and it slid enough to get the sprockets and film holes misaligned. There were tears in the film holes at or near the film tearing point.
Does anybody have the height of a Nicca film spool? The one pictured above looks "spring loaded" to me and it is way taller. I was comparing my spool in the camera and with the bottom plate along side and the height looks very close to being correct, not as different as the image above, only a mm I suspect is all that could prove fatal though. |
Brcamera
Tinkerer
Username: Brcamera
Post Number: 230
Registered: 08-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 13, 2012 - 04:22 pm: |
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The Tower body is a bit taller than the Leica, so the take up spool is slightly longer to make up for this. Tower take up spool in the photo is 45.9mm in length, while the Leica spool is 43.2mm. The Tower spool is not spring loaded.
Bill |
Railcrew
Tinkerer
Username: Railcrew
Post Number: 58
Registered: 03-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 14, 2012 - 11:18 am: |
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Well, I now have bigger problems, I now figured out the spool (shaft) doesn't rewind. When the lever is put to R, everything is as normal, gears disengage, sprocket loosens but the shaft seems to be hanging up on the spring between it and the body(?) Someone before removed the shaft I think, I'm gonna save my pennies and send it off for a CLA/repair after Christmas. Maybe they will have the proper spool too. |
Railcrew
Tinkerer
Username: Railcrew
Post Number: 59
Registered: 03-2012
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2012 - 03:07 am: |
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I fixed the frame counter problem and the reverse at same time, someone took the spool shaft out at some point and left the tension spring in (that one that lets it spin only one way) and when you try to put the spool shaft back in, one tine of the tension spring gets caught between the rod gear part and the camera body preventing it from seating properly.
I removed the spring and slipped it onto the shaft and after some finagling got it back in and it seated properly!!
That washer I talked about now fits under the counter disc. The spool rod only goes one direction by design, even when put to "R". The clutch in the spool take-up mechanism is supposed to have some give and the film rewinds.
The film was binding up with a too weak clutch and that is why it wouldn't rewind. It may still be too weak to properly take-up the film towards the end of the roll. I'm sending it off to Mark Hama after Christmas for a CLA and repair. |
Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum
Post Number: 435
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2012 - 07:21 pm: |
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Good that you could figure all that out, Rich. They are very nice cameras, and just complicted enough that you really need some knowledge to fix them right. Hope Mark can do a quick turn-around on it for you.
PF |
