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Proofblue
Tinkerer
Username: Proofblue
Post Number: 15
Registered: 01-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 05:12 pm: | 
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Hello chaps,
I've just got a Miranda Sensorex from one of the "swap zone" posts (as part of a bundle but I'm working on it first). It's my first repair as such, if you discount a few lens jobs and an Olympus Trip 35 overhaul (removal of lens, clean and reassemble etc.)
The camera is in a lovely cosmetic condition (or it was before I got my hands on it! :-P) except it doesn't wind on, or fire when the shutter release is pressed.
I started with the top and bottom covers, then the leatherette came off, then every scew I could see and now I'm deep in the bowels with a holey box with another box attached only with wires (the mirror/focussing assembly).
I can get the curtain to wind on by twiddling knobs at the bottom behind where the mirror would be, and I can fire it by poking around with a screwdriver in the complex assortment of gears around the film speed/exposure counter area.
However, does anyone have a diagram of which bits are not connecting properly as I'm rather worried about digging into the tiny little gears etc. around that area! I'm almost certain I can return all the other bits to their rightful places (I accidentally took off the cover for the clockwork self timer and all the tiny wheels fell out, but I got all those back in - phew!) but it would be nicer to be certain I'm moving the right part before proceeding! And a service manual makes tinkering that little bit less interesting (and costs something)!
I may post some pictures if anyone's interested. Thank you in advance for any replies (double thanks for useful help!) ;-) I particularly like the exciting slide-off viewfinder...magic! |
Proofblue
Tinkerer
Username: Proofblue
Post Number: 16
Registered: 01-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 02, 2007 - 12:26 pm: |
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Here's what things look like at present...still haven't found the problem... :-( I shall not give up however! :-D  |
Hovaness
Tinkerer
Username: Hovaness
Post Number: 30
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 03, 2007 - 07:34 am: |
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It might be as simple a problem as a stuck wind lock. Look at the bottom of the camera and see what is keeping the wind shaft from turning when you try to move the film advance lever. Most cameras have a wind lock that prevents advancing the film until the shutter is released. Sometimes this lock mechanism gets stuck. |
Proofblue
Tinkerer
Username: Proofblue
Post Number: 17
Registered: 01-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 03, 2007 - 12:37 pm: |
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When the lever was still on the camera and it was turned it moved with no resistance (or very little) until the end of its run when it clicked. However it didn't move the curtains and the shutter release didn't do anything. However now I've removed all the gears on the top left of the photo above, and there's a gear under a little plate held down with three screws that seemsot be the one that isn't moving. I can get out one of the screws, but my screwdrivers can't cope with the others! Does anyone know of any way to loosen screws (I think they're brass) or where to get a set of jeweller's screwdrivers that aren't softer than butter? :-D What might be under here? The gears from the curtains relay back here, and the gear underneath is stopping any attempts to move the curtains manually... |
Hovaness
Tinkerer
Username: Hovaness
Post Number: 32
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 04, 2007 - 07:18 am: |
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It sounds like you may have a stripped wind gear. In that case you will need another damaged Sensorex as a parts donor. Tight screws usually yield to application of solvent, penetrating oil, and/or heat from a soldering iron. Sometimes turning the screw in the tightening direction helps loosen it. In the worst case, you have to drill out the stuck screw. Fortunately for you, the Sensorex is still relatively plentiful on eBay, so even if you ruin parts of one, you can replace the damaged parts. Note that wind gear design often remains constant across multiple camera models in a product line, so that you may find compatible replacement parts in a variety of Sensorex models. Good luck on this project. |
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