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Reiner
Tinkerer
Username: Reiner
Post Number: 12
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 02:08 pm: | 
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I have recently aquired a good used Beauty LightOMatic III. The Shutter and the aperture are working. The light meter is dead. The most annoying issue is the stiff focus. It is possible to focus the lens but it takes some time and some force. The grease in the helical thread seem to be dried out.
In similiar cases I made good experiences with a few drops of thin oil onto the end of the helical thread. After some time of waiting (up to days) and after focussing back and forth the focus becomes smoother and softer. It is not allways successfull but quite often.
I would like to do the same with this camera. The question is how to access the helical thread. Is it possible to reach the end of it under the top cap or under the rangefinder or is a dismounting of the shutter base plate required? |
Jonp
Tinkerer
Username: Jonp
Post Number: 1
Registered: 10-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 13, 2006 - 01:33 pm: |
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Reiner
I have just received one of these, and on inspection I think you will have to remove the lens. There appears no way to acces the helical through the top plate. Though I'm having difficulty getting the top plate off!.
I can undo the ring under the rewind crank but can not remove the spindle - does it just pull?
And how do you remove the black cover on the wind lever to remove that, without damaging in.
A couple more, what does the flat screw on the back of the top plate do - does it cover the r/f adjuster?
What does the proud screw do next to the shutter release?
Thanks |
Reiner
Tinkerer
Username: Reiner
Post Number: 13
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 14, 2006 - 11:17 pm: |
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Hi Jon,
I can answer only some of your questions. I did not take the top cap off but I checked the way how to proceed. Removing the lens means removing the leatherette. At a camera of this age this will propably destroy the leatherette. Usually it is too stiff to remove. Therefore I shall perhaps live with the stiff focus. It takes me 2 seconds to focus from one end to the other - not nice but still possible to make some images with this camera.
The flat screw on the back of the top plate covers the adjuster for the rangefinder. I was easy to adjust at my camera at least horizontally. The flat black cover of the wind lever unscrews with the help of a piece of soft rubber or dental dam. It is a normal righthanded screw. Sometimes it is helpfull to degrease the rubber and the srewhead with some lighter fluid or some isopropene. That increases the friction.
Before removing the topcap I would unscrew the screw next to the shutter release. I have had the rewind crank off and saw the ring nut but did not remove it. Usually it is not necessary to revome the spindle and if you want to remove it it usually pushes into the camera.
Please give me a note on the progress you make. I shall postpone the work on my Beauty since I have too many partly disassembled cameras in the queue that must be finished first. I am a busy hunter but a lazy tinkerer. I have to work on that. |
M_snyder
Tinkerer
Username: M_snyder
Post Number: 2
Registered: 10-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 25, 2006 - 04:50 pm: |
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I have a Beauty Lightomatic f1.9 that needs some shutter/release adjustments and cleaning. I also have a Walz Envoy that may need a replacement mirror, inasmuch as the patch is VERY light.
Any recommendations of competent, reasonably priced service people? |
Elwrongo
Tinkerer
Username: Elwrongo
Post Number: 3
Registered: 05-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 09:49 pm: |
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I know this thread is pretty old, but I thought I'd just add that all of the above applies to the Lightomatic II as well. Very helpful, especially the wind lever cap thread direction and use of a friction screwdriver. Allowed me to do a good glass clean. Thanks to all.
Getting the top off successfully didn't help solve my particular issue however, which is a stuck wind lever. I think its to do with a self timer that is stuck halfway through its sequence - this is also (I believe) preventing the range finder lever from working. Soldier on.
cheers. rick
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