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Aphototaker
Tinkerer
Username: Aphototaker
Post Number: 20
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 30, 2009 - 12:38 pm: | 
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Hello,
I recently acquired an FTb (the 'n' model, the one with a white line in the stop down lever beside the lens mount) whose back door won't open.
If I pull up the film rewind crank, nothing happens. The back door is supposed to pop up, but it doesn't. It is as if the door is stuck firmly with the body. I have tried a little force, but do not want to damage the door unknowingly.
Suggestion on how to see what the problem is and how to open that door?
If it helps, I notice that the mirror sealing foam is on its way out. It has left some signs on the mirror edge and I should change the foam ASAP.
Thanks. |
Tom_cheshire
Tinkerer
Username: Tom_cheshire
Post Number: 229
Registered: 04-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 30, 2009 - 05:03 pm: |
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Just put your fingernails under the edge of the door and pull. Sounds like the foam light seal "glued" it shut. Either that or it is misaligned and pushing down on the edge of the door will open it. |
Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 1025
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 30, 2009 - 05:41 pm: |
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Don't use excessive force pulling up on the knob - if it doesn't release with a normal pull, more force won't make it release and might bend the latch (after which it won't open at all). Pull on the back while holding the knob up, per Tom's note, and it should come open. Then replace the light seals so it won't glue itself shut again. Jon Goodman is the place to go for that ( [email protected] ) |
Aphototaker
Tinkerer
Username: Aphototaker
Post Number: 21
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 30, 2009 - 07:09 pm: |
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Well, pulling the door with fingernails is not working. I have tried some force for sure, both in pulling the rewind knob up and in pulling the door.
Is there any other method I can use to open the door, perhaps by opening the bottom or the top plate of the camera?
Thanks. |
Aphototaker
Tinkerer
Username: Aphototaker
Post Number: 22
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 30, 2009 - 07:15 pm: |
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It appears as if I am not able to pull the latch all the way up to unlock the door.
If I pull at the door's edge, I can hear that metallic click when I pull the door, even if I have pulled the rewind knob all the way up.
How likely is it that the latch is broken inside the camera?
Even more reason to find an alternate method to open the door I suppose. |
Gez
Tinkerer
Username: Gez
Post Number: 167
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 31, 2009 - 03:49 am: |
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The archive has some info on this common FTb problem. |
Aphototaker
Tinkerer
Username: Aphototaker
Post Number: 23
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 31, 2009 - 07:34 am: |
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Gez, got it. Search the archive with different keywords till I found this post which mentioned pressing a gray black button underneath the bottom plate of the camera (URL of post: https://kyp.hauslendale.com/classics/forum/messages/6901/2015.html?1107639236, post be "amanda").
That gray button is actually a triangular kind of plate which is part of the spring lock. It is shown in the photo below.
Thanks.
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Aphototaker
Tinkerer
Username: Aphototaker
Post Number: 24
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 31, 2009 - 07:39 am: |
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I have noticed that pulling the film rewind knob does not pull that spring mechanism that locks the back door.
Here is the film rewind knob from inside the film compartment. Does anyone see anything wrong with this?
Thanks.
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Rick_oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 1026
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 31, 2009 - 10:00 am: |
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You'll have to take the top cover off to find out what's gone wrong. Chances are that pulling too hard on the rewind knob has bent the linkage so that it no longer pulls up on the latch. |
Aphototaker
Tinkerer
Username: Aphototaker
Post Number: 25
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 31, 2009 - 10:33 am: |
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Rick, I thought as much.
I have never taken the top of an FTb off before. I see that I need to unscrew the top plates of the shutter speed knob and the frame wind crank. And I need to unscrew the film rewind knob the usual way (block the film spool from within the film compartment and unscrew the knob from the top).
But do I need to take some special care in terms of the film speed setting knob or the shutter speed knob?
Thanks. |
Aphototaker
Tinkerer
Username: Aphototaker
Post Number: 32
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 02, 2010 - 09:44 am: |
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Rick, I think I have recognized the problem, but I am not sure yet. I am going to post a new thread regarding this.
Thanks. |
