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Punkinhed7
Tinkerer
Username: Punkinhed7
Post Number: 4
Registered: 08-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2010 - 01:56 pm: | 
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Recent troubles with my rollei. I load the film and turn the crank to get to the first frame, but it never stops--just keeps turning until the film is all wound up on the take up spool.
This first happened with a roll of ilford fp film, but then i threw a roll of shanghai in there and everything was fine. Just now tried another roll of ilford and it happened again--could it be the film?
Any help you could give me with this would be much appreciated; it's making me ever so sad  |
Mattboston
Tinkerer
Username: Mattboston
Post Number: 14
Registered: 01-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 04, 2010 - 07:00 am: |
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Hi Punkinhead,
The Rollei will crank the film in and keep cranking until the thickness rollers get tripped. Once tripped, the counter goes to frame one and the winding stops. These are the two rollers on the bottom of the camera that you feed the film through when loading- one of the rollers is on a type of spring. When the film (plus the backing paper) hits the rollers they need to spread apart some, since film+paper is thicker than just the paper. This is the "auto" part of "automat." You can hear a "click" sound when the backing paper spreads this roller, triggering a spring to start the film counter. Some films and backing papers are thicker than others- this explains why one type of film works better than another. You probably need to adjust this roller and set it to trip a bit earlier.
Matt |
Mattboston
Tinkerer
Username: Mattboston
Post Number: 15
Registered: 01-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 04, 2010 - 07:22 am: |
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Here is the cam you need to adjust to correct the problem. You need to remove the side plate with the winder (not the focus knob side).
Unless, of course, someone corrects me- it has been a while since I had this camera apart, so I am a bit rusty in the memory department.
Matt
it looks like this:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/mstott/rolleiflex%20automat%20K4A/IMG_2353 -1.jpg |
Brcamera
Tinkerer
Username: Brcamera
Post Number: 55
Registered: 08-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 04, 2010 - 05:57 pm: |
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Good advice on setting the film feeler rollers. I would adjust the rollers to start the counter mechanism moving when it encounters the tape that holds the film to the paper backing. That way different film and paper backing thickness will not be an issue. |
Punkinhed7
Tinkerer
Username: Punkinhed7
Post Number: 5
Registered: 08-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 07, 2010 - 10:32 am: |
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Excuse my ignorance, but how do I adjust it? Is it a simple tightening of that screw/cam? If so, how do I know when I have it in the right spot? Thanks again for all your help |
Hanskerensky
Tinkerer
Username: Hanskerensky
Post Number: 60
Registered: 05-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 07, 2010 - 11:25 am: |
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Rollei repair shops had a special tool for adjusting that. It is called the L-1949. But maybe there are other ways.
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Mattboston
Tinkerer
Username: Mattboston
Post Number: 16
Registered: 01-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 11, 2010 - 09:50 pm: |
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This is from memory- so forgive me if I have the details wrong.
You need to loosen the center screw, then adjust the outside part with a pair of small needle-nose pliers (in the two holes on the perimeter), then tighten the center screw and test.
To test: You take some film (without backing paper) and put a piece of masking tape in the middle an inch or so from the end. As you push the film between the rollers nothing should happen, but as it hits the tape you should spread the rollers enough to trigger the levers that switch over to frame counting. It is pretty obvious when this happens, as the tripping of the levers is pretty loud and fast.
The hard part is removing the side plate and getting it back on correctly.
Good luck,
Matt |
Crispy12
Tinkerer
Username: Crispy12
Post Number: 1
Registered: 02-2013
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2013 - 06:25 am: |
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I just adjusted my Automat's feelers. My problem was the feelers tripping too early. The bottom cover has to be on, so as to depress the reset counter and hold it down. This squeezes the rollers together, but not tight enough to trip the counter with only backing paper alone. As soon as the film passes over, it will trip the lever attached to the feeler adjustment screw as well as engage the counter at the top. Prior to engagement, the gear next to the counter should not be interlocked, only after the clunk of the lever tripping is heard should the counter engage.
I managed to loosen the feelers to fit my commonly used film (Tmax and Neopan) but it still too tight for Shanghai GP which has really thick backing paper. I gave up, it's a cheap film anyway. |
