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Lgdavis
Tinkerer
Username: Lgdavis
Post Number: 16
Registered: 08-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 12:49 pm: | 
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I have a Pax Ruby rangefinder (by Yamato) that has some issues. As is apparently common with these, the focus ring is frozen - presumably with hardened 50 year-old grease. The shutter release works, but the blades don't operate - probably a cleaning will fix that. Also the rewind knob post jams in less than a turn. I need to take the top cover off to look at the rewind knob (and clean the rangefinder) but can't seem to find the screws. I've taken the wind and rewind knobs off. There's one screw under the accessory shoe, but that's all I see. Does the rangefinder adjustment cover (by the eyepiece)need to come off (the screw is very tight)? Is there another screw under the red Yamato button in the front? If so how does the button come off without scratching it? Help. And thanks.
Larry |
Lgdavis
Tinkerer
Username: Lgdavis
Post Number: 17
Registered: 08-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - 05:19 pm: |
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Well, with no responses to my question I went ahead and tried. I'll go ahead and post this in case someone in the future searches on this subject. The top of a Pax Ruby comes off by first removing the wind lever (has a big helical spring underneath) and the rewind knob (a screw in the film fork inside must be removed and the knob pulls out). Then removal of the accessory shoe gets one access to a screw holding the top. A second screw is the "Yamato" button. This is a friction drive - no slot, crosspoint or spanner holes. I used a rubber stopper. Then the top comes off, dropping the release button as usual. The rewind release button/shaft also will drop out if the camera is inverted. The rangefinder adjustment cover screw does not have to be removed.
I still can't unjam the rewind knob. I suspect it may be glued somehow like the focus helical. Trying an alcohol soak. |
Scott
Tinkerer
Username: Scott
Post Number: 28
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 18, 2009 - 12:03 am: |
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I have overhauled a couple of those old PaX/Yamato rangefinders and viewfinder cameras. The focus was seized on both, which required a complete dissassembly and cleaning away old lube and re-lubing with new grease. I tried naptha and acetone, before finding out that strong alcohol is the only thing that will loosed that type of grease.
But the re-wind spindle? Not much grease to seize there. Maybe it is metallic corrosion/oxidation between the case and the axel? |
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