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Eric

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Posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2005 - 02:52 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

The top plate of my Nikon FE, above the penteprism housing is dented. Somebody said that, provided I remove the top okay, it would not be difficult to iron out. I have never done this before and removing the lever and nobs off the top so that I can iron out the metal, fills me with a little dread. Will springs and things shoot out if I do this or will the mechanism stay intact? Any help from seasoned repairers would be helpful. I have no repair manuel but I do have a very basic schematics sheet.
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rick

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Posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2005 - 09:51 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

unless the damage is completely hidden under the leather, especially if this is a chrome body, you will never iron out the damage to the point where it will not look like a hammered-out dent; and personally, I prefer the look of an honest dent to that. I think I only have disassembly notes for the FM and FM2, but I suppose the FE would be pretty similar; I don't think there are any heart stopping surprises in it.
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Haig Hovaness

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Posted on Thursday, February 24, 2005 - 07:09 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

There are some tricks to getting the top off the FE. You need to pry up the leather patch on the advance lever, and you need to recoil the spring on this lever when you put it back.

The larger problem is skillfully hammering out the dent. You will only get one chance, and if you don't do it right, it will look worse than when you started. If the dent is shallow, and in a flat area, you can probably get away with it. If the dent is deep, and in an angled area, you may make things worse.

My advice is to touch it up (if it is a black body) and live with it. Alternatively, you could buy a junker on eBay with good cosmetics and replace the top.

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