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Ray Youngblood

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Posted on Saturday, January 31, 2004 - 12:44 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I am trying to get to the bottom of a shutter cocking/triggering problem in an Agfa 36 with the Synchro Compur shutter. What's happening is that when the rapid advance lever is actuated and returned the shutter goes thru its entire cycle: tensioning, opening and closing. Clearly whatever little piece or pawl that keeps it tensioned until properly released is out of order or MIA. I've studied my usual source of bail-outs, Rick Oleson's repair site, and Dan Mitchell's fine explication of the Compur Rapid shutter to no avail. Rick's shows a shutter release link that I can't seem to find in my specimen and Dan's Compur Rapid is a bit different.I realise how difficult it is to describe these bits but I'd be
grateful if someone could point me to the general area I should be scrutinizing using, say, clock position. The camera just is too nice to give up. on.
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Ed

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Posted on Saturday, January 31, 2004 - 04:57 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

The shutter latching mechanism, if that is the problem, is directly at the trip lever and it should be obvious if that is what is wrong. The other possibility is that the shutter is not being cocked far enough to latch and that too should be obvious (with the cover off the shutter of course).
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Peter Wallage

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Posted on Saturday, January 31, 2004 - 05:56 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I haven't had the shutter on the later 'self-cocking' Karat 36 apart, but generally when this happens on a self-cocking Compur, or Prontor for that matter, stickiness and old oil is causing the latching lever to miss-latch. If you take the front and cam ring off, following intructions on the sites you've looked at, the shutter should still operate in 'B' mode. If you wind on slowly and watch the mechanism you'll see that as the shutter 'winds up' and cocks, a small lever linked to the release moves into a position where it locks the tensioned shutter. Or should lock, but doesn't in your case. Operate the release a few times with the shutter uncocked, and you'll identify the lever and watch it as it moves towards the 'lock' and 'release' positions. There might possibly be a broken hairpin-type spring, but in the half-dozen or so cases like this I've come across, flushing out and cleaning has done the job.

Good luck,

Peter
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Ray Youngblood

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Posted on Saturday, January 31, 2004 - 06:17 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Thanks Ed. Your second possibility was dead on the mark. The cocking linkage is indeed not pushing the cocking lever far enough to latch up.Guess I should have noticed this as I sat there contemplating the exposed clockwork. When the cocking rack tab atop the lens barrel is pushed manually the shutter latches and triggers properly. Next step is to determine why.
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Ray Youngblood

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Posted on Sunday, February 01, 2004 - 10:19 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Results of further diagnosis are grim. Alas the problem is not related to a build up of the infamous Agfa lubricants as Peter had ventured but apparantly due to excess wear/play at the inboard end of the gear driven collapsible cocking shaft that runs along the bellows. When the shaft is stabilized with a tool the shutter latches fine; without support the stroke is a fraction of a mm shy. Getting to the identified problem area seems to require extensive disassembly. Thanks for the helpful replies. This is a terrific forum.
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Winfried

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Posted on Sunday, February 01, 2004 - 11:13 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I once saw a dirt cheap Agfa Karat where the collapsible cocking shaft was completely worn and did not cock the shutter any more when winding the camera. I was close to buying it but I don't think it's an easy fix - you'll probably have to disassemble the camera body to remove the cocking shaft for reworking.
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Ray Youngblood

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Posted on Sunday, February 01, 2004 - 07:58 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I think you made a wise decision in passing-up that camera. So far I've removed the lens/shutter assembly and the sheet metal base cover hoping a means of extracting the shaft would be revealed but so far the only thing I'm seeing is an interesting rack and pinion set that seems in good shape. The problem is clearly at the other end of the shaft where it is seated in a bushing (?) or the camera body.
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Mark Pearce

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Posted on Monday, February 02, 2004 - 02:25 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Ray;
I have a Karat 36 missing most of the shuttter parts and front lens element if you're looking for parts.
Mark P.
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Ray Youngblood

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Posted on Monday, February 02, 2004 - 03:24 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Thanks for your kind offer Mark but I also have a ravaged Karat 36 with a nice fitting tensioning shaft and related bits.

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