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Favorite Classics 
Camera & Repair Articles
Repair Tools
Tools you can make or improvise |
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Friction screwdriver Make from a short length of round wooden dowel (or broom handle). Just glue a piece of flat rubber on the end. A couple different diameters is handy. These are used mostly for removing the ring around wind levers. I use it even if the ring has grooves. |
| Crochet hooks Makes excellent spring hooks and probes. I use a set consisting of US10, 12 and 14. And I have an extra bent US10. The 10 is especially useful for spinning off lens rings after initial loosening. |
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| Artist style paintbrushes For internal cleaning... Flat ones are better than the pointed. |
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| Toothbrush Exterior cleaning. |
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| Rubber pads For loosening anything you don’t want to scratch...like everything. Start collecting various soft rubber pads. Anything can be used: furniture foot pads, sink stoppers, door stops...anything. A few sheets of soft rubberized cloth (dental dam) works well. |
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Tool holder Don’t know about you but my desk gets cluttered with tools when I’m tinkering. The best thing I have found to organize the tools currently being used is a 78 cent plastic drill bit holder. It is made to hold 26 bits from ½" to 1/16". Holds everything from pliers to screwdrivers to...well, everything I normally use. Alternately a piece of 2x4 with custom drilled holes would be perfect...but for 78 cents, I can be lazy. |
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Parts tray A very necessary tool of organization! You can spend money on a store bought tray or... got a buddy that plays golf? or play yourself? The plastic egg crate-like containers that some brands of golf balls come in are near perfect. See thru is better... |
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Big, strong magnet To find and pick up small parts you WILL drop. |
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Machinist's dividers Best for pin faced screws like shutter speed dial screws, self timer screws, etc. |
| Wooden chopstick To insert in between the fork of the rewinding shaft to unscrew the rewinding knob. Does not scar paint as opposed to the normal screwdriver handle. |
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| Toothpick or inkpen Once the retaining ring is loosened, unscrew the remainder with one or both of these two items. Inkpen (no ink, of course), if extra strength is needed. Toothpick, for smaller notches and good for depositing small drops of lubricant or glue. |
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Film can Need to store a bunch of little parts? If you shoot Fuji film like I do, you can write the camera name on the side of the white container. I have three or four from off brand film that are clear. They are the best. |
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Film cans If one is good, then two is better and seven is perfect. Six empty film cans fit perfectly around a center can. Rubberband these all together and you have a great place to set those opened tubes of glue, thread lock, teflon oil, epoxy, etc. Also great for thicker tools like the friction screwdrivers and small butane torch shown. A ton of mini pliers will fit in them too. |