Ye Olde Green Grease - Reviving a Ventura 69

<p>I've had this shelf-warmer/dust-collector since I was 13 or so. Ran maybe two rolls through her back in the day. Can't remember if focus was stuck back then.... the roll of HP5 I found in the "archives" were pics in HS Chemistry Class of all places. Closeup shots of classmates oxidizing stuff in crucibles and whatnot. Negs looked soft but decent.<br>

Maybe 5 years ago I ran some Agfapan though it and realized the focus ring is seized. Typical of Agfas of this period ( and probably the reason why I've avoided them this long ) .... <br>

So, I tried the blow-dryer method to no avail. Any help in pointing me to schematics or clear, precise instructions in freeing the Agnar from its death grip would be most appreciated. </p>

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<p>Here are a few shots from the last time I used the Ventura 69 - about 5 years ago.<br>

Film was AgfaPan 100. Focus is stuck around 10ft mark..... shots made at f/11 I suppose.<br>

Camera has been shelved since. It's in good company : it shares display space with a green Rainbow Hawkeye Model B, a No. 1 Ansco Ready-Set, and an Ikomat 6x9. <br>

Shutter still appears to sound pretty good to this day. </p><div></div>

<p>One of many fine old homes on Upper Mountain Ave in Montclair, NJ</p><div></div>

<p>The restored Gothic entranceway of Newark's Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. Final resting place of many NJ notables, including Thomas Edison's first wife.</p><div></div>

<p>OK, as mentioned before, I gave the lens a good blast with the hair-dryer hoping to soften the solidified lubricant. No luck at all. <br>

How does one go about freeing up the threads ? </p><div></div>

<p>As others have so wisely noted, there are different degrees of frozen Agfa lenses. To put it in perspective, I bought 3 Isolettes a while back w/ the idea of freeing up the lenses and making a small profit on resale, along w/ the satisfaction of fixing up some neat cameras. So far I've managed to ruin two of them. The only reason I haven't screwed up the surviving one is I have been scared to tackle it.</p>

<p>All I can suggest is after dribbling some lighter fluid in the appropriate areas, put an automotive type hose clamp around the front element (after wrapping the element housing w/ tape) and gently but firmly attempt to twist it out after you've reheated it w/ the hair dryer. If it's like mine, the whole assembly will unscrew rather than just the front part. Then you can tackle separating things from there. A word of caution. Everything that isn't glass there is soft brass. Don't exert too much pressure clamping it or you will break the element, and don't be rough clamping the threads once you get the assembly out or you'll definitely bugger them.</p>

<p>Exactly what I was thinking, John. Later this morning I'll rummage around in the garage and dig up a hose clamp. Gentle and easy-does-it...... I hope I don't bugger it up.<br>

When I took the focus ring off I noticed those scratches ... someone tried their hand at wrenching the lens free, too, eh ? What does that sproketed washer hold ? </p>

<p>My agfa sillette suffered this annoyance, it completely seized solid, its next to impossible to unscrew now. If you start using lighter fluid, dont give up during that sitting, make sure you get it taken apart then or it will react and solidify like mine!</p>

<p>Hi, Gabor Hmm, a common problem with old AGFAs indeed ....<br>

Plan A - take the old Ventura down the highway to your local CLA camera technician and fork out 50 bucks.<br>

Plan B - try a bit of DIY and back off those tiny screws holding the Agnar's front elements in place, noting the positions where they were fitted, yadda, yadda. Clean off the green gunk and relubricate with a modern synthetic lubricant, then refit. Keep your fingers crossed that everything goes back in place where it was before.<br>

Plan C - Get yourself a can of CRC Electronic Aerosol Cleaner and a can of synthetic lube spray, such as 'Super Lube Multi-Purpose Synthetic Lubricant With Syncolon'. (I don't have shares in either company, so no doubt there are other products around that can do the exact same job.) Fit the thin nozzle to the CRC can and squirt the stuff plentifully in the gap between the focussing control and the lens housing. Have a a small towel or hankerchief underneath to catch the inevitable drips of the stuff that work their way through, although it evaporates totally in a matter of a minute. Keep trying to move the stuck focussing with a set of small multigrip pliers, with another hanky wrapped around to protect the metalwork. It should start to ease up a bit, so then squirt some more around the gap. Keep applying the pliers and squirt more CRC. <br>

The entire focussing movement should eventually free up, but then it's time to reinsert some lubricant because all the CRC has done is a temporary job to reactivate the waxy green gunk. Now you squirt just a few very short bursts of the lube aerosol into the focussing movement, with it out as far as it can go, moving it back and forth as you squirt. Less is more, because although the CRC totally evaporates and won't remain to stick on lens surfaces or the iris blades, too much lubricant can and will. What you're doing is restoring the 'lube' element into the waxy grease, but you don;t need very much to do the job.<br>

In the morning, the focussing movement may have become a bit stiff again, but don't despair. Just give it another few small squirts of the lube aerosol as you move the focussing around. I've never had to do this a further time. Have a look at my comments in the 'Karat' page of my Flickr Portfolio here, for some more guidance:</p>

<p> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32113303@N07/sets/72157612048279403/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/32113303@N07/sets/72157612048279403/</a></p>

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I have an Ansco Regent (AKA Solinette) with the same problem. I can remove the lens/shutter assembly and plan to apply a hot soldering iron directly to the frozen sleeve thus avoiding overheating the bellows and other other sensitive parts (fingers crossed). If you can remove that package it might give you more freedom to apply heat.

<p>I've released two of them by removing them from the shutter, and put hose clamps on the two parts that needed unfreezing. I then put LENS with HOSE CLAMPS in the oven (metal pan) and start at 175 degrees F and work up until with gloves on and the leverage provided by the hose clamps it unscrews. It sounds brutal but it worked at for me about 225 degrees F.<br>

Here is an Apotar lens done this way:<br>

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3045/2962357115_45cbb47943.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="497" /></p>

<p>Many, many years ago as a young sprocket I worked at Cosworth in the UK building DFV's and the like. In the off-seasons I moonlighted at a number of places working in the fledging "classic cars" industry. One place had this gigantic trough of 'Oil of Wintergreen' - Methyl salicylate. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_of_wintergreen) </p>

<p>Now I don't know if you have ever worked on ancient engines run on old non-detergent oils and then left for decades, but they end up as large blocks of rust covered in impenetrable tar. Oil of Wintergreen managed to soak into these ancient motors and free them up. All the bolts just broke free and we were then able to recondition them. We are talking De Dion Boutons, 1920's Roll-Royce sixes, Singer OHC fours, Citroen 5CV's, etc, from the '20's and '30's. Oil of Wintergreen freed them up after a week's soaking when heat, kerosene, CRC etc. had no effect.</p>

<p>Interestingly Oil of Wintergreen is a component of those "wrench-in-a-can" products like CRC, WD40, etc. I suspect that it is the ability of the Methyl salicylate to break down complex organic compounds that does the trick. You can buy it in small quantities from Chemists. It would be worth somebody trying this as it may be the key to easy repair of these old Agfa lenses.</p>