"Anything but" Perfex 55, repair question

<p>I received a "Everything Works"-type of Perfex Fifty-Five a week ago, after I decided to buy one when I read JDM's review on his Perfex)</p>

<p><img src="http://www.flibweb.nl/flibweb/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/perfex55.JPG" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></p>

<p>It is in a horrible state, the aperture ring on the lens is suffering from dried up grease and fixed in place.<br>

It looks like the RF does not appear to be working the way it should either.<br>

And someone attempted to get the top cover off by wedging it open with a screwdriver warping the plate.<br>

And the shutter one big mess of torn ribbons.</p>

<p>Now, the problem is I can't figure out how to get into the shutter crate and the shutter mechanism.<br>

I've removed the front leatherette to get to all the screws, but the shutter crate is still stuck to the front shell and top and I can't seem to find where.</p>

<p>Some Google-fu pointed towards Mr Oleson having done some work on these, but I can't find anything about it on his website. Anyone else ever tried fixing one of these?</p>

 

<p>Rick has already sent me some notes and I think I've spotted how to take it apart.<br>

Hopefully I can find the right material to replace the curtains, or at least the ribbons</p>

<p>Will keep you all posted.</p>

<p>Will follow this with interest. I was fortunate with my older forty four as you know. Hope you you can "re-animate" it .</p>

<p>I almost snagged a Clarus, which I think is a dewsign-cousin, but I got cute and missed out on it.</p>

<p>Last hurdle before I can take off the shutter crate is the brass rewind-button on the front.<br>

If I can get that removed I can take the entire shutter out of the shell.</p>

<p>I'll take some pictures as I go along and post them ;)</p>

 

<p>Okay, that was relatively painless</p>

<p>Here's a few shots<br>

<img src="http://www.flibweb.nl/flibweb/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/perfex55001.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="426" /><br>

Stripped of the focus mount and leatherette, note the shutter curtain is half open..</p>

<p><img src="http://www.flibweb.nl/flibweb/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/perfex55002.jpg" alt="" /><br>

Had to wait until the SAE standard Allen hex keys arrived before I could remove the knobs. This is after finally getting the top off and the shutter crate out of the shell.</p>

<p><img src="http://www.flibweb.nl/flibweb/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/perfex55003.jpg" alt="" /><br>

Shutter crate.</p>

<p><img src="http://www.flibweb.nl/flibweb/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/perfex55004.jpg" alt="" /><br>

The bottom ribbon of the closing curtain is broken, the leading edge of the curtain snags on the mechanism and prevents the shutter from closing.</p>

<p>So, what's to do?<br>

Clean the VF and RF housing<br>

Bend the top plate back into shape so it closes properly.<br>

Give the shutter a good clean and some lubrication<br>

Then either fabricate a new ribbon or replace the entire closing curtain and ribbons.<br>

The design of the curtains definitely is simple enough.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>OMG! the inside looks like it's been firebombed. You're a great deal braver than I am, Rick.</p>

<p>I do have some cameras that I need to work on, so maybe this will inspire me. I'd love to get a few of the DOA ones up and going. The hard one will be the in the lens shutter on my Altix. I suspect that no one would be able to do anything with my Pentina, however.</p>

<p>Looking forward to further installments.</p>

<p>There are a few cameras I would go to such trouble to fix. I don't think that's one of them, but they do exist. If someone had shipped me that with the 'everything works' description, it would have been re-boxed within minutes while I awaited a response from an email.</p>

<p>The cost wasn't worth shipping it back. I had some correspondence with the seller and he offered a refund.</p>

<p>Simplicity is what the Perfex has going for it, the curtains and ribbons are just a single piece of cloth with bits cut out.</p>

<p> </p>

I apreciate your sentiment in the last post and that is probably the only reason I'd go for it.. nothing to lose! I'd certainly hesitate with any halfway decent working anything..only because I just don'T have the courage!! Taht said.. you're doing a great job here!! I might of mentioned I bought this model and had it sent to my Dad hoping he'd use it! I'm standing by hoping you can manage to get this thing working!