Back in action-Super Regent

Well, thanks to all the help I got here (and I really appreciate it

folks) my Super Regent is up to snuff. Take a look.

<a href="http://home.rmci.net/deanw/Super_Regent.html">Super Regent</a>

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Dean

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<a href="http://home.rmci.net/deanw/old_stuff.html">Old Stuff</a><div></div>

What the heck, here's what it looked like a couple of days ago, after I got the shutter working.<div></div>

Pulling apart cameras is not my forte' and I admire those who can do it. The photos are beautiful of course, especially the barn and the rock crib shots. The yellow flowers are forsythia. My wife and I love them. They bloom really early here too. Not yet though.

 

How's the rangefinder on that thing ? Is it suitable for old men ?

Very, very nice presentation and camera. Looks like all the hours in the shop were worth it.

Dean - That is a really nice looker, and your pics are VERY nice, too. Did you find working on these old cameras pretty straightforward? I get a clunker now and again (hey, they're cheap!) sometimes I just use them for a bookcase, but I've got some that would be nice if I could only fix them. Is it hard to learn?

I was thinking of you when I took the forsythia shot, Gene. Spring is a good month (or more) early here. We need a lot more snow in the mountains, or it's going to be a real blazer of a fire season. The rangefinder is ok for 50ish eyes. I don't have any experience after that. Outdoor focusing is easy. Inside I have to look for a contrast point to be really sure.

 

Mike K: Worth every minute.

 

Wendy: For me, it's all about taking notes on everything. Everything. And go slow. It helps that you can ask here too. I had done teardowns on somewhat simpler cameras before, mostly shutters and lenses on folding medium format rigs, which have similar mechanics, but a little more working room. This was the first camera with a rangefinder that I had repaired. The links I listed on the page will get you to some great info.

I would second what Mike K said.

 

I would also add that while I enjoy not HAVING to fix my cameras, the satisfaction I get after refurbishing them and then seeing a great image seems to provide an element of expression that is sublty different than normally obtained by me in the image creation process.

Great job Dean! It looks simpler than it is - I know!

Ain't it the truth, Benny. Doing it myself put a hundred bucks worth of film in the freezer. Works out to about $5 an hour the way that I work. I've got three others to fix up, now that I'm an old head at it ;>).

Dean,

 

Congrats. You made a good job and a super pictures.

The camera looks excellent and the photography is great.

 

Thanks a lot for sharing!

Dean, nice work, neat camera.

Dean, good job. I've rebuilt several Minolta SRT cameras, and it was a true test of my patience. I've worked on my Speedex also. I admire anyone that can do what you have done. Great pics as usual too.<p>Randy Jay

The acetone still hasn't worked on my focus ring. I'm thinking of a basin wrench and water pump pliers. I think I see the same circular mark on your Agfa plaque that I see on mine which is why I think they need to be reset to infinity before closing. You encourage me to keep going with this project.

Charles: have you tried some heat from a hair dryer? You might migrate oil onto the shutter/aperture blades, but no matter if you are doing a CLA. If its a Solinar, I'd try and remove the cemented doublet which I believe is the rear one if its a true Tessar copy. If its a triplet, no worries.

I tried the hair dryer at one time but didn't know how far I could go. The lens is very clear and the shutter sound good so I had hoped to just free the focus and try it before going any further. The focus is stuck at 10', leaving just a small gap between the lens and the mount so I have been applying the acetone at the rear end of the helicoid using a small applicator brush. (It's an Apotar lens}. My wife's polish remover has other ingredients including glycerin, gelatin, fragrance, and yellow dye so I may look for pure acetone.

Dean, I love the last two photos on the web page. They have that classic Tessar look.

 

Charles, forget the acetone. As soon as it evaporates, your helicoid will be stiff again.

 

Try repeated cleanings with Triflow lubricant. Soak a Q-Tip. With the focus set to infinity, place the Q-TIP up against the helicoid threads, lightly squeeze and rub. Work your way in a circle. Then set the focus to infinity and leave the camera be for a day. If you do want to use heat, a 50 watt halogen desk lamp is more than sufficient.

 

On the next day, do it all over again, but use multiple Q-Tips to clean as much of the green goo from the threads that you can get to. Let the camera set for another day with the focus set to infintiy.

 

Day whatever, if you can focus with one finger, you are done.

 

By the way, Dean's approach works much better, but you need tools and and some know how.

 

If there is a Prontor shutter on the Solinette then you really do need to remove the shutter. The method I described will only get the focus helicoid loosened up.

Most nail polish remover is ethyl acetate based. Are you certain that its acetone in there? Oil might actually be the better material to use. I wouldn't use much, but a tiny amount might soften the grease enough to get the focusing helicoid free and disassembled.

 

I really do try to steer clear of the Agfa/Ansco cameras!

Charles; You may be putting the acetone in the wrong place. On mine the focus ring itself was stuck. If you remove the lens/shutter assy, you can be more liberal with the acetone without worrying about getting it inside the shutter. Loosen the large spanner nut that you can see when looking at the rear element. Unscrew it and the shutter and lens will come out the front. Then put the acetone at the point where the focus ring and DOF scale meet. Mine started working in about five minutes. See the pic.<div></div>