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Leica 111A Therapy


adrian bastin

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A slightly previous thread (and as yet unanswered, and I hope

permanently so) prompted me to think some might find this

interesting :

 

Having no experience in camera repair but owning a few screw thread

Leicas, all wanting some attention of some sort, when a smashed 111A

came up on the Bay I bought it. All parts were present and I looked

forward to a winter project of, at least figuring out how it all

worked. For some reason I also had a conviction I could make it work

again. I found the thing so fascinating I couldn't put it down.

Perhaps because it is all hand made everything could be straightened

(by eye) It must have had a heavy lens on it when it fell a long way

because the aluminium bady was pulled out of shape in the direction

the blow would cause. To correct it it had the top and bottom covers

bound on with wool and all put in a vice and cranked untill I

couldn't stand it any more ; this proved to be spot on bu I didn't

know that untill a bit later. Those aluminium body sheaths are

amazingly flexible and tough. The only things that were actually

broken I broke myself in ignorance : the shutter latch, which is cast

and won't bend (its shaft will though) and a screw slot in the main

shutter drum-shaft. I'm paying for that now, I think, by not being

able to get 1000th sec,- the curtains remain closed, it seems.

 

Before and after shots and a pic taken with it :<div>00Dsry-26107184.jpg.b79848bb3a22fbf00d8e609368dca865.jpg</div>

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My congratulations, super job. Getting the 1000th right can be a bit of hit and miss on the shutter tensions, get the closing curtain set first (about 1 1/2 to 2 turns) and about 3 to 4 on the opening then adjust the opening until the gate is illuminated evenly at 1000th. The ratio is about 4:1 when working OK.
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Thanks, Huw. I'll give that a shot ; nice to know the right way to go at it. I was using the 1 sec speed to determine the opening curtain tension. I still have a suspision the brass screw I used through the main drum spindle (securung the speed selector boss) is shearing or has allowed movement (sorry folks).
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The daft part is that were I to sell it I would get less than I paid : GBP 60 ; well worth it to me for fun (and therapy) but not a good buy for spares, even ; not to mention a paperweight. Would like to know the story behind it, and that would have made it something to muse on through a block of clear plastic.
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