500c body '61, jammed, help. Plus, NC-2 paint question

[brushmeister]

Just picked up my 500c at the post office, bought on ebay but clearly

listed as jammed, but I figured I could unjam it, since because its a

Hasselblad its made so well it will never jam, and even if does jam,

so long as there's no skewed parts, anyone with reading glasses can

find out how to un-jamm it. Or so I am led to believe.

 

So I read, and read, and screw around, but I still can't get it

unjammed. Mirror is up, barn doors part-opened. It refuses to accept

a lens. I turned the screw, moved the switch from T to o and back

again. No luck. I notice the mirror lock-up button is up and into

its slot...oh, that can't be good. There's absolutely no sign of

physical abuse on this body. What to do?

 

As I said, also cannot get a lens to attach. Little slots are

alligned with the red dot, etc, but the 80mm just refuses to click

in, and of course I won't force it. Hate to be taking it to a repair

shop until I am certain there's no simple answer. Anyone? This can't

be another "mainspring is busted" deal, can it?

 

Ok, ok, if there's no solution and I got to bring it to a shop I

will. Was just hoping not to need taking out a second mortgage.

 

In the meantime, my second question is about Hasselblad paint. Picked

up an optically fine NC-2 prism on ebay but it suffers from serious

paint loss. I mean ugly! Now, I don't keep my camera equipment up on

a shelf and just admire them and show 'em off. My Nikons are brassed

plenty. These are tools, and tools are tools. But I would like to

know if it is possible to do a first rate repaint job on this prism

housing. Like, with durable auto paint, baked on. In the oven, or

with lights. Just need to understand how to remove the leatherette

without damaging it so it can be re-glued, and if I can separate the

housing from the prism without needing special tools and gauges to re-

assemble.

 

Why? Because if its doable it would give me immense satisfaction to

do it. Of course I would prime and spray paint the thing. I figure

adding a little charcoal dust to the auto paint would dull it down

just enough to that classic "eggshell" finish, but of course this

would take some experimentation. Anyone?

 

It strikes me that some of us are klutzes with hammers and some of us

are carpenters, oh, not that I could build a Chippendale dresser,

mind you, but I believe the only thing separating many people from

certain achievements is nothing more than removing the "mystery"

surrounding them. Like I told my wife before we got married, "Veils

are meant to be lifted."

[charles barcellona www.bl]

Take the body to a local repair shop. There is a trick (or two) in putting the prerelease lever in place when the body is slid into the shell. Should be easy to fix if thats it.

 

As for the NC-2...get the same shop to remove the outer body (if its removable, I cant remember on those). Paint it to your hearts desire, noting that the metal is likely to deform under heating/baking/lights.

You might want to try a speckle finish or wrinkle finish to hide the underlying paint damage without having to sand it down to base metal and polish it out. The leatherette (vinyl) should come off easily and can be reglued.

[pablo_gejman]

Also, see: http://perso.club-internet.fr/cesarigd/photoe2b.htm

[leonard_robertson]

Myron - Try the link Pablo gives above. However, the unjamming refered to there seems to be lens jammed on the body, so I wonder if you have something broken, not just stuck. If you can find a copy of "Camera Maintenance & Repair" by Thomas Tomosy at a bookstore or camera store, look at the page or so on 500CM repair. It shows how to take the innards out of the outer shell, shows how to make a spanner to unscrew the plate behind the wind knob, refers to "cocking bevel-gears broken" (which might be your problem), and other information which might help you. Also there are reprint Hasselblad repair manuals on eBay all the time, but I've never seen one so I don't know how worthwhile they are. Tomosy has a little info on removing and reglueing leatherette, too. If you send the body to someone to be worked on, it would be the time to consider having a brighter focusing screen installed. Bill Maxwell's screens are always highly recommended. When I spoke with Bill a couple of years ago, he mentioned he does Hasselblad repair. He highly recommended I have my 500C cleaned and lubed if I sent it in for a screen replacement. I actually never got around to doing it; I bought a 500CM body instead. Finally, I'm sure glad you are buying all these "deals" on eBay, so I don't. I have a serious problem with buying "projects". I've been eyeing scruffy prisms on eBay, buy so far have been able to resist. Leonard

[brushmeister]

Just got back with some bad news after driving over to Hasselblad in Fairfield, NJ. They looked over my '61 500c and advised me it needed a new "mechanism plate," $100. a new "stop gear," $70.00, and a new "front gear," $180.00, plus roughly $272.00 for labor. O-o-o-h, Doctor! He said they were looking at about 4 hours of work on that body.

 

Well, that's a clean, straight, poke in the eye. Either I find a second opinion or I cut my losses and sell it for parts.

 

So, I also took the opportunity to ask the "H" guy where I could get a replacement focusing ring on an old chrome 150mm Sonnar I have. Person I bought it from etched his personal "security numbers" on the barrel and I was thinking I might want to be rid of that uglification. Hassy don't carry parts for that old a lens, he said, but recommended I contact Hilton Command Exposures in Nashua, NH. Anyone have experience with that shop?

 

Another interesting thing he told me was I might consider electric-magnetic powder spray painting that old NC-2 prism housing of mine. Could be a safer way to go, instead of my previous thought to disassemble the housing and bake on the paint. Don't motorcycle shops do that kind of painting? Thanks, Pablo, and Len, and C.B., for the advice and hot link reference on unjamming. (I had already seen it. No help there, and now I know why.)

[barry schmetter]

Ouch! Are they expecting you to personally support Hasselblad USA? I would definitely get a second opinion. You might want to check with Peter Rosenthal for HB repairs--he comes highly recommended on the Hasselblad list. He's a member of photo.net, so you should be able to get his email address here. However if it is trashed, you'd do better to pick up a 500CM body; not too hard to find one for ~$300.

[leonard_robertson]

I imagine Hasselblad wants to bring the mechanism back to "as new" condition (to protect their reputation, as well as get your money). You need to find an independent repair person who can fix it to a "usable" standard. Maybe all the gears are as bad as Hasselblad NJ says, but a second opinion can't hurt. After your first post, I searched eBay "Completed Auctions". I don't know if your 500C was one that included a rapid wind crank and waist-level finder, but if you list those seperately on eBay and the body as a parts camera, you might not lose much money. As Barry said, reasonable 500CM bodies are available on eBay. Thanks for sharing your experience with us, too. Keep us updated on how you come out.

Leonard

[brushmeister]

Bless you, boys. Getting a second opinion on repairing my jammed '61 Blad body was good advice. I took it to Essex Camera Repair in Carlstadt, NJ (about 40 miles from my house)last week. Was told their standard repair price for repairing any Blad body is $150 so I said OK, don't fix it if it costs more than that, fully expecting bad news and planning to cut my losses.

 

WRONG! When I got the telephone call notifiying me it was ready, Like Sparky Anderson once said, You coudda knocked me over with a feather!This afternoon I picked up my now fully functional, no-longer-jammed, working beautifully '61 500c.

 

Get this: Essex Camera did not have to replace a single part. They did tell me it looked like someone who really didn't know what they were doing had the thing apart and really mucked it up, so it took a lot more time than usual for them to set it right, but no new parts were needed. That's got to for sure make you wonder about those repair guys over at Hasselblad in Fairfield.

 

I have used Essex Camera Repair for many years and have never, never had anything but a good experience with them. Chalk up another one.

[mike_lachance]

Myron, funny about your "battle worn" finish on your NC-2, i, too, recently bought an NC-2, for its optically perfect condition, for $150.00, the finish was pretty horriffic... 80% of the paint was gone, leaving some gray primer and much worn-exposed aluminum.

 

Having disassembled (2) minolta X-570's and (1) X-700 SLR, this primitive Prism finder was cake. simply pull the leatherette off, (the old adhesive is good, but not THAT good... it comes off in one piece is you are even marginally careful... 4 screws later and the back plate comes out. The prism is a sealed unit. It is glued to the main housing. Just carefully rock it a bit and it will come unglued... then remove the tiny screws that hold the base on. Careful to not lose these screws or the (2) ball-bearings... using a small razor, or jewlers scredriver CAREFULLY and SLOWLY pry the tiny "H A S S E L B L A D" name plate off the front, taking care to not kink, bend or warp it. it is glued on like the leatherette.

 

Remove the eyepiece lens by unscrewing the inner retaining ring.

 

Sand the aluminum parts with 600 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper. use running water for best finish. I used a quality Krylon satin finish black spray paint, although i highly recommend fuel-proof engine enamel as the paint is extremely durable and has more aggressive and rock-like hardeners. I did not elect to prime the aluminum. You may. Start the finish with some light dusting coats, allowing 30 secs to 1 minute drying. Dust again. then carefully apply a nice healthy coat. WORK FAST. Do not allow the paint to dry before your COMPLETE part coat application is complete, this minimizes speckle and dimpling.

 

Repeat if you feel necessary but DO NOT over paint.

 

Be sure no breeze or dust is anywhere near part.

 

Allow to dry at least 6 hours before handling.

 

If done properly this finish will apear identical to factory finishes, although lack of a hardener may be an issue in non-engine enamel formulations... after 3 years or so you will have an equivalent hardened finish.