Contax I ribbons

Re: Drawlowid....having lost micro camera parts go somewhere...I looked all around for that spring for the shutter adjustment retainer...keeper....on a Contax II and found it attached to my robe....after looking all over the living room! :) Happy me! Now I have a box with white paper in it and a magnet in the vacuum so that if there is anything I lost there is the chance I may find it....another use for Covid masks [Worn while peering at dust]!
 
Had film misalignment because I did not complete insertion of takeup spool properly on Contax I. I am a very lucky Contax owner...as on my f model the higher sports speeds look just right using an old TV set and holding the camera 90 degrees and doing same comparison to Nikon FE using same TV. The film just in at least the scanned images look good too....
Now have an e model needing straps and am getting ready to complete that replacement but am reading this thread...how many turns on the rollers before going through the clutch...am using what I measured 100mm between 2nd curtain and stitch on strap at roller on 1st curtain. Also, can u recommend turns number when tensioning. Am using ribbon that is 3mm X 0.1875 mm and compared clutch resistance to broken ribbon to see how it move..seem closer than much thinner ribbon purchased form the mentioned suppliers in thread. Considered using Arsenal. Maybe another time.
The leather on the roller is in good shape why prior owner used so much lithium grease around bottom roller not figured out yet. Will see...camera not operating when purchased recently.
 
I use a cigar lighter to seal the end of the ribbon I am using to prevent fray and allow easier pass through of clutch and curtain. Also use silk thread to sew and it leaves very small witness so bump avoided.
 
Mr_Flibble said:
Why was this thread moved out of the Zeiss Section after 4 odd years?
My OCD can't handle this sort of change! :(
Click to expand...


I sort of understand the principle but not the logic when the thread is 100% single camera specific.

Emotionally so upsetting for those of us who have taken years to get over 'ribbonitis' a condition caused by severe Zeiss anxiety.

...and still a Nicca sits in the Leica LTM section for weeks...
 
Moving a thread 100% dedicated to the Contax I into the Repair subforum would be more understandable if, simultaneously, a specific section for the Contax G and T series was created, the G and T Kyocera-made Contax cameras having nothing to do with the original Contax made by Zeiss Ikon in Germany (1932-1962), and not even being rangefinder cameras, but AF things, with the exception of the Contax T, the latter being closer to the Olympus 35RC than to the Contax I anyway, thus should be discussed in the Fixed lens RF subforum... :rolleyes:
 
Is it that on the Contax I the ribbon must be wound around the ends several times, enough that they have to be pulled through the clutches and held with a clothes pin to sew the ribbons on to the second curtain and if on assembly there is not this tension, before final tensioning, then not enough winds were made at the ends. I seem to remember something about this on the Contax II and will check my notes because what I plan is to:
After sewing ribbons at the ends of first curtain spring unit, and winding the tapes 4 times before sending the tapes through the clutches, then install the 1st curtain unit and pull out the tapes and then hold the tension while sewing on the tapes to the second curtain. If I remember the Contax II I had to use a tweezers because I wound the tapes without removing the spring unit from the shutter carrier unit.
Also, I have set B and lubricated the escapements so that everything is certain to be free moving as designed before installing the curtains. On my "f" unit, it was the B setting that was frozen almost completely before lubricating and exercising the escapment.
 
Dralowid, that Nicca and I happen to have owned a few including the S is a substantial unit and the slow speed unit on it outperforms Leotax in reliability. I use it as a standard with a Canon 85/1.9 for rangefinder calibration of other units...or have been. Recently I put back together an L1 which is really a precision machine along with its related Canon 7s. Remember with the L1...slow speeds....first make certain the clam shell is seated square against the main unit as prior CLA persons put in too much light block separating the slow speed adjuster from the rod intended to move the slow speed unit into its various speeds.
 
Thinking about the number of turns on the outer spring rollers....must be enough tension to keep shutter capped if someone aggressively winds the shutter??? Will 2 turns do that? doing a small amount of experimentation and found that if I exercise the tape on the roller with just two there is not much tension to keep the shutters attached...if that is a consideration, so I wound until the 100mm mark reached the roller and secured the tapes on each end in place. So now I will have to use a clothes pin to keep the tape, ribbon strap or whatever extended while attaching to the 2nd curtain while the unit is in the shutter waiting to be tensioned after sewing the 2nd curtain. I can always just release some turns. Unless someone has a better Idea. Also, with that many turns to start, when extended to the 2nd shutter there is still a lip for retaining the tape in position when wound on the roller. I would expect that whoever designed this wanted the tape to be guided into position. So the thickness of the ribbon or tape would have to take that into consideration...just a guess.
 
From what I vaguely recall on the Contax II there were more than 2 turns of tape on the outer rollers. it has been several years now and my poor notes do not reflect anything here.
 
Also, I read somewhere on this thread that 6.5 turns or more may be used on the center spring tensioner and if I put 5 on the outer rollers the relative tensions may be more equal...I am getting in over my pay grade here....but since the only manual I have found for repair is here..well why not and see what happens.
 
by the way it is a gorgeous Sunday morning here in Scottsboro, Alabama....a beautiful day. Time to take some pictures with my "f" model Contax I. Will someone send me a note on how to post pictures. Since I am "operating" on these machines it would be nice to enhance the chance I might get some great advice about what I am doing or not doing correctly.
 
This is a camera geek dream...tensioning the main spring was a snap so long as I kept those little screws in view....just turn the entire plate...for tension...what other camera allows this to be done so easily. I was debating whether to use one of those cigar torches to make an elongated bead behind the 2nd curtain along the top end of the ribbon...rather than sewing.....naah the red silk thread looks so pretty on the white ribbon...found some royal blue ribbon that was just a little different on the weave pattern, maybe if I have to redo the job for some reason. It looks to me like someone took the front knob off, may be the reason for not having this "e" model out taking pictures.
 
The top curtain is not winding up far enough but I have plenty of ribbon length. I know that it is not recommended that the top roller be repositioned, getting the gear right could be some work. However, if it is a possibility that when the final strap breaks the 2nd curtain could make a circuit it may not be a choice but a necessity. It does not look any of the screws have ever been disturbed for the 2nd curtain though....this may be interesting!
 
The first Contax II shutter I worked on was without the benefit of the book written about it and it took me weeks to get everything back together...a bit at a time but then I got a Contax III in and it just so happened it was a repeat of the II shutter work....what a relief and I still have that Contax but since I have parts supply am converting it to a II, just looks better and the smaller profile easier to handle.
 
As an aside has anyone here cleaned up a 35mm Biometar..I need to clean the inside of the front lens and cannot see how to easily get to it.
 
Tomorrow some pictures....it seems I have been talking to myself over the weekend...Molly, my cat does not mind and I hope all here can find something that can help form my diatribe.
 
After looking over my supply of ribbon, Arsenal, Knobby Sparrow and Asahi and measuring the Contax I "clutch width". At Jo Ann I found 3mm/0.185 and 0.20 ribbon, made by Offray which looked to have a weave that would not add resistance or invite rapid wear in white, blue and black, 100% polyester which for about $1.85 each I purchased all three.
The polyester weaved ribbon provided a way to stop the end from fraying by using a flame from a cigar lighter. With minimal practice I was able, after threading through the clutch and 2nd curtain, to melt the end just enough to provide a wall against fraying. I was able after having to unfit one side of the ribbon to add a turn on one pully and refit the same ribbon onto the 2nd curtain!
The "e" model Contax I that I am working on had both sides of the ribbon separated when I came into possession. After fitting the ribbon, with 5 turns I decided to take one off. In the end I kept as many turns on as would be allowed with the 100 mm mark still visible at the spring pully on each side. This was done to allow maximum tension and use a small clamp while fixing the ends to the 2nd curtain.
After replacing the ribbons and placing the spring unit into the shutter carrier the shutter would not operate normally. The shutter would stop without making a full circuit to the bottom of the shutter. After eliminating lubrication solidification as a problem it seemed that the only reason I could find for the 2nd curtain not to travel fully had to be that when the last ribbon separated the 2nd curtain may have rotated placing the gear out of synchronization.
I loosened the two screws for the second curtain and rotated the curtain beyond what a full wind was on the Contax II, temporarily tightened things up and wound and fired the shutter until the shutter made a full circuit without allowing slack and the stoper on the 1st curtain t odo its job.
At that point the B setting still did not work and I had to do some additional lubrication to free up the excapement and finally "B" worked normally and so did the oather speeds. This took a lot of patience and time.
Now though, this "f" model works on all groups and speeds and sounds like I expected it to sound, like a well tuned machine.
The "sports" group time is s~30% slower than normal but everything works consistently.
I have reassembled 80% of the camera leaving the shutter platform cover off while I decide whether I will add or reduce the number of turns on the main spring.
Since I do not know at the moment how that would affect the high speeds group...if anyone does know please pass any suggestion on to me. The camera is pretty close to perfect for its vintage and apparent use.
Thanks in advance.
By the way, I have checked the slow speeds using an Olympus-35 and a digital stop watch and also the high speeds using an old TV comparing the width of the elongated rectangle to known operating cameras.
Thanks for all the prior posts....
Tom Shafovaloff
 
My problem too was the high speed group. My Contax I cameras work more or less, exept for their high speed groups. 1/100 sec. is their highest speed.

I have one perfect working Contax I camera, that one is for me the proof that they can work.

Good luck, Tom!

Erik.
 
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