Well, if anyone was wondering why NZ seems to be the epicentre of challenging vintage restorations (see DeHavilland Mosquitos for details, plus various reverse-engineered WW1-era replications), I think John is showing us why!
Well, I have two options with my challenging Retinette. The original shutter is soaking in Plus Gas in a jar to see if any of the screws will shift after that (no, I won't try to reassemble it without cleaning it off first!), and this has arrived: Scabrous Retinette by gray1720, on Flickr It's almost as filthy as my mind and I had to work out where the extra part in the film chamber had come from (it's the roller from the film door), but it is all there bar the little leatherette disc covering the wind lever centre, and the shutter does actually work, if rather sluggishly. So hopefully between the two I can make a good one. If I'm really lucky, I'll make two... but only if I am *really* lucky!
So far, I've done nothing more with the Zenit TTL - advancing age seems to bring a lack of motivation...
Retinette 1 has finally come apart (though I need Chris's videos to get it back together again, no doubt). Retinette 2... need a different lens wrench, the slots in the retaining ring are in the narrowest bit of the film gate, and neither of my wrenches will go in. Grr! Anyone recommend one for tight gates?
My latest project was nothing photographic - I changed the battery in my wife's watch. The back came off relatively easily, but when I tried to refit it, I couldn't press hard enough with my fingers. I had to buy a new tool - a little press designed for this task - and it arrived today. It was a matter of fitting correctly sized plastic jaws, a squeeze, and the back snapped on.
I have a new exhibition coming up in June, so I have been to the printers today, I'm a bit nervous about the paper I'm printing on; there are lots of blacks in the images so I've gone with a different paper on the printer's advice. Next step is to order the frames.
I'm hoping that sometime next week the prints will be ready. I used a watercolour paper before, it worked for black and white OK, but for colour it wasn't great. I ordered the frames last week too, so it's all coming together slowly. The exhibition starts mid June. I also have a piece in a joint exhibition in Ipswich, that I was lucky enough that my image was used for the front cover of the accompanying booklet.
My latest project was cleaning up a Praktica Super TL3. I removed the top cover, scrubbed the filthy top cover fittings, reglued loose leatherettes and cleaned everything. The top cover was badly pitted, so I put on a Super TL2 cover. The mirror in the camera is scruffy, but I didn't feel like swapping the mirror box to put in a better one. I still have to replace the mirror buffer, and test the light meter.
I have my own exhibiton coming up , starting this Saturday. It is in Frinton on Sea in essex and the open afternoon is 2-4pm, if by the off chance anyone is close by it would be lovely to meet other forum members. Dan
Woooooo Hooooooo ..... congrats and all the best @Dan S ...... and here's me stuck in British Columbia ... the only saving grace in being here, Dan, is that I'm visiting me mum Cheers, Jack
