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Thanks for looking

Sadly I’m retired and all the tools and fixtures were left at the college I worked at for 30 plus years. Now I heard that they no longer use the Bolexes and no one appears to know where the 74 cameras are. When I left there was a huge stock of spare parts which appear to be gone also ;-( Rich

@@richjura8957 , oh that is a shame. With the recent resurgence of interest in good old fashioned filmmaking, skills and knowledge from masters like you are more valuable than ever. I’m a child if a filmmaker who taught me the craft, in the mid 1960s, when I was about 7 or 8. My dream was Hollywood film editing, my reality was a career in television station engineering. I have been enjoying my retirement by filming on 16mm again. I wish you well sir. Thank you for your fast response!

@@flyingo be sure to catch Alyssa’s documentary ‘Beyond the Bolex’. Well worth the watch. Rich

Yes! I watched it during the December fundraising event. Then watched it a few more times, and Alyssa and I became facebook friends and Instagram.. whatevers.. Great film!

Thank you Alyssa, all you Bolex aficionados should track down Alyssa’s documentary ‘ Beyond the Bolex’, you’ll have to forgive my faltering memory, it was either her grandfather or great grandfather who created the Bolex we all know and love. Rich

After working on them for 34 years and somewhere around 375 to 400 film tests that was my technique. I’m sure many will find fault with it but it told me everything I needed to know. I would also shoot the stopwatch with a 75 macro and count the frames. Enjoy your Bolex

Hello Dave, which Cinematography forum? Give me an approximate date and I’ll try to find it and reply. Did manage to find my source material and a youngster with better eyes and editing skills who offered to do some trimming for me. So there should be some new stuff popping up.

​@@richjura8957 Also, I figured out what the "glitch" I mentioned above must be: I keep trying to share an electronic mailing address (words chosen carefully there) in reply but it keeps excising my entire comment. Must be the algorithm. If this makes it through you're welcome to just get in touch that way, bendiksd at gee whiz mail, without the whiz of course.

​@@richjura8957 Thanks so much for your reply. It was May 8th, 2019, and I sent another last night before realizing I could try commenting here. Cinematography dot communication (minus the munication) is where I'd messaged. It keeps automatedly deleting my comment if it has a URL in it -- Big Brother must not like Bolexes. Really glad to hear there might be more "Bolex Tales" on the way, too! DaveMeg B

Are you speaking of the chrome drive sprockets that move the film? There are 2 set screws 90 degrees apart in each one, you will need a long slender screwdriver to reach them. When reinstalling them they need to be timed to the pull down claw and set to the correct height.

​@@richjura8957 thanks for the help. I already unscrewed them but there are parts from the loop formers that impeded the freely movement to take the drive sprokets out. So I´m not sure if I need to remove another part of the camera besides the 2 set screws in each drive sprokets in order to be able to take them out.

@@jef7393 There are 2 slots in the bottom of the drive sprockets, you have to maneuver the loop formers till they line up.

Did you let the camera wind itself out or did you stop it while it was buzzing away @64FPS? If you stopped it then you may have sheared thr index pin on the 1 to 1 shaft which may have lodged somewhere in the gear train.

@@richjura8957 I've let the camera wind itself

To the best of my recollection depending on the model in question there were either 3 or 5 screws holding the main plate to the body.if you’ve removed 4 then there’s a 5th one lurking about. Plus if it has a fixed shutter then the turret plate has to be removed first, it will slide off towards the door side of the camera. Good Luck Rich

@@richjura8957 Thank you for your reply. After the comparison, my model should be the same as the one in the video, with a fixed shutter. Can you tell me how to remove the panel and clean the focusing prism of this model? Thanks again!

A fixed shutter does not lift off like the variable shutter.it slides off in the direction of the door plus the pressure plate has to be removed. Hope this helps Rich

@@richjura8957 According to your instructions, I found a way to move the turret plate toward the door, but after moving about 2cm, the focusing prism jammed the turret plate and it couldn't be pulled out. Do I need to remove the focusing prism first? Many thanks.

@@paklamkuong103 I don’t believe so, did you remove the viewfinder tube? None of our cameras were non variable shutter.

Hello Paula, On the older non-reflex cameras there would be 5 screws holding the plate to the body. Also be sure all the knobs and levers are removed from the winding handle side of the camera including the winding handle. The accessory mount opposite where the ‘focusing port’ is often times has a little nut on the screw which will keep the plate from dropping free. You also have to loosen the screws that hold the strap on as they can pinch the main plate and not let it separate . Hope this helps.....Good Luck........let me know how it goes and if I can be of anymore help. Rich

You’re very welcome

What is it you need to know?

@@richjura8957 I have a "new" H15 rex1 and I have successfully destroyed 2 rolls of film. The first one I was told was a lost loop and probably because I did not make sure the pressure plate was secure. The second was a film pileup on the take up reel . I feel like I did it right. I have been watching all the you tube videos on it and I think something is wrong with it. The guy who sold it to me says its me not the camera calkovsky camera. So Im looking for some validation really. yanard3 at gmail .com Thanks Rick

@@RickGreenPhoto did you ever figure out what was wrong??

Rick watch this video, ruclips.net/video/5LgUb2yPp0o/видео.html. Did you follow this procedure while loading?

Check to see if the chrome ‘ spool retaining arm’ slips over it’s stop as that will hinder the action of the take up spool. I f you say it tries to turn then may be a couple drops of oil might free it up. I used Mobil 1 0W-20W, snap a wooden Q tip into a nice point and use it to get at the base of the spindle. Generally if they are really dry it has to come apart . Good Luck Rich

@@richjura8957 Alright, so I just let it run empty a couple of times and have turned it manually in hopes the grease will loosen up. It already turns again like it should do, yet it still sometimes still slows down a little bit before returning to its original speed. When shooting on 8fps it struggles as usual to turn. So I'll buy this grease and put some on it. Do you advise me opening it up and giving it some greasing? If so, could you make a video on how to actually open a Bolex up? Thank you for your help already

Before attempting to open it up try a bit of oil with a needle applicator. Go to a sporting goods store and get some reel or gun oil.

@@richjura8957 So I have oiled the the area and it spins well now but still slows down or gets stuck momentarily sometimes:/ Should I open it up?

@@juliusthieroff Sorry, did not notice your reply, before you open it up make sure the ‘ spindle retaining arm ‘ is not going past it’s stop as that will bind the take up spool. As I was learning mechanics, if it’s not working you can’t make it any worse by dismantling as long as you don’t use brute force. Or when I was 16 years old an old timer told me “ when it comes to machines, if you’re sweating.....you’re doing something wrong’. Took me years to grasp that one. Good Luck Rich

Thank You......needs editing as there is more to come. Rich

OK. When installing the turret assembly put the camera Into single frame mode.Rotate the shutter so it’s about 25 or 30 degrees above the aperture, when you drop the assembly in place the shutter should be just above the aperture. You’ll need something to hold the trigger in that single frame open position. Are you sure the spring is good, is there tension on the wind handle? Engage the motor lever and using the rewind crank do you feel any tension? Sometimes they can get stuck and ‘rocking’ it with the rewind crank with the motor engaged can free it. Good Luck Rich

@@richjura8957 Hi and thank you so much for this. Yes, there is tension when I have the winding handle in position MOT. I had heard that if the spring was broken, I would be able to wind the camera and make it turn the shutter, but mine won't budge, however, it's working fine using the little manual winding crank in the O position, although winding forward is much smoother than winding backwards, as if rewinding the film. I will try rocking with the rewind crank with motor engaged.

@@richjura8957 I decided to go further so removed the mechanism from the body and then separated the halves. The motor spring was broken and the casing for the spring had some damaged teeth. Do you have a spare spring motor to sell? Also, if you can manage to post the unedited rest of your video, that would be most helpful for figuring out how to put the camera back together! btw. the camera I'm working on is a rex 4 that's as clean as a pin. I would love to save it.

Sorry, no motors. I have retired. I got my motors from Chambless Cine Equipment. Did have some rewound in a small shop in Chicago that did old clocks. Was a disappointing effort as they did not run as well as the Bolex units. Still have not found the box with the original footage yet. Rich

sadly there really is no easy way to lubricate a Bolex without taking the workings out of the body. There are a couple of spindles on the film side you could add a drop of oil to. And if you took off the drive sprockets you could add a drop there but then you'd have to retime them to the claw. For oil I used Mobil 1 0-20W and grease was EIKI cam tank lube which was a graphite grease that I applied to the entire gear train, sure it is no longer available. Stayed on the gear teeth better than the Bolex graphite grease. Rich

@@richjura8957 Thanks for the help!

The sealing mastic is really for keeping film chips out of the works. Sealing the gaps at the IOC and bottom of the aperture plate is where you need to block any light.

IOC was meant to be top...... darn spell checker

Of course, this is just a fixture I made out of an old Bolex so I could assemble a complete gear train and have access to the governor without having to take it out of the body again. Rich

@@richjura8957 ok yeah I saw your other video I have a older model that jammed and I took the governor screws out by mistake trying to get inside :/ I'll try to fix it this weekend Thanks!

Hello I have not been able to find my original video file, my friend who edited for me recently passed. If I find the original will post it unedited as I am not well versed in the fine art of editing. Rich

if you hold the plunger at the back of the camera down with your finger does the counter work? If so the door does not fit correctly. Other wise it has to come apart in order to determine which parts are malfunctioning. I have another video detailing how to disassemble it.

@@richjura8957 Thank You, but if i hold the plunger, the counter don't work. i think it's a internal problem

@@ilPisi26 It's most likely the screw that holds the dial to the spindle, sadly to get to it you have to pull the workings out of the body. Good Luck

Rich Jura ok, thank you very much. I’ll try soon and let you know.

are all the knobs, buttons and dials removed from the crank side? Also back out the 2 screws that hold the strap on. after that some models have a nut on the inside for the accessory adapter. After that it should just be the sealing mastic, just a sharp rap should get it out. Hope this helped. Good Luck

responded to your other comment, here I see you are working on a non reflex. If I remember correctly those have 5 screws holding the main plate to the body. Also the turret assembly has to slide off as the shutter stays with the main plate. There is nothing under the leatherette that would require you to peel it off. Good Luck

@@richjura8957 Hi!!! Thanx a lot for your answers!!! Yes, it has more screws holding the main board, than on the reflex model. I had already dismantled the lens tower from another non reflex before and I know to remove this part without problem. I took off all screws from the plate, bolts, pressure plate, internal sealing glue, etc. but something still holds the main board too strong on one side, where the film cutter is. I have to analyze better what can be... Well, this camera was totally stuck. I did something that I did NOT consider the right thing: I sprayed wd40 on the gears from the front, let it stop a while and I could have the gears unlocked. I was moving them gradually and everything is working. At least I know that nothing is broken! It still hangs a bit, but all the mechanisms are fine. Now I thought about removing excess wd40 with contact cleaner or benzine.... I'd like to know what do you recommend for this type of mechanism?

I think you might be better off leaving the WD40 in it. I can't think of what would keep it from separating especially down by the governor, tap it on the table all around as maybe a screw came loose internally and is caught somewhere. That maybe what locked the mechanism, if it were me I would get it apart to clean and lubricate it. Particularly because WD40 is not really a good lubricant.

@@richjura8957 I was just anxious to know if the spring or anything else could be broken. I already set it up and I ran a test film today. I just developed it and looks great! Later on I want to disassemble everything to make proper cleaning and lubrication. Thank you very much for your tips and great videos! It sure helped a lot !!!

Thanks Rich

Thank You I felt the most relevant tool was the one that pushed the pin out of the 1 to 1 shaft and 8 to 1 shafts. Everything else can be worked around, except for fitting a new governor assembly. Bolex has a fixture for that which I found a work around. Good Luck Rich

Simon Nice to see your reply, yes there are many things that can effect the camera's performance. In the 30 years I kept our stable of 70+ cameras running I had not seen that one. Now that I'm retired I do miss nit-picking Bolexes. When I took the job I had never seen the inside of a Bolex, Having assembled some Arri 16S ,BL's and 35C's I have really developed a love affair with the spring driven Bolex. Appreciate your post Rich

Daniel Sorry I don't speak Spanish, if google translator is to be believed then I'm assuming you have a round bottom camera with the small viewfinder. If that's the case then the eyepiece unscrews and the top comes off the viewfinder. If I recall these older cameras only had 3 screw holding the tube to the body. Hope this helped Rich

Hola Jura. Si, yo tambien utilizo el traductor de Google. Jajaja!!! Exacto, como vos decis, mi visor tiene el visor ocular redondo. Calculo que si en verdad es lo que me comentas, deberia salir desenroscando esa pieza. Voy a probar y luego te comento. Gracias nuevamente. Saludos cordiales. Daniel

I just learned by taking them apart. I have a video showing the process of dismantling the camera but it's not edited in any way. I may just upload it as is since I never seem to find the time to edit. Also have one showing how to tell if you've lost the loop without opening the door first.

I'd love to see both of these videos. Hope you can find the time to upload soon!

When the students destroyed the spool retaining arm I just threaded the hole with a 10-32 tap and installed a 1/4" long 10-32 button head screw. in 30 years never had an issue. Grease your tap and that will capture the majority of chips created by the tap, Rich

Which double claw are you referring to? The one I'm holding in the video? The longer 'registration claw' is responsible for the forward motion whereas the short one is used to back up the film in order to do double exposures. Never did a comparison test to see which is steadier, IMHO I would think this one would be better. After all the old Arri 35C uses a some what similar movement. Hope this was useful Rich

Rich Jura Yeah, I'm calling the one in your hand the double claw. Yeah, I would think this older bolex would be the better one myself. I've got 2 of these. Am thinking about welding the claw shut in hopes of getting even better registration:)

that part is available and not too expensive, just have to remember it's a left hand thread.You have to loosen the nut and it comes off the wind handle Is the stub still in the motor?

Hi thanks for this fascinating video! I have a h16 on which the bolt hole where the winding lever screws in stripped. I'm in India and noone fixes these. Is it possible to repair by oneself? Is the bolt hole removable? Thanks!!