Light-Proof Ribbon, Neck You Can’t Fix

Light-Proof Ribbon

The most overlooked part of the Body is the inside of the cylinder that the Neck slides into. If you undo the four screws that hold the Neck and Shutter assembly to the Body, you should see that the inside of this Body cavity is lined with a fuzzy, light-proof ribbon that is similar to velvet. Some cameras do not have this ribbon because it loosened over time and was removed by a previous owner. On some cameras the ribbon loosened but slides up and down with the Neck, so it still keeps the light out. On yet other cameras, the ribbon is glued to the sliding portion of the Neck. This fuzzy ribbon is absolutely necessary to prevent stray light from ruining your film.

If the ribbon has come loose but is still inside to the camera, it must be glued back into position. Clean out the cylinder and glue the ribbon along the inside edge. Contact cement works well as a glue. Start the edge of the ribbon flush with the front of the Body. This will leave about a quarter of an inch at the bottom uncovered. This portion, closest to the film, is where the Neck spring rotates, and ribbon will hinder this rotation.

If the original ribbon is missing, you must replace it with some sort of modern material. The only stipulations are that the substitute must be dark, not shed tiny hairs, and be about 1/32 of an inch thick. Felt and other materials that release tiny threads are unsuitable because the threads will fall on the negative and ruin it. Double-knit polyester, easily found in thrift store clothes, works well. Fig. 7-1 shows the dimensions of the light-proof ribbon.

Fig. 7-1: Dimensions of light-proof ribbon in the Body cavity

Be careful not to pry off the light-proof tape when you are replacing the Neck.

The Neck

There are three types of Necks: the two-position focus (A & A2B), the variable focus(AF & A2F), and the one you can’t fix (AA & FA). All three are removed from the Body by unscrewing the four retaining screws on the front of the camera. All three should be painted flat black on the inside, and any scratches should be painted over.

The Neck You Can’t Fix

The easiest Neck to deal with is the one you can’t fix. The Argus AA has no Neck because the shutter was redesigned to be immobile. The Neck of the FA is a variation of the two-position focus that cannot be removed without cutting the flash lead wires. In theory, it is similar to the two-position focus, but it incorporates the flash mechanism in a way that makes it very difficult to remove and disassemble.

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