Argus Camera ARGUS A2 manual Two-Position Focus Neck, Variable Focus Neck

The Two-Position Focus Neck

The two-position focus Neck is just a tube. Clean the outside of it if you disassemble the camera.

The Variable Focus Neck

If the variable focus Neck is difficult to rotate, it can be easily loosened. Most often, the grease used to lubricate the mechanism has just thickened with time. Rotate the Focusing Ring far enough so that you can see the three lubrication grooves on the inside of the Neck. They are about one tenth of an inch wide and run parallel to the direction of the Neck. Tear the “fuzz” off of one end of a Q-Tip and dip the stick in lighter fluid. When you pull it out, the Q-Tip will be wet with lighter fluid, probably less than a drop. Touch the Q-Tip to the lubrication groove and the lighter fluid will flow from the stick to the inside of the focusing mechanism. Repeat this procedure for the other two lubrication grooves. Rotate the Focusing Ring to spread the lubricant until it feels very loose. Set it aside and allow it to dry for a day or so. If it is still to difficult to rotate after it dries, repeat this procedure.

The variable focus Neck also has an extra spring and interior light shield. Do not forget to replace these when the you reassemble the camera.

Separating The Neck From The Shutter

The Shutter is bolted to the Neck by a threaded cylinder that surrounds the rear- most lens of the Shutter. The nut that screws onto the cylinder is a flat disk with two grooves on opposite sides of the disk. If one removes the Back Cover of the camera and looks at the disk surrounding the lens, these two grooves are plainly visible.

The dimensions of the nut and the grooves vary from model to model. Normally, specially measured U-shaped wrenches are used to grip the nut and unscrew it. There are also adjustable spanners, which can fit a wide variety of sizes.

Ed Romney (www.edromney.com or (864)597-1882) sells a tool that works particularly well for the Argus. His “AOS Optical Spanner”, with pointed ends, fits every model of Argus A type camera. The part number is “AOS-PT” and it sells for $19.00, not including shipping or taxes. S.K. Grimes (www.skgrimes.com or (401)762- 0857) also sells an Optical Spanner Wrench, which runs $35.00, including postage to the U.S.A., for the pointed version.

As is almost always the case, there is a cheaper alternative. You can make your own “homemade” adjustable shutter removal tool. It won’t work as well as a custom U- shaped wrench, but it is enough to get the job done. It is made by adapting a drawing compass to the task. This compass is the kind that is used to draw circles, not the one used to find magnetic North. You must purchase the kind of compass that holds its own lead, not the type that holds the whole pencil. Remove the lead from one tip and the metal spike, used to mark the center of a circle, from the other. Replace these with stiff metal wire that will protrude approximately 3/4ths of an inch from the two tips of the compass legs. The best source for this stiff metal wire is a metal coat hanger cut into sections with wire cutters. Pound one end of each wire section partially flat; a hammer pounding against concrete will do the trick. This flat end will grip the two grooves on the nut so that you can unscrew it. This tool now serves as a U-shaped wrench that can be adjusted fit every model of Argus A camera.

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