Unjammed a film advance with a simple tweezer move

Had an old SLR with the film advance totally stuck. Tried all my usual lubes, nothing worked. Then I saw a tiny spring was out of place and gave it a nudge with tweezers. It clicked right open. What's your best hack for mechanical jams like this?

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3 Comments

jackson.brooke7mo ago

That tweezer trick sounds like a good way to snap a spring for good. Forcing parts usually just shifts the internal bind to a worse spot. Real fixes need the right tools to fully disassemble and clean the old grease out, not just poke at it.

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palmer.laura7mo ago

Ever think you had to take stuff all apart to fix it?

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kevin_roberts417mo ago

My old man taught me to always check the service manual first. Some things like a carburetor need a full teardown, but other times you can just loosen a bracket to free up the part you need. It's about knowing which fasteners are critical. What are you trying to fix?

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