Arriflex 16S/B rescue

Gareth Blackstock · January 3

So I recently got the oppurtunity to purchase the above camera.... for $300... which I thought was pretty good, it came with a 400ft mag and a zoom lens. Examining it I found everything to be rusted, seized, and/or oxidised. I have never come across a camera in such poor condition. Even the film chamber looked terrible. As I love a challenge I got to work!

I have never worked on a Arrifflex before so i documented my progress and added it to my website. https://aussiecinerepair.wordpress.com/arriflex-16s-b-refurbish-2/

The camera was a pleasure to work on. I found two dates scratched into the shutter movement casing, I assumed they were by a service technician. I got the camera working, and very well I think. The tachometer runs steady, no noticeable vibrations that seem untoward. I will be sending it off to a local camera tech for a service .

The lens I managed to mostly make useable again, peroxide and amonia to kill the fungus, some etching remains, but at least I can film test the camera without trying to buy a lens.... which are mostly insanely expensive!

I also added some Arriflex information pages, thanks to some forum members who gave me permission to post copies of their work onto my site.

As an added note, the reason I have never come across an Arriflex to fix before, is that they have always been too pricey for my wallet. Mostly I have only been able to afford 16mm cameras that are broken. Repairing them I have enjoyed more than i thought. The benefit of not being able to afford the main camera makes, like Eclair, Arriflex, CP, Bolex, etc. is that I bought lesser known cameras like Kinor and Pentaflex, which by the way I think are awesome under rated cameras. These cameras are still coming up frequently, sadly they are getting far too over priced themselves!

I am looking forward to filming with the camera, even if it is noisier than a Pentaflex!

Gareth

Simon Wyss · January 3

What did you do to the main group?

Dom Jaeger · January 3

Nice work, Gareth!

I wouldn’t have touched it with a barge pole, given the original condition, but it seems to be working ok now! It’s also something of a testament to the quality of the materials Arri used, a lesser camera subjected to such corrosion would not normally be salvageable, at least not without parts being replaced.

I might start recommending you when people bring me things they appear to have found at the bottom of a harbour! (Happens all too often actually..)

Simon Wyss · January 3

Divers?

Gareth Blackstock · January 3

Thanks for the comments, I enjoy a challenge and I'm patient... and yes, the quality of the screws and threads made it possible for me to work on it.

Simon, what do you mean the main group? Mostly I removed rust, cleaned, lubricated, and greased. I knew I would be sending the camera to be serviced so I did not disassemble the shutter movement or the film gear advance movement, or the gearing.

G

Simon Wyss · January 3

5 hours ago, Gareth Blackstock said:

did not disassemble the shutter movement or the film gear advance movement

That’s the main group or assembly. There are ball bearings, helical gears, runners or guided posts in grooves, pivoting and reciprocatingly moving parts in plain bearings that all need at least C‘n’L. The fastest moving parts are those in connection with the motor shaft, three times faster than the main shaft. Two ball bearings with an Arriflex 16 electric motor plus the steel-ball-in-rubber-cup coupling.

Gareth Blackstock · January 3

Hello,

Yes, I have already said what I did with this assembly, both in the above post and on my website where I cover in more detail what I did to the camera. I will be dismantling the motor at a later date to clean and lubricate.