Bolex Not Running, YES it has been Wound

Tanasio Loudermill · April 5, 2014

Hi,

I'm a student working on my first short film for a class. I checked out all the equipment I needed to start shooting including a Bolex H16 Reflex movie camera. I put a wind in the camera, went to load the film into it, and realized that it won't run! So now, the camera has sat overnight with a wind in it that I have no way of getting out. And seemingly no one else has had this issue because I couldn't find it in any forums.

Can ANYONE please help?!?!?! I'm totally freaking out!

Brian Drysdale · April 5, 2014

The first thing that comes to mind is checking the clutch. This disconnects the spring motor and allows you to rewind film and use an external motor.

Tanasio Loudermill · April 5, 2014

The first thing that comes to mind is checking the clutch. This disconnects the spring motor and allows you to rewind film and use an external motor.

Is that the same thing as the spring disengage lever? It's currently set to the "M" position. If it isn't the same thing, how do I check the clutch? Thank you!

Brian Drysdale · April 5, 2014

From memory the lever is in the up position when using the spring motor, which is the M position. Try operating this lever a few times together with the continuous run, if it doesn't work there could be something that needs to be checked by a camera engineer. I wouldn't worry about the spring being left wound overnight it's more a longer storage thing.

Edited April 5, 2014 by Brian Drysdale

Jean-Louis Seguin · April 5, 2014

Do you have a rewind crank?

If so, set the clutch lever to "o" and see if you can advance or reverse the mechanism with the crank. Sometimes a liitle piece of broken film lodges itself in the claw area and blocks the claw movement.

Jean-Louis

Tanasio Loudermill · April 5, 2014

Do you have a rewind crank?

If so, set the clutch lever to "o" and see if you can advance or reverse the mechanism with the crank. Sometimes a liitle piece of broken film lodges itself in the claw area and blocks the claw movement.

Jean-Louis

When the backwind key is inserted, it can move forward, but it's very glitchy and difficult. Trying to go backward is even more difficult.

Jean-Louis Seguin · April 6, 2014

If the camera is still loaded, I would suggest you open the camera in the dark and see if you can feel the loop and see if anything else seems abnormal. If the loop is incorrect, the camera will not run properly.

Jean-Louis

Tanasio Loudermill · April 6, 2014

If the camera is still loaded, I would suggest you open the camera in the dark and see if you can feel the loop and see if anything else seems abnormal. If the loop is incorrect, the camera will not run properly.

Jean-Louis

That's the thing, though. I never got the camera loaded because I pressed the run button and nothing happened.

Chris Millar · April 6, 2014

Take out the pressure plate then operate (but not force) the rewind crank (in '0') while observing the rollers and claw mechanism inside, you might be able to spot something ...

Richard Jura · April 9, 2014

Tanasio

Did you ever get your situation corrected?

Rich

Tanasio Loudermill · April 9, 2014

No Rich I did not. But, the camera is back with the university now and they're saying there might be a problem with the spring in the camera. Thanks!

Johan van Huyssteen · June 17, 2022

To everyone's suggestions. Thank you so much I appreciate it. Disengaging the motor and using the rewind crank solved the issue for me. As one user pointed out, it prevents the claw from being stuck in the film.