Stuck Kelmar Rewind Shaft

[Jim Cassedy]

The title pretty much says it all.

Last night, after winding some 70mm film back on cores, I put the 35mm shafts back on the
Kelmar bench. Today, I needed to use the 70mm shafts again, and no matter what I do, I
can't get one of the 35mm shafts out. It went in normally last night- - it wasn't forced or
anything. But today, no amount of prying or prodding with various tools can make it
budge. I've tried WD-40, and also heating the outer collar with heat from one of those
butane torch-thingys like crackheads use with their pipes. But it's still stuck tight.

☞ ANY IDEAS, ANYONE???

The Dang Thing Just Won't Budge!
StuckShaft_1.jpg

I See The Outer "Ring-Thing" Is Held On By A Pin.
> Do You Think If I Brought My Pin-Wacker In Tomorrow & Punched
The Pin Out, I Might Be Able To Get Rest Of The Shaft Un-Stuck ?
StuckShaft_2.jpg

I've got some more 70mm I need to rewind in the next couple of days, and the
possibility of having to do it by hand makes my arm sore just thinking about it.

[Sam Chavez]

This has been covered before here. I advised using a slide hammer like body shops use. Works where nothing else does. Thomas at Kelmar may have another idea. You'll never get that pin loose.

[Rich Haddard]

I had this problem recently. I finally got it with the help of a tire iron and a ball joint breaker wedged between the housing and the back of the shaft. I wish I'd had a slaphammer.

One note: Tap lightly around the big round shaft "stop" to make sure it's not cocked in the sleeve. That will definitely help.

[Jim Cassedy]

Sam's suggestion gave me an idea. I knew there was a large flywheel puller type of tool here
somewhere. I managed to find it and with a little bit of ingenuity and elbow grease, I managed
to free the stuck shaft. I still don't know how/why the 35mm shaft got jammed. It went in normally
when I swapped out the 70mm. I wiped out the 'hole' on the motor housing in case some dirt or
something had gotten in there, and wiped the shaft with some light oil- -and right now everything
seems to be back to normal.

[Randy Stankey]

Use two wooden wedges. Put them in opposing directions and use a little percussive maintenance to push them inward, a little at a time.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

And above all... Throw the can of WD-40 in the garbage and get some synthetic lube instead. WD-40 turns to glue as it's solvent's evaporate and that was likely why it wouldn't come apart... Synthetic does not evaporate...

[Jim Cassedy]

Thanks Mark. The WD-XL was a desperate measure, but I agree with you.
I actually have both a can & a tube of Super-lube gear grease, but I don't have any of
the spray variety. I also liked Randy's idea about opposing wooden wedges, in fact, that
thought had occurred to me too- - but hunting down a pair of wood wedges the right size
was going to take more time than I had available. But, for now, "problem solved" and
I'm happily rewinding my assoff.

[John Eickhof]

jim, remove the cover housing, rotate the shaft until you see a set screw with a locknut on the shaft where the groove on the spindle would be, remove the lock nut, unscrew the set screw (it contains a spriaded ball to snap into the groove on the spindle) then remove the spindle. lubricate the ball and re-install in the drive shaft, adjust the setscrew so spindles are easy to remove and replace yet you can feel the ball snap into place, then tighten lock nut and put cover back on, this maintenance should be addressed every couple years on both the drive and feed shafts, especially in moist climates. jr

[Stefan Scholz]

WD 40 seems to be on hand everywhere, and none thinks about the name, water displacement formula № 40. It's petrol ether, a solvent. It does assist in adding light, solving molecules into dried and resigned oils and greases.
In cases like this, I tend to get nervous, and can't wait. I finally learnt, use the PTFEbased spray lubricant Mark mentioned. Spray, wait over night to let it creep by capillary action, and then try next day. Normally it was fine then, or with a little assist from levers.
And then, clean shaft and support, lightly lubricate it, use the same spray and wipe

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

WD-40 was made to keep moisture out of and off of Atlas Rocket electrical connectors and to seal the skin. The history is actually pretty interesting.

I actually never had to tear a Kelmar down and re-lube it when I worked in the Mountain States, but I did many times in the Midwest where humidity is rather high.

Anyway, this was state of the art lubricant in the 1950's, but not today.

[Jesse Crooks]

jim, remove the cover housing, rotate the shaft until you see a set screw with a locknut on the shaft where the groove on the spindle would be, remove the lock nut, unscrew the set screw (it contains a spriaded ball to snap into the groove on the spindle) then remove the spindle. lubricate the ball and re-install in the drive shaft, adjust the setscrew so spindles are easy to remove and replace yet you can feel the ball snap into place, then tighten lock nut and put cover back on, this maintenance should be addressed every couple years on both the drive and feed shafts, especially in moist climates. jr

This is what I would have suggested as well, before resorting to force. On the rare occasion that I've had difficulty removing the spindles, it has always been the ball detent.