Gnome range finder repair

[sirch]

Does anyone know how to take a Gnome Rangefinder apart? It's the one that mounts on the hotshoe and is an alloy box section with circular end caps. It looks like the end caps should come off but there is no obvious way of removing them.

 

[Nomad Z]

Hard to find photos from all angles, but it looks like the round bits at the ends have leatherette on them. It's possible that there are screw heads under that. The four screws around the eyepiece might release something. The round post near the distance dial is fairly unlikely to be a fixing since it appears to be the index mark for the dial.

If the four screw heads don't look like they're for alignment, such as normal panhead types bearing onto the outside of the housing, I'd try loosening them a little - don't remove - to see if anything comes loose. If everything still feels solid, tighten them back up. Slackening each half a turn or so should be enough to see if something acquires some movement that isn't there when they're tight.

The round bit in the middle of the dial might unscrew - if it isn't a button or the like, it doesn't seem to serve any purpose. When the dial is rotated, does the round bit in the middle turn with it? What's happening with the housing under the dial? A round hole that the dial goes into, or is there a slot from the axis of the dial to the outer end?

If the ends do have leatherette on them, you could try prodding with a pin to see if I can find a slot in a screw head. It should feel firm almost immediately in places where the pin just hits the end cap or the head of the screw, and go in noticeably further when it hits a slot. Alternatively, if the leatherette looks like it will come off on once piece (or you don't care if survives), get a scalpel or the like under it and ease it away.

What's wrong with the rangefinder?

 

[sirch]

Thanks, I should have said I took the leatherette off the ends, one was coming off anyway but nothing underneath and I'm embarrassed to say that having found nothing else I undid the four screws, so something now rattles around inside but no sign of the end caps being loose.

The round bit in the middle of the dial might unscrew

I believe the little knob in the middle of the dial is for calibration but I haven't tried unscrewing it, having undone the 4 screws and cocked that up I though it was time I asked if anyone knew. That might be next though.

What's wrong with the rangefinder?

It's really cloudy and shows no sign of working. TBH it was attached to an old camera I dug out of a cupboard this afternoon and it's not a massive loss if I don't get it working.

It just looks to me like those end caps must come off because the body is just a piece of alloy box. It seems unlikely they are bonded on given that I guess it dates from the 1960's and was a piece of British engineering. That said it's a wonder it is alloy and not all brass, steel and chrome, so could be bonded...

 

[Nomad Z]

Try to get a look between the round caps and the ends of the box section to see what shape there is inside. If it looks like a square shape extending into the box section, it possibly is bonded. If looks like a round shape, they might unscrew. Other possibilities for bits that might unscrew are the round bezels on the windows, and the round bit opposite the post coming up from the mounting.

If any of the round bits unscrew, you need something with good friction, like pliers with some rubber at the grippy bits, otherwise the parts will be marred.

 

[sirch]

Finally found a bit of time to have another look at this and it turns out the end caps are just press fit. I eased them off with a knife.

In case anyone finds this tread here it is in bits

Gnome-Rangefinder by Chris H, on Flickr

I think the problem is that the little piece of glass lower left should be half silvered and this seems to have largely disappeared.