I have an old camera(Spotmatic Asahi Pentax) and the battery door wont open?

Question

The battery door is stripped and usually to open these cameras u turn it and use a penny, but its too stripped and tight to do that so it doesnt work. Any suggestions??? Please help!!! What can i do to open it at home? I already tried a screwdriver, knife, coins... This is what it looks like
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=001&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=110086666294&rd=1&rd=1

I forget to mantion that i also tried WD 40 and that didnt even work! But thanks for the advice everyone

I forget to mention that i also tried WD 40 and that didnt even work! But thanks for the advice everyone

Answer 1

This is a common problem and one that can be tricky to solve.

Chances are you have some battery corrosion in the compartment that has seeped into the threads of the door.

Brute force will not work (and you've seen the results with some of the rounded edges).

If you're desperate to open this I would suggest going to your local hardware store and looking for a product called "PB Blaster" which is a spray lubricant and corrosion solvent (similar to WD-40) that can -IF APPLIED SPARINGLY- break those threads loose.

Now, please realize you are spraying a solvent into something that isn't designed to have lubricant sprayed in it, so please use it sparingly. Just a small spritz is all you need and then let it sit upside down so the solvent soaks through.

Take a few practice squirts in a rag or paper towel so you can see how fast the stuff comes out. You don't want to hose it down, but rather a couple of well placed spritzes to get in working.

I suggest getting a wide blade (thick) screwdriver or a good old fashioned US Nickel to try to unscrew this.

You need something that will fill the slots width (unlike a butter knife or small screwdriver) and use slow steady counter clockwise pressure.

Patience is required and if you don't get this to budge with a few squirts I would suggest bringing to a local camera shop.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Try to find some liquid non-spray penetrating oil like "3-in-1", the spray stuff will just make a mess. Put ONE drop of oil where the threads are, let it set for an hour or so before trying it.

Old batteries will often leak and corrode the threads, I'm guessing that's what happened to you.

Those old Pentax cameras are nice....

Answer 3

From your description it sounds like your spring or springs maybe broken. A garage door opener only takes the place of you opening the door by hand. There are spring(s) on the door that do the majority of the lifting and are calibrated to lift your door about 10,000 times before they brake. If you don't know to see it is broke then release the door from the opener usually by pulling the red handle rope down and try to lift the door manually. If it feels like your lifting more then about 10lbs then its probably broke. There are garage door install and repair companies everywhere that can replace it, and you should be able to find one close in the yellow pages or online. Attempting to replace it yourself can be very dangerous.

Answer 4

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