I've had one of these cameras for some time, and it's posed quite a challenge, because I wasn't able to figure out how to remove the top deck.
I thought that I had to remove a screw under the plate on the rewind disk. I tried everything to remove it, including a heat gun.
As it turns out, the solution was simpler than I expected. You just remove the two screws - one on the right, and the other under the rewind knob. Ah, but how to get to it. That was the challenge
I made the tool from a pocket clip. I think that any stiff piece of metal will work, although if you're cutting from a tin can, sand the burr from the edges so that you don't cut yourself.
With the top off, it's similar to a Signet 35. There is a retaining clip that holds the rewind knob in place. The circular end fits around a raised circle that surrounds the screw post.
A lot of the screws are lacquered, so be mindful of that when removing screws. The viewfinder glass was extremely dirty. I made the mistake of removing the primary viewfinder, which broke part off the plastic that was holding it in place. That caused the viewfinder lens to not sit flat against the front of the camera. This, in turn, meant the rangefinder was out of alignment.
I thought about this for a while, and I decided that I needed a brace that would run from front to back. My choices were stiff plastic, metal or wood. I went with wood. I cut a small popsicle stick to fit, painted it black with a Sharpie (to reduce any reflections) and then inserted it into position. The brace wedged into a channel on the rear of the camera, and I applied some clear lacquer to hold the front side in place.
Before you do the final reassemble, you can check that your rangefinder is accurate. This screw allows you to adjust vertical alignment.
For horizontal, you have to come in from the front of the camera, and it looks like it's a real pain in the neck. Luckily, once I installed the brace, the rangefinder was accurate again.
When replacing the top deck, you must pull this arm back and to the right with a piece of string. This is part of the frame counter mechanism. If you don't pull it backward, it doesn't engage properly, and the frame counter will not work. This is identical to the Signet 35. Once you replace the top deck, you can remove the string. Insert the right side screw.
Open the back and turn the sprocket wheel, and you will see the frame counter disk move. It's a countdown type frame counter.
Replace the other screw, and you're finished.
Note that in the last two photos, I don't have the rewind knob/post in place. You'll need to reassemble that before you replace the top deck.
It was more work than expected for a $25 camera.
