Here's Soap in Your HawkEye






You will need a standard, small to medium sized, Phillips head screwdriver for the screws inside the camera. You will need a jewelers size Phillips head screwdriver for the screws on the front plate of the camera. I would suggest buying a small set of "precision" screwdrivers ("Stanley" makes a nice set; they and most other brands are about $5-10.00.). They'll last you the rest of your life and come in handy on many occasions.You can get these at any hardware store and probably at the hardware section in Walmart. (A good pair of tweezers is a big help.)

To clean the lens you just open the camera as if to put in a roll of film and set the back aside.Then stare down into the front 1/2 of the body at the back of the lens. You'll see 2 small Phillips head screws on either side of the lens. Open Camera Remove those, and the film chamber assembly will lift away from the front box.
Opened Hawkeye
The lens can then easily be removed.    Lens outside

The lens is just that, a single piece of glass within a short black plastic cylinder. The lensNote which is front, and which is back. Also there is a  washer  in front of  the lens to keep track of for correct order and orientation of reassembly.  Wash the lens gently with soap and water, and dry it with a clean soft cloth towel.

There is also a flat square simple piece of glass in front of the lens just behind the decorative metal shield on the front of the camera. This may also be clouded. It is a little more tricky to remove. It is easier to just clean the square glass; but, if the viewfinder lenses or mirror need cleaning this would be the time to do that also.

Annotized camera front

If just cleaning the square glass, take out the 2 screws near the lens and gently flex the metal shield up, just enough to get the little glass square out. Clean it with soap and water and replace it.

exploded front
If you decide to do the viewfinder as well, take out the 2 screws near it, in addition to those near the front glass; then take careful note of your parts'fronts/backs and their order as you remove the top massive square viewfinder lens,  its holder, and the front viewing lens with it's holders.


Parts is Parts

Clean the big square top lens  the front viewing lens and the mirror with soap and water.

Be patient putting this assembly with the addition of the little square front glass back on, as working from the 2 directions simultaneously and getting the big viewfinder lens balanced into position can require several attempts.  However, if I can do it anyone can.

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