Problems with Bulk Loader

[Mike O'Pray]

A post on Photrio prompted me to have a look at my Jessops Bulk Loader. It's basically an AP Bobinquick loader but AP also made the exact same loader for Kaiser and Jessops and possibly others.

I have yet to use this loader but while examining it last night I noticed a problem. The film crank handle has a slot in the middle which fits into the cassette and performs the same function as other types of loaders' crank handles except that in AP's case there is a protuding piece of plastic or more likely metal inside the hole through which crank slides. This protrusion is tapered as is the middle of the crank handle and it looks as if taper on the handle pushes the tapered protrusion back into the hole in the loader's outer case until the non-tapered part of the crank meets the protrusion when it is held out of the way, allowing the crank handle to turn.

In my case the protrusion is partially stuck and the handle's taper cannot force it back into its retreat so I cannot use the crank handle. Until I get this to work the loader is at best an ornament

I assume that there is a spring mechanism behind the protrusion that is too stiff or stuck. The protrusion has a little "give" in it but not enough to be fully pushed in all the way

So any ideas as to what I might use to help ease the spring that keeps the protrusion out?. It looks as if a spray or small dropper of some kind of releasing fluid might do the trick but which might be the safest kind?

I have some dry chain lube or isopropyl alcohol

As I said it looks to be metal and I assume the spring behind it to be metal

Ideally there is someone on FADU who has got this kind of loader and may have had a similar problem but if not any ideas on a suitable lubricant?

To help explain what the problem is I have attached a video and the crank part comes at 8 mins 40 secs

He doesn't mention the protrusion but none of the similar videos on the same loaders do either unfortunately

Anyway here's the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PXgjLtw4DA

Thanks for any help you can give

Mike