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Graflex RB 4X5 modifications
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rsweatt



Joined: 07 Feb 2013
Posts: 43
Location: Virginia

PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 11:37 pm    Post subject: Graflex RB 4X5 modifications Reply with quote

Well, I made a few modifications that I felt would make the camera a tad more usable for me: http://www.pbase.com/rsweatt/rb_mods

And some recent pictures I made with it: http://www.pbase.com/rsweatt/rbscans_1
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Milos Gazdic



Joined: 18 Jul 2013
Posts: 19
Location: Belgrade, Serbia

PostPosted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 11:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What did you use to make that eye peace when it comes to optics?
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rsweatt



Joined: 07 Feb 2013
Posts: 43
Location: Virginia

PostPosted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Milos Gazdic wrote:
What did you use to make that eye peace when it comes to optics?
I used 52mm screw-on close-up filters, the kind you would screw on the front of a 35mm camera lens for doing close up photography. It is explained in the gallery if you can read it.
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Milos Gazdic



Joined: 18 Jul 2013
Posts: 19
Location: Belgrade, Serbia

PostPosted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 1:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Awesome I went straight to the photos yesterday - not reading the post! Thanks for sharing. Will do the same soon!
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45PSS



Joined: 28 Sep 2001
Posts: 4081
Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.

PostPosted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 6:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have seen the strap on the body before, possibly on an ebay listing.
The View hood focuser is a +.

Nice photos.
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rsweatt



Joined: 07 Feb 2013
Posts: 43
Location: Virginia

PostPosted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 10:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think I saw one with a strap that had an Arial Ektar mounted.

I had trouble deciding how to do it, as I didn't want to drill into the body. I considered making a strap design that would wrap underneath and attach at the tripod socket but abandoned that idea. This was just to easy and secure. Strap and mounting hardware came to a tad over $30.
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Milos Gazdic



Joined: 18 Jul 2013
Posts: 19
Location: Belgrade, Serbia

PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 4:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So, I went today & bought some Dunlop Guitar Strap Lugs!

And now I have more questions to ask before I start drilling.

1) do you find location of your lugs appropriate for the camera to hang down nicely while carried around? Is it not too "nose" or "tail" heavy? I would love to carry the 4x5 SLR around on the streets & that would demand proper position...
Do you think that attaching them a bit higher closer to the top of the body - would be ok - so the screws will pass in the area just above the top Ground Glass...

2) Screws seem too long - like they will penetrate the camera completely & pass deep in the body. Did you shorten your screws or not? Does it make any problem at all?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Misko
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rsweatt



Joined: 07 Feb 2013
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Location: Virginia

PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 6:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Milos, I used bolts, not screws. I was worried that screws might have trouble holding the weight of the camera and might work loose even if glued. So I drilled through completely just below the ground-glass, right through the wood that the ground-glass sits on. I used small bolts but long enough to go through and put a small washer and then two nuts so they wouldn't back out easily.

When I get back home this afternoon, if you like I will give you my measurements for placement and take pictures inside the camera and out so you can better see exactly where I drilled through the camera body.

Bear in mind that I am no expert, and tend to mess up as often as I am successful, so there may be a better location for placing the strap lugs, but I am happy with where I placed mine. I don't see any downside as to my method and location.

One word of caution - when I drilled through on the first side, I did not use a drill bit that was larger than the bolt, so when I was twisting the bolt in it split the wood brace that the ground-glass sits on. I had to take it out, apply glue, and wait for it to dry before drilling with a bit that was just slightly larger in diameter than the bolt - so, if drilling where I drilled, make sure to use a bit large enough so that the bolt will easily slide through.

If you PM me with your email address I'll email you what ever pictures and measurements you need.
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45PSS



Joined: 28 Sep 2001
Posts: 4081
Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.

PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 7:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

rsweatt,
I'm surprised you do not have interference problems with the mirror.
A second problem area is a light leak.

Use brass or stainless steel hardware and paint the inside flat black. Zinc plated steel will rust out. A SAE #8 or #10 or 4mm or 5mm machine screw
should be adequate and a SAE 1/4 or 6mm will be the maximum to use.

The body is Honduran Mahogany 1/8 to 3/16 thick covered in XXX Moroccan leather through 1946 production.

Google search engine for screw clearance size or metric screw clearance size = http://www.csgnetwork.com/screwnummachtable.html and http://www.csgnetwork.com/screwmetmachtable.html

I suggest putting the holes between the view door when closed and the mirror mount plate.
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rsweatt



Joined: 07 Feb 2013
Posts: 43
Location: Virginia

PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 8:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

45PSS wrote:
rsweatt,
I'm surprised you do not have interference problems with the mirror.
A second problem area is a light leak.
The nuts are through the wood that the reflex mirror butts up against when the mirror release is tripped, preventing any possibility of a light leak to the film. So the holes are drilled into the body so they are above the mirror (when tripped) but below the ground-glass.

Quote:
Use brass or stainless steel hardware and paint the inside flat black.
I used brass and did paint with flat-black, but since they are above the mirror, it is not really necessary.

Quote:
I suggest putting the holes between the view door when closed and the mirror mount plate.
I could not find a suitable location inside the viewer door as the clearance is so tight between the viewing hood, the hinged arms, and the door when it is closed. I took what I saw as the simplest route that would have the least likely interference with any moving parts - inside the reflex mirror compartment, above the mirror when in the up position.

So, on the 4X5 Series D, my holes are drilled 116mm from the front of the camera body and 52mm from the top of the camera body. I would suggest drilling about 10mm higher (42mm from the top of the camera instead of 52mm) as my placement is to close to the edge of the wood that the mirror butts up against when tripped. 10mm higher (or closer to the ground-glass) would place the hole more in the center of that strip of wood making it less likely to split the wood and still well out of any contact with any moving parts.
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rsweatt



Joined: 07 Feb 2013
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Location: Virginia

PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Perhaps this picture will help in seeing how / where I mounted the strap lugs. This was shot through the front standard (lens removed) showing the strap lug mounting bolt and nuts (sorry that the nuts are out of focus...it was dark in there



As you can see, the mirror is down, in the focusing / composing position. When the mirror is in the tripped (up) position the mirror felt (on each side of the mirror) will but against the wood strip that the bolt is mounted through, making a light leak impossible. But as you can also see, it would have been better to drill so that the bolt was about 10mm higher, as there is plenty of room above the bolt (toward the ground-glass) and not much room below the bolt.

ps - After mounting the strap lugs I removed the ground-glass and with heavy wire cutters I cut the ends of the bolts off just past the nuts as my bolts were to long. I didn't want them to be visible when viewing through the ground-glass.


Last edited by rsweatt on Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:16 pm; edited 1 time in total
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45PSS



Joined: 28 Sep 2001
Posts: 4081
Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.

PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I could not find a suitable location inside the viewer door as the clearance is so tight between the viewing hood, the hinged arms, and the door when it is closed. I took what I saw as the simplest route that would have the least likely interference with any moving parts - inside the reflex mirror compartment, above the mirror when in the up position.

I stand corrected.

Nice job!
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Milos Gazdic



Joined: 18 Jul 2013
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Location: Belgrade, Serbia

PostPosted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 1:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is excellent!!!! And you are great for sharing all the info in detail. Photo especially helps because it explains it all since I am not native English speaker. Million thanks. Will have to search for few new things since I thought going with the screws for wood which are supplied with the Guitar Lugs. And since I have just moved to China (Shanghai) my tools are still on the way so I think it's better to wait for my drill bits too

Will inform you about the progress & will continue my curtain issue (from 2nd camera) with 45PSS / Charles as soon as I unpack!

I love this community for being so helpful!
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rsweatt



Joined: 07 Feb 2013
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Location: Virginia

PostPosted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 11:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, my guitar lugs came with screws as yours did. They may have worked fine, I just preferred the security of bolts, washers, and nuts.

Keep us informed, and share some pictures of Shanghai...which I have been meaning to ask - is there not a section on the Graflex forum for sharing images made with Graflex cameras? I have looked but have not found such a section.
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Milos Gazdic



Joined: 18 Jul 2013
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Location: Belgrade, Serbia

PostPosted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 2:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have shot 9 shots so far in this 1st week Will post as soon as my micro lab & scanner arrive. and I will share the things about the update of the camera too!
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