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Is my GV mount broken?

 
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Les



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI

PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2003 7:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just got a GVI cheap. with an ugly case.

When I set it up for the first time I noticed that the camera section of the tripod block is made of a cylinder cut in half and trapped at each end by the tripod section. By screwing in the handle, the split cylinder is expanded against the tripod section.

Once I was playing with it I notice an inordinate amount of play in this set up. While I can lock it down tight, I'd like to have a "friction" setting where I can tilt the camera and it will stay there for the moment. When I tried this and one point the camera lurched forward. Upon further inspection I notice what I thought was a factory seam accross the the top of the cylinder (this would be the area directly under the monorail mount) looks more like a break .

Does anybody else have this seam? If not, did Graflex make the two halves "nearly' seperate and expect cast metal to flex?

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alecj



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 853
Location: Alabama

PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2003 7:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't know about the seam, Les, but here's a source for a fix. Note also the reference on that page for a neat new one.

http://bigcamera.com/articles/GraphicViewTripodFix.htm
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Les



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI

PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2003 7:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Neat idea, but the new mount cost almost as much as the camera, lens and case!

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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2003 9:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

On 2003-02-13 11:20, Les wrote:
Just got a GVI cheap. with an ugly case.

When I set it up for the first time I noticed that the camera section of the tripod block is made of a cylinder cut in half and trapped at each end by the tripod section. By screwing in the handle, the split cylinder is expanded against the tripod section.

Once I was playing with it I notice an inordinate amount of play in this set up. While I can lock it down tight, I'd like to have a "friction" setting where I can tilt the camera and it will stay there for the moment. When I tried this and one point the camera lurched forward. Upon further inspection I notice what I thought was a factory seam accross the the top of the cylinder (this would be the area directly under the monorail mount) looks more like a break .

Does anybody else have this seam? If not, did Graflex make the two halves "nearly' seperate and expect cast metal to flex?



Les, I'm not 100% sure where this seam is you mention? The mount is like a big cast "6" with the triangular clamp at the top. This is held between the two lower sides, circular at the top and flat/part of the bottom.
Now is your 'cylinder' the "6" that the handle screws into? Mine has a casting seam all the way up the handle side, going through where the handle screws in. Obviously a casting seem and not a crack. If you tilt this all the way forward, the bottom of the "6" is split with a metal plate inside.
The two side plates have no sign of even a casting line. But they are split (a good 1/16) from the bottom ring into the bottom of the side plate, covered by the two disks that screw on top of them.
I don't see anything at all on mine that looks like a crack. Just that one casting seam on the handle side. There's deffinitely just three major parts. The big "6" with tha handle sticking out, the virtical plates that the "6" mounts in, and then the bottom outer ring with the rubber pad under it. These are all single parts, not split ot halved...
But, there is very little friction in any direction and that's hand held with nothing screwed to it top oor bottom. I remember the first time I loosend it with the camera connected and almost lost it, falling forward... I'm guessing that's normal.

Rich...

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Nick



Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 494

PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2003 10:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The only seam I have is the one on the circular part that attaches to the tripod but since you're saying the seam moves when you tighten the handle you've got something different. My "6" [good description] looks like one solid piece.
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Les



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI

PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2003 1:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A little exploratory surgery explains a lot.
Pic 1. What I was trying to describe--it's at the top of the circle of the "6"

Pic 2. What yours should look like

Pic 3, What mine can do. apparently mine got used a bit too much, wore out the circles in the tripod part, and like I suggested, you can't bend cast aluminum too much. I suppose this could happen if somehow the mount fell on the handle. Not exactly a great design.



[ This Message was edited by: Les on 2003-02-13 17:15 ]

[ This Message was edited by: Les on 2003-02-13 17:17 ]
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2003 4:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

On 2003-02-13 17:15, Les wrote:
A little exploratory surgery explains a lot.
Pic 1. What I was trying to describe--it's at the top of the circle of the "6"

Pic 2. What yours should look like

Pic 3, What mine can do. apparently mine got used a bit too much, wore out the circles in the tripod part, and like I suggested, you can't bend cast aluminum too much. I suppose this could happen if somehow the mount fell on the handle. Not exactly a great design.


Pic 2: Yep. Ya got me to open the side plate on mine.

Pic 3: Ouch!! That's deffinitely a crack...

Mine is made a bit different on the insode though. Yours almost looks like it has two separate peices in there. Mine is pretty much hollow, with the casting continuing through the center, in line with the screw-in handle, divided only by the pressure plate. But the outer circle where yours is cracked is the same so it doesn't look like it was made 'better'. I would gues that yours would function no different than a new one from the looks of it? Although putting pressure on the top of the circle is probably no good... Perhaps a simple drilled screw hole, through the plate into the circle, and tap for a new screw on both sides at the top would be enough to hold it together. There's already one screw on the other side. Looking at it, that would be my first shot at a repair...

Rich...
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Les



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI

PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2003 5:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Actually, except for the ability for the camera to 'drop' that 1/8" and close the gap a the bottom, it functions nomally. Now a 1/8" shift there is a 1" shift at the top of the camera and it's pretty scarry!

I'm thinking may be if I shove a lenght of O ring material or even a tire "plug" in the bottom, it will take up the slop but allow the head to move properly.

BTW Gandolf says mine was made in early '41

[ This Message was edited by: Les on 2003-02-13 21:11 ]
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2003 5:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So this break allows the camera to move even when locked? That's not good...
I suppose that fitting something in the bottom may do the trick as tightening the unit puts outward pressure on the part. For me, I think I would still opt for the two new screws as pivot points making up for the break. But I don't know how long, or at all, they would hold the pressure? If the plate is steel and the screws are steel, it might hold for quite a while. I hope I never have to find out... Good luck!
And someday, I'll have to pester Gandolf with a list of all my cameras. I never did date them. But I have watched others and know the approximate dates for the Crowns & Speeds. Never saw anything for the Views. And I always wanted to ask for a range of numbers for Speeds made in '52 But I do not need another camera.... (I keep telling myself, usually right after the wife tells me the same thing...)
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JoePhoto



Joined: 13 Oct 2001
Posts: 75
Location: New England

PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2003 1:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Could you make a pressure plate that's long enough and thick enough to fill the space where the crack is and still work?

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bertsaunders



Joined: 20 May 2001
Posts: 577
Location: Bakersfield California

PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2003 10:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I sent Les some photos of mine---he has no floating clamp plate in his, the previous owner obviously lost it! Dropping the tri'mount on the floor, upside down, would allow >a loose handle< to force the unrestricted bottom gap to close, and break the casting at the top! I have a GVI and a GVII, and have sold 2 GVII's to locals, all 4 tri'mounts were made the same, and all have an undrilled clamp plate---1.25" x 1.5" x .125" thick, that floats in the slot, and is retained by those round retainer plates on both sides! As for the design Les, if that clamp plate had been in there, chances are you would not have a broken tripod mount! Glad to see how many fellas jumped in to help you out tho....viva'la'helpboard peoples.....Bert

[ This Message was edited by: bertsaunders on 2003-02-16 11:30 ]
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MikeS



Joined: 25 Nov 2003
Posts: 71
Location: East Tennessee

PostPosted: Thu Jan 01, 2004 3:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi All.

I just got a Majestic tripod for my GVII and I'm using it's gear-head for moving the camera, rather than the GV Tripod mounts motion. In an effort to make my setup more rigid I want to do away with the GV's tripod mount, and was thinking of doing something like shown in the above link.

My GV's tripod mount is working perfectly, and I really hate to start cutting up something that works fine when there are folks out there that have broken ones! So, (And I hope this is allowed here) I would like to swap my working GVII tripod mount for one that's less than working Of course, the upper portion needs to be in good working order (the part that clamps the camera to the mount), but none of the bottom needs to be working. Anyone interested?


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[ This Message was edited by: MikeS on 2003-12-31 19:43 ]
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