Graflex.org

[jimmk]

I have a 2x3 Crown Graphic and it has just a couple of problems. 1.) When opening the camera the front standard won't slide onto the track on the bed. Similarly, when closing the camera the track onto which the standard slides doesn't match the track on the bed. Is there an adjustment to fit this? Do I have to send it to repair service? Any suggestions for repair persons? 2.) The door on the camera sometimes pops open and won't stay closed. Any suggestions.

Lastly I have a 100 mm Schneider lens that I would like to mount on the Crown Graphic but the lens looks like it will protrude too far out on the front and looks like it will press against the door. Would a recessed lens
board solve this problem? Where could I get a lens board? Many thaks for any help you can provide.

Jim MacKenzie, e-mail aikijim@aol.com

[alecj]

I've never seen, nor heard of, a recessed lensboard for a 23 Graphic.

[45PSS]

With the front standard "out of the way", bed at 90^o, place a streight edge across the rail (yoke) sections. Bed and body sections should be at the same level. Body higher than bed, remove shim(s) under bed guide blocks; body lower than bed, add shim(s) to body guide block. Rails equal, front standard lock needs adjusting. Obsreve the grove in the inside of the rails, bed and body, it should be the same width on both sides and sections of the rails. Correct by reforming as needed.
The 4x5 pacemaker top rangefinder manuals listed elsewhere and refered to many times are close enough, as the design of the rail area did not change over the years, to help in repair.
Latch should be very simular to Top RF camera. Probable reform spring steel tab on body to compensate for wear or it is currently bent.
Just use a good lens pouch and remove the lens before closing, a recessed lens board would result in controls that could not be accessed.
Charles

_________________
While a picture may be worth a thousand words, a quality photograph is worth a million.

[ This Message was edited by: 45PSS on 2003-04-01 22:54 ]

[Henry]

It sounds suspiciously like previous owner buggered up the rails by not closing the camera properly, i.e., make sure the front standard/bellows ass'y is fully retracted into the camera body before attempting to "close the door." Not fully retracting will put a nice bend in the rails resulting in the symptoms described in jimmk's post. Been there, done that. On my Century, I installed some "dummy prevention" in the form of a small brass washer under each rear screw-head in the bed rails; this won't prevent a recurrence of stupidity but does introduce a level of resistance that says to me "stop now you idiot and do it the right way."

If this was the problem, be careful when you straighten the bent rail ends. They seem to be made of some kind of soft metal, possibly brass, not designed for flexing! By the way, the brass washers came from my favorite small parts source, the model railroad hobby shop.



[ This Message was edited by: Henry on 2003-04-02 00:34 ]

[bertsaunders]

Sounds like the door hinge could be sprung too, I have found several cameras with this problem lately from Ebay auctions! Bert

[Jim23]

Regarding the 100mm Xenar, I have put one on a 2x3 Century Graphic. It was a challenge and there is a critical rotational position of the lens/shutter to make sure all of the levers clear the focusing rails,etc. with the camera closed. S. Grimes mounted the lens/shutter on the lensboard. I also had to bend the shutter cocking lever (mine has the last type of Compur shutter with the plastic-tipped levers). I cannot close the camera with the shutter cocked nor with a filter/hood on the lens. It all fits (barely) and works well together.

[Dan Fromm]