Graflex.org

Top · Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2004 9:28 pm Post subject:

Having brought a pre-'41 Anny back to spec, I had to sell it and buy another wreck. This one has a Kalart F RF with a strong double image, but very stiff/slow opperation. It will return to infinity from the close focus position, but takes it's own sweet time.
I remember seeing here that it was BAD to mess with the external adjustments, so I'm wondering how to get into this thing and clean/lube it. I'm quite familiar with the E series RFs, but this is a new one on me.
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Les · Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 2682 Location: Detroit, MI

Model Fs are a pain in the tube, because that's what they are...the guts are inside the body which is an extruded tube. You'll have jump in with both feet, just be sure to take lots of notes and pictures along the way.

The first place I'd check is to see if the axle that sticks into the body is rubbing on anything, causing the drag.

_________________
"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison

Top · Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 2:54 pm Post subject:

Checked that before I pulled the thing off the body.
Then I got lucky: after pulling the backplate and cleaning and lubing the cams and piviots all is well. I'd like to get in and clean the optics, but I'll leave well enough alone.
BTW, it's a lot like a Hugo Meyer with more adjustments. But the E series was a step forward.
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Joe Koski · Joined: 09 Feb 2004 Posts: 39 Location: Southwest USA

I repaired my model F Kalart on my Anniversary Speed Graphic last year. It took me a year to tumble to what the problem really was. If you remove the rangefinder from the camera and take the cover off of the back (camera facing side), you will find a small, bronze-looking return spring. Over the years it had stretched, and had difficulty returning the mirror to the correct position, even though I had lubricated the mechanism with Ronson lighter fuel as suggested somewhere on the Graflex.org site.

I replaced the spring with a stiffer one of the same size that I found at a local bolt company, and now the double images come back together without problems. Of course, I had to recalibrate the rangefinder, but the instructions for calibrating Model Fs are on the web site.

Good luck!

Top · Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2004 1:11 pm Post subject:

Joe;
I got lucky; clean and lube was all I needed.
I found the Kalart F data about 15 minutes after I first posted. Figures.....
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