Graflex.org

[sage586]

Literally.

I have a Pacemaker Speed Graphic and just had a 135 heliar mounted to a lens board and attempted to adjust the Kalart rangefinder (side mounted). While attempting to set the back scale, the "loosen" screw (a small brass screw) broke off the top and now at cannot be turned. It also loosened up enough so that there is no tension on the back scale and now nothing works at all. Can anyone help as to where to go from here? Suggestions?
Thanks

[bertsaunders]

Sage,
With a razor saw you can cut a new slot in the screw! If you work at it a bit you can work the screw out far enough to get at it...or...tipping the saw at an angle, with a little patience you can cut a shallow slot
deep enough to work the screw out! Razor saws are avail at most hobby shops!...Bert

[Henry]

It just might be possible to attach, say, the head of a straight pin to the screw "stump" with just the merest teeny drop of Super Glue, not enough to bugger up the threads in the hole, of course. After the glue has set up (typically one-two minutes held securely in position), you then should be able to back out the broken piece by carefully turning the shaft of the pin, using small pliers or vise-grip as necessary. Then you'll have to look for a replacement screw at the model railroad hobby shop.

I once had a similar problem in a very expensive Minolta PC lens. A limiting pin snapped off, but the threaded end remained loose down in its hole, which went clear through the piece, and I was able to coax it on through the back of the hole with a jeweler's screwdriver. Replacing it called for a bit of creative adaptation involving a long screw with the proper metric thread, slipped inside of a short piece of small brass tubing and blackened with permanent marker---viola! A new limiting pin. Boy, was I relieved! As I recall, the screw thread was a size used by model car builders, and thus was available at the hobby shop.



[ This Message was edited by: Henry on 2005-04-01 14:04 ]