Graflex.org

mcguireek · Joined: 13 Jan 2010 Posts: 10 Location: idaho

when I want to close my crown graphic I can't slide the lens into the body if I want to keep it on the rails. I have to pull the lens and front standard all the way off the front of the rails and just place it in the body. When I do this the lens and front standard are left to bounce around inside the body when I transport it. Any ideas why this is so or what I can do to fix it?

Dan Fromm · Joined: 14 May 2001 Posts: 2147 Location: New Jersey

Hmm. If your Crown is complete and in good order it will have bed rails on the door -- you've confirmed that -- and inside the box. The two should be linked and it should be possible to slide the front standard from the outer bed rails straight back to the inner bed rails.

First question: does your camera have inner bed rails?

Second: If so, do they line up with the outer bed rails when the front door is open normally?

Third: Is it possible that the infinity stops on the outer bed rail are up and the front standard is in front of them? If so, flip the stops down and slide the front standard back ...

Whatever you do, if the camera has its inner bed rails don't force the front door shut.

mopar_guy · Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:36 pm Post subject:

When you close the camera:

1) Rack the Focusing Rail all the way back.

2) Unlock the Standard and push it into the camera body.

3) Lock the standard.

4) Push down on the Bed braces and close the bed.

If you don't rack the Focusing Rail all the way back, you will damage the rails/linkage.

45PSS · Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:41 pm Post subject:

http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/graflex_4.html
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IanG · Joined: 04 Aug 2006 Posts: 74 Location: United Kingdom

If the rear tracks that take the inner part of the focus rail have been replaced it's possible that the inner focus rails aren't adjusted to the same height as the outer rails allow the front standard to be moved smoothly back into the body.

Damaged rails where someone has tried to close a camera without retracting the standard will cause similar problems.

There are shims which allow the rear rails to be aligned, I found this was a problem when I replaced some badly damaged rear rails in a Speed Graphic, and ahd similar problems with a German 9x12 camera - an Irish screwdriver solved that problem (hammer)

Ian