Graflex.org

lukethedrifter1 · Joined: 20 Jun 2010 Posts: 9 Location: Southern California

I have a wonderful wooden Arriflex tripod and Arri head. The screw size is 3/8. The Crown takes 1/4. I can't figure out a way of removing and replacing the tripod screw to fit the camera.

Please let me know what alternatives there are

45PSS · Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 8:03 am Post subject:

Take a block of wood or plastic 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, drill a hole and recess a 1/4-20 screw or bolt and attach the piece of wood to the bottom of the camera. Drill a second hole in the piece of wood and insert a 3/8-16 insert nut, http://www.lowes.com/pd_137397-37672-880551_0_?productId=3012578&Ntt=insert+nut&Ntk=i_products&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?newSearch=true$Ntt=insert . Position the camera mount hole and tripod mount nut so that the camera sits on the head the way you want it to. The thickness of the material that the adapter plate is made from depends on the length of the insert nut you find at your local hardware/home improvement store.
_________________
The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

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

Manfrotto makes a nice 3/8-1/4 adapter. It is a thick disk with fluted edges, female 3/8x whatever on one side, male 1/4x20 on the other. B&H sells 'em and they turn up used on eBay.

bruiser · Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 5:52 am Post subject:

Hi Luke,

For the 1/4" to 3/8" adapters Ebay items 140430270314 (for 2 of them) or 140430270039 (for 6 of them) is what you want. From Russia with love!

Cheers,
Bruce

45PSS · Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 6:41 am Post subject:

Bruce,
The adapters you referenced reduce a 3/8-16 female thread to a 1/4-20 female thread. What lukethedrifter1 needs is to reduce a 3/8-16 male thread to 1/4-20 male thread.
The part Dan referenced, I think, will work:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/554327-REG/Manfrotto_120_38_120_38_Tripod_Spacer_for.html

A good picture or two of the head and its camera mount screw would help in figuring out how to replace the mount screw as I doubt it was made into the head.
_________________
The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

bruiser · Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 7:46 am Post subject:

OOPS! You are quite correct. The filter between my brain and typing finger failed badly.

Cheers,
Bruce
http://graflex.coffsbiz.com

Henry · Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 12:03 pm Post subject:

The referenced B&H part is still female-to-female; it's merely a spacer, as the text says. Note "3/8" *threaded socket* on the bottom." The 1/4"-20 "camera screw" on top is clearly female. Your search is not over!

lukethedrifter1 · Joined: 20 Jun 2010 Posts: 9 Location: Southern California

First of all thank you all for the replies so far. I suffered the very same confusion myself.

Sidenote: One solution would be to somehow expand the Graflex socket to 3/8. Is this possible?

Please keep the replies coming. I'd really like to use the great old tripod and need a solution.

lukethedrifter1 · Joined: 20 Jun 2010 Posts: 9 Location: Southern California

Follow Up,

Thank you for the Manfrotto note:

My question about that concerns how small it is.

The Arri head is a rectangular platform. If it add the Manfrotto disk, the Crown would be sitting on its rather small surface. Perhaps that would be ok. I dunno.

I will post picture of the Arri tomorrow. Against all thanks and please keep the suggestions coming.

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

This http://www.manfrotto.us/product/8374.56.76889.0.0/120DF/_/Converter_Plate_38%27_F-14%27F isn't quite what you want. Contact Manfrotto, tell them what you want to accomplish, and ask for specs and prices.

C. Henry · Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 8:37 pm Post subject:

About 20 years ago I had an adapter like that. It appeared to have been made from some aluminum (or similar appearing alloy) two inch square tubing with about a 1/4" wall thickness. One side had a square opening so I could tighten the 1/4-20 screw (similar to the screw on Honeywell & Kalart flash brackets) that ran through the top to hold the camera. Directly below the 1/4-20 screw there was a 3/8" tapped hole for the tripod screw. If it had a manufacturers name on it I don't recall what it was.
This was one of several items that disappeared during my move from L.I. to Georgia.

C. Henry

45PSS · Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 9:07 pm Post subject:

The referenced manfrotto spacer could work by putting a 1/4-20 stud into the 1/4-20 socket. Machine thread studs are not hard to find either.

http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/servicemanual.pdf is a copy of the Top Rangefinder Crown and Speed Service Manual. It will work for a side rf 4x5 and be close enough for 3x4 and 2x3 cameras.

Remove the bed from the camera. Remove the tripod socket from the rear section of the bed. Have a machinist make a 3/8-16 socket to fit into the bed. Reassemble.
_________________
The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

C. Henry · Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 9:44 pm Post subject:

Luke, Charles, Dan;

May I suggest a 1/4-20 socket set screw of the appropriate length on that Manfrotto spacer?
Length should be that which leaves about 1/4" to 3/8" exposed when it bottoms in the 1/4-20 hole in the spacer.

C. Henry

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

45PSS · Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 6:57 am Post subject:

The Manfrotto adapter I linked at B&H says in the description that it has a 1/4 stud on top and a 3/8 socket on bottom and the picture shows a socket, possibly the bottom, so it may be the one and if it has 2 sockets it will still work with a stud or long set screw added to the 1/4 side.

An adapter made from wood can have a piece sheet cork or rubber laminated to it with contact cement making the camera sit firmly without shifting. B&H also shows a variety of camera mount screws available.
_________________
The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.