Graflex.org

[jsprenger]

Howdy folks!

I've been lurking many months learning and gathering helpful information about my big cameras. Most all of my questions have been pretty much asked and answered for which I am grateful.

This week I put together a simple flash bracket and thought I would share the details in the hope that others might find it useful.

Looking at my Graphics, I saw that there was a guard around the Kalart rangefinder and to this guard, a bracket for a Graflite flash. I figured I could fashion a simple inverted "L"-shaped bracket that could take the place of the Graflite bracket. I also noted that I could keep the "shelf" of the bracket turned towards the camera if I made it tall enough to clear the top of the range finder and in so doing still keep things at about the level of the tube view finder.

So after some rough measuring and guessing, I proceeded to cut a 5" length cut from a 36" x 1-1/4" x 1/8" piece of zinc plated steel purchased at the local hardware store. I measured 1-1/2" from one end and placed it in a metal vise and with a sizeable hammer put a 90 degree bend into it.

I then matched the long end of this piece to the Graflite bracket marking out the position for the three holes for the screws carefully with a Sharpie. I then drilled these out so that a 4-40 screw could pass through it. (I think I was using a #21 wire gauge drill bit.)

I then drilled out the center of the short end with a 1/4" bit. Through this hole, I bolted a Lindahl Universal Shoe with a 1/4"x20 screw, 1/2" in length. The Lindahl shoe is a nice simple block of aluminum which was what I wanted for strength and already came drilled and tapped for a 1/4"x20 tripod screw.

Since my bracket was thicker than the Graflite bracket, I purchased three new 4-40 screws 3/16" in length to attach the bracket to the rangefinder guard

I find the new bracket to be very solid and sturdy. With my Sunpack 383, the flash unit is as solid as on any other shoe. The bracket is nearly done though I will be smoothing out some of the edges. I am also considering taking off the plating and using some gun blue to subdue the appearance.

As simple as the bracket is, I am pleased with how it came out. Usually my hair-brained schemes are far more costly and don't come out half as well as I had intended.



[ This Message was edited by: jsprenger on 2006-06-30 00:22 ]

[glennfromwy]

Good deal! That's an aspect of the photo game that I enjoy - making my own stuff to suit my own needs or wants. It often works better than the store bought stuff, too.

_________________
Glenn

"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"

[newspeedgraphicuser]

Yesterday, I went to a local camera store and purchased some flash clips for a Speed Graphic for $5. Now I need some 1.5 inch plumbing pipe to mount a shoe to. The real problem was finding some flash cords. They had some bi-post to household cords, female household to pc and from pc to hotshoe for a Sunpak flash that only took a hotshoe. I'm tired of the pc connections though as my experience is that they're not reliable. I may cut and solder the wires at that joint.

[newspeedgraphicuser]

Purchased a 1.5inch chrome drain pipe, 3 1.5inch washers with 1\4inch holes and a 2ft 1/4inch allthread. I'm going to attach 2 washers at the top and grind one of the washers smaller so it fits into the pipe to align the top washer, install the allthread and cut off to proper length and use one washer on the bottom (the chrome pipe has a tulip shaped end so the washer just fits inside of it) and use a wingnut on the bottom to hold a hotshoe with 1/4inch threads and use the $5 clamps to be able to quickly dismount the flash handle. Total cost is around $10 plus $15.95 for hotshoe (piece of plastic with short pc cord). I really wanted a household hotshoe but the camera store didn't have any.

[ImageMaker]

Please tell me you verified your shutter has X synch before going through all of this...

_________________
Is thirty-five years too long to wait for your first Speed?

[newspeedgraphicuser]

Both my 135 Optar and 90 Optar have x sync. May try some outdoor flash fill with the 120 back this afternoon. Running 120 film is about 1/5th the cost of 4x5 quickloads and the 135 makes a pretty good portrait lens. Working on a scale focus for the 90 lens.