Graflex.org

[sobahguy]

Hello....Could the current day masters of THE BOOK date a Top RF Pacemaker Speed Graphic for me? Serial number is 939511. A most excellent camera that has come to me in nearly mint condition. Thanks in advance for your info, good people!!!

[45PSS]

Last quarter 1959.
_________________
The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

[sobahguy]

As I mentioned above, this is the first top-rangefinder Speed that I've had and I'm amazed at it's excellent state for a 53-year-old camera!!! All functions work, it's in nearly new-in-box condition. It has Rangelite battery door in place with a factory-supplied wood block inside the compartment. I threw in 2 AA batteries and, after getting the polarity correct, the Rangelite lit right up strong and bright. Both shutters sound and seem correct at all speeds. Rangefinder has correct cam installed and it works well, matching the ground glass.

My one concern would be the stories I've read on this site of the rangefinder tube balls and spacers and springs flying out and then many hours spent on hands and knees trying to round up all the little BB's off the floor. Since mine are all intact, all balls present and accounted for in the tube where they belong......what must I do to keep them there? What causes the tube to come un-done without warning? How do I avoid the whole balls-and-spacers-all-over-the-floor scenario? How do I keep it from happening in the first place?

Looking forward to hearing any replies from those to whom this event has happened? Thanks in advance!!

[sobahguy]

HI...thought I would just bring this thread back up just to ask if anyone knew what causes these explosions of balls and spacers out of the Top-mounted Graphic rangefinder assembly...and....how best to avoid it from happening. Any replies would be appreciated. Have a terrific weekend!!!

[C. Henry]

Sobahguy;

I seem to recall that there were posts on the subject of losing the balls & spacers of a top rangefinder a while back. Suggest that you try to find them with the "Search" function on this site.

C. Henry

[sobahguy]

Thanks C.Henry!!! I appreciate the suggestion.

Actually, I had started to wade into several past posts on the topic but I have to admit I began to get a bit bleary-eyed as it was a tad past my bed time one evening.

Anyway, in my hunt I didn't really decipher any causes for the balls & spacers getting loose and flying all over the place. The previous posts all pretty much were aimed at what needed to be done to fix the problem once it has happened, not how to avoid the problem before it happens in the first place. Maybe I'm just worrying kinda unnecessarily, just afraid of junking the RF on an otherwise immaculate camera, with Murphy's Law firmly implanted in my brain...

I'll just run with it, load some film and put the camera thru some not-so-rough paces, being careful not to do anything out of the ordinary while dropping the bed or like extending the focus rails too far out.

Thanks again,
George

[C. Henry]

Sobahguy;

I have no experience with top rangefinders so all I know about them comes from reading posts on this site!
IIRC the balls & spacers only get loose during attempts to disassemble the linkage between the focus yoke and the rangefinder body.
Somebody else (with top rangefinder servicing experience) please either confirm or refute that.

C. Henry

[45PSS]

Looking at pdf page 7,
http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/TRFService.pdf
the cap that holds the plunger in the end of the tube at the bed end comes off for some reason. One could, as the manual suggest, lay the camera on its back and with the cam removed remove the plunger cap, coat the end of the tube with a good quality glue, then reattach the cap.

I think I read that the cap is plastic, and if so, may get soft when out shooting in sunlight or under hot lights.
_________________
The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.