Graflex.org

[Canaris]

I have a 1947 (serial # 414220) Pacemaker Baby Speed Graphic. With my darn luck the cable release broke at the connector end on the body. Is this repairable or do I need to replace the cable? If so how should I go about doing so (if DIY).

[Canaris]

Here is a picture:

[45PSS]

It's impossible to tell where the cable is broken from your photo.

Replacing it is not an easy DIY task. If you have very good mechanical skills working with small parts:
1. with shutter on Low tension and curtain wound to O remove the camera back by removing the 5 or 6 screws around the perimeter of the back. The screws may be different diameters and or lengths so pay attention to what screw goes where as the wrong size in the wrong place may damage the camera on reassembly. The ground glass panel (called the focusing panel) may have to be removed first if a screw is used on the film holder loading edge.
2. Remove the 4 wood screws, 2 each side from the guide block assembly.
3. Pulling curtain from the lower roller pull out enough curtain to allow the guide block assembly to be removed from the camera body. If screws in the shutter wind plate blocks the guide block removal remove the outer shutter plate then back out the shutter plate screws enough to allow the guide block to clear the body.
4. Straighten the edge of the rear bellows metal frame that is crimped at each corner to the metal box frame and separate the bellows from the body.
5. open the bed and lock at the normal position.
6. unlock the front standard and slide the front standard and bellows assembly clear of the body.
7. remove the wood screw holding the cable spring.
8. remove the cable mounting screw at the lower rear of the bracket.
9. remove the two bracket screws.
10. remove the right frame clamp knob (rising front). The stud may be staked preventing the knob from unscrewing, if so remove the staking.
11. slip the manual trip bracket from the stud.
12. slide the cable through the bellows guides and free of the body.
13. reassembly is the reverse of removal.

Where it is broken determines the repair required.

Toooooooooooo complicated ?
Contact Fred Lustig as he is the only person with parts to repair the camera. He will not sell the part, he will supply it as part of the repair he does only. http://graflex.org/helpboard/viewtopic.php?t=5435
Watch ebay for the part otherwise.
_________________
The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

[Canaris]

Well after doing a little online research and studying the setup, I went about the repair as follows:
1. After removing the lens, I disassembled the cable bracket from the front standard.
2. After disconnecting the bellows from the front standard, I removed the front standard from the camera.
3. Now I had access to the cable/bracket assembly.
4. Unscrewed the machine screw holding the cable's connector to the actuator, then the 2 wood screws holding the swinging bracket. (These screws are small!)

Apparently, the cable had not broken, it was simply poorly crimped and slipped loose. I refitted the cable to the connector and soldered the two for good measure. It will not slip out again.

Reassembly was simply in reverse order. Now my forward release works, yeah!

Hopefully this will be helpful to anyone in a similar situation.

[45PSS]

[Canaris]

No corrosion at all, the cable just slipped from the eyelet connector.