Graflex.org

[Stephen Furley]

Last year I bought a nice little 2x3 Series B on Ebay. I'm getting used to the Speed Graphic, having owned one for several years, but the reflex are something totally new to me. I've had a look at the manual, and everything seems to work, there are just two problems.

The focusing hood has split along almost every fold; it's only held together by a few threads. The material, I'm not sure if it'sleather or some sort of cloth material, is in good condition, except where it has cracked along the folds, and I'd like to retain it if possible. Any suggestions for repairing it?

Mounted on the back of the camera is a film pack adapter; I don't have any other Graflex holders of any type of this size, I've got a 4x5 one which I should have a use for soon. I'm going to have to acquire a holder of some sort before I can use the camera; what types of holders were made for these cameras? I'm guessing that both sheet and roll holders were made, is this the case? I've seen Graflex plate holders in this size, but these wouldn't help me because I don't have any of the film sheath things to fit them.
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Stephen Furley

[camz]

I have often relined very worn hoods, but only on the inside surfaces.

The material you use will have to be very thin, so that the hood will fold flat and fit under the top.

Here in the US, there is a self-adhesive vinyl material which works very well, and can be found in yardage or crafts shops. I also use it to back ripped material on the lens hoods.

I usually store my user cameras with the hoods in the upright, but not folded position, covered in a plastic bag.

Chris

[45PSS]

2x3 Graflex film holders show up on ebay (us) ocassionally. Sometimes they are listed as regular film holders.

We have a product called Pledge Natural Beauity that contains lemon oil and bee's wax and does a very nice job of keeping vinal and leather soft.
Coat the exterior of the hood and camera body, let it set a few hours, rub in and wipe off the excess to keep the leather soft or soften up harden leather. The view hood is leather outside, stiffiner board, and cloth or leather inside.



Check with a darkroom department of a pro camera store for some ruberized blackout cloth. It will be a good thin, flexable cloth to glue to the inside of the view hood. If you cannot find any near you contact me via PM , I can provide you with some for costs.
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The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

[Stephen Furley]

We have something called Pledge over here, but I don't know about 'Natural Beauty', and it doesn't come in a yellow can. I don't know if it's the same thing; the one we have is a spray-on furniture polish. It does contain waxes of some sort. I doubt that you'd want to spray anything on a camera, it would get everywhere. I suppose you could spray some into a container of some sort and wipe it on with a cloth.

For the hood, it souunds like I need something similar to the material that focal-plane shutters are made from, but I've got no idea where I could get any from. The only blackout material I've seen here is black polythene, and that wouldn't be any use.

Is it possible to remove the hood from the camera to repair it; I can't see how it's held in place, but it would be difficult to do while it's on the camera.
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Stephen Furley

[45PSS]

Sounds like the same Pledge we have over here, different marketing. Spray on the entire camera with lens door and view hood closed. To spray the view hood put a blocking cloth in the top opening prior to spraying. the lens and ground glass are the only things that will require extra cleaning if the Pledge gets on them. Pledge also works well on keeping the origional shutter curtain soft and flexable.

The blackout cloth I mentioned is also called shutter curtain material or is extremely simular.

With the view hood open, along the lid, less than 1/3 the way down the lid from the top edge are clamps with 2 screws, one clamp on each side of the hood. Remove one side and slip the slide bar out from the other side. Fold the hood as in the closed position. Using a MiniMag flashlight (torch) look along the front and rear edge for screws. Normal is 2 front and 2 rear, they hold a frame that clamps the view hood down. Remove the screws and lift up on the hood. Note: the ground glass may now be loose as its clamp may be retained by the same screws.
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The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

[Stephen Furley]

Oh dear, it was going too well. Pledge does seem to work, and the shutter curtain was softening up quite a bit, but then it tore at the top edge of the bottom slit, and I think it may be beyond repair. There's also a small tear at the edge of one of the other slits. It's a pity, because the fabric generally isn't in bad condition; I've opened the cover over the top roller housing and unwound it to have a look.

Micro Tools exhibit at Photographica in May; it used to be the American part of the company, but for the last few years it's been the German one. I think they might sell shutter fabric, but if not then I've got no idea where to get some.

I'm going to let it sok for a couple of weeks or so, and then see if there's any way I can fix the old one.
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Stephen Furley

[45PSS]