12x20 Korona Rear Standard Box Allignment

[Gary892]

I have a 12x20 Korona and I removed the worn out bellows and I am in the process of ordering a new bellows for it. I was cleaning the camera when I noticed the rear standard box was out of alignment. Facing the back of the camera, the right hand side is closer to the lens by about a 1/4 of an inch than the left hand side. I see no obvious bends or tweaks in the hardware that supports the rear standard box. This camera has rear swings so I can swing the back to align the back. I would like to know from the camera builders if there is a way to fix the alignment so I don't have the swing the camera back.


Thanks

Gary

 

[Curt]

Has it jumped the rack or have a clicking sound when focusing?

 

[Gary892]

It did jump the track that controls the tilt. I removed that gearing to see how far out of alignment it is.

Gary

 

[Donald Miller]

I had a 12X20 Korona...and mine had a way to remove the back standard from the track and then align the gear engagement..

 

[Curt]

Yes this is common with these type cameras and the metal guides sometimes have to be adjusted but if the rack and pinon are all right then it is just a matter of care and adjustment. Richard Ritter can be of help if you need a professional to fix it but I have several Kodaks and Senecas I have adjusted and when they are working and adjusted right they work great.

Curt

 

[reellis67]

My 4x5 was just like that when I first got it. I was able to roll the back off of the rail and then roll it back on with both sides aligned properly. No problems since then after many negatives.

- Randy

 

[Gary892]

Let me bring this back on track (sorry for the pun). It is not a matter of the gearing jumping the track because I have removed the adjustment rod. The box appears to be slightly warped. I am interested in possible remedies. Do I need to remove the box and weight it down to straighten it out?

Sorry for the confusion.

Gary

 

[Donald Miller]

Let me bring this back on track (sorry for the pun). It is not a matter of the gearing jumping the track because I have removed the adjustment rod. The box appears to be slightly warped. I am interested in possible remedies. Do I need to remove the box and weight it down to straighten it out?

Sorry for the confusion.

Gary

That is strange...I have not heard of that before...I guess that I would place the back (alone) on a flat and substantially stable surface and slowly over days use clamps to try and straighten the back...

 

[reellis67]

Ah, I see now. That is a problem. Repairing warped wood is tricky for those without a fair amount of experience, especialy with something that requires a certain amount of precision like a camera. I would suggest trying what Donald suggested, but I don't think that the wood will be able to be easily bent back. If the wood is warped then it was likely exposed to moisture and/or pressure and repairing it might involve having those pieces replaced if it is really bad. I would see if you can find a local woodworker's group and get the opinion of an experienced woodworker. The camera was built by hand by a craftsman, so who better to do the repair? Having it done commercialy would likely be very expensive, but taping a resource like a local craftsperson might fit the bill and result in a better fix. After all, there is no substitute for a lifetime of experience.

- Randy

 

[Curt]

Gary, could we see a picture of the back box frame? Is the wood warped or is the joinery? Can you see any swelling of the wood and what species is it?

Curt

 

[Curt]

I did a quick check and found this site of interest.

http://www.filmholders.com/rr.html