Graflex curtain question

[grat]

I was recently gifted a Combat Graphic 4x5 (Navy), which appears to be 100% complete, and in remarkably good condition. It hasn't been used much, however, so both shutter mechanisms are in need of attention. For those unfamiliar, it's a wooden speed graphic type camera with the bellows replaced with a fixed wooden shell, and focusing is via a helix on the lens.

The leaf shutter is relatively simple-- remove it, and send it to someone who works better with clockwork than I do.

The focal plane shutter is in what can only be described as "pristine" condition-- no tears, no wrinkles, I can't even find a thread hanging loose. The mechanism works almost the way it's supposed to (the release is a bit fiddly)-- but it's slow. I'm guessing this is either spring fatigue, or possibly, in need of re-tensioning.

I'm in search of service and/or field manuals (ideal), or any resources for restoring this thing to fully working condition.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Donald Qualls]

The mainspring on those focal plane shutter is a torsion spring that's tensioned with a key on the side of the camera (assuming it works the same as my pre-War Anniversary). If you're lucky, it was simply detensioned when the camera was stored. If you aren't (and assuming you wound up to the correct letter and number settings), the spring was left tight for decades and probably needs to be replaced (though it might still be possible to wind up the other end to get the correct tension).

The good news is, this is very doable. The spring is just correctly bent music wire (which you can buy from hobby suppliers online, if you don't have a local model airplane shop), though getting it correctly installed is the trick. I haven't had to do this myself; the spring in my Annie was fine when I got it, and I've always detensioned it when I put the camera away, winding it only when I was ready to use the curtain shutter. You should look up the Graflex/Graphic camera forum site for good information on how to retension or replace that spring.

You'll need to disassemble the shutter anyway, because you'll need to clean the old, gummy oil out of the bearings and relubricate.

 

[shutterfinger]

The FPS service information in this Pacemaker Repair Manual https://graflex.org/manuals/45-Pacemaker-Speed-and-Crown-Graphic.pdf should cover the Combat Graphic.
The FPS will need the bushings lubed and initial tension reset. The curtain roller shafts wear to the bushings so do not switch the top and bottom bushings positions. I have seen one shelf queen FPS that was never used come back to like new operation after a CLA but most come back to 1/500 as the top speed when measured. A Supermatic (Kodak/Graflex) or Graphex (Graflex) shutter can be serviced with the manuals available at https://learncamerarepair.com/productlist.php?category=2
There are step by step instructions to follow.

 

[grat]

Perfect. Thanks. I'm probably going to send the Supermatic off for service, simply because I don't trust myself with fiddly bits.

The back is the spring-graphic style (not graflok), and will hold a standard fidelity style holder, but not a grafmatic. Since I assume I'm going to have to remove the back anyway, the idea of fabricating a correct graflok back has crossed my mind-- it looks like the same back with the addition of a fixed plate at the bottom, and a sliding plate at the top.

 

[Donald Qualls]

A correct Graflok, IIRC was more complex than that. The lift-out spring-and-bail ground glass is the main reason I haven't tried the same for my Speed. I'd love to be able to use Graflok accessories.

That said, I understood most spring backs on Graflex cameras were capable of accepting a Grafmatic under the ground glass panel. I know mine (both my Anniversary Speed and my Graphic View) will take a Polaroid 500, which is pretty thick, as well as an Adapt-A-Roll Six-20, also fairly thick...

 

[grat]

I'm sure I could have forced it in. But I encountered stiff resistance getting it into the leading edge, and I didn't like the way the springs were bowed, so I backed off. I'm not going to gorilla a 75 year old camera. Was bad enough to discover it had a set of (leaking) C-Cell Eveready batteries in it-- one of which had swollen enough to pull the retaining screws out of the inside of the camera. Fortunately, it didn't do much damage.

Here's someone else's with what I presume is a graflok style back:

And the back it uses is in this picture:

The back on my camera looks more like this one:

Although mine is olive-drab and has the Marine Corps plate instead of the civilian plate.

I'm also curious why the flip-up wireframe finder appears to be installed backwards-- in this picture, the frame flips down *forward*, and lays against the lens box. This one, the frame wants to bend backwards, and lie across the top of the back of the camera.

Finally, is that a button above the winding knob for the FPS? Mine looks very much like a button, but doesn't seem to do much.

While it came with the original case, I'm afraid the case gave it's life protecting the camera and flash unit inside-- the case has water damage, dry rot, rust-- it's all there, but I suspect by the time it's repaired, it's a new case.

 

[Louis J. P II]

Here's someone else's with what I presume is a graflok style back:

And the back it uses is in this picture:



.

FYI This is a Graflex back that takes the Graflex slotted holders. Not a one off form of Graflok back..

 

[Donald Qualls]

What you presume to be a Graflok is actually a Graflex back. First, Graflok didn't exist until the Pacemaker came out (after the War?), and second, Graflex and Graphic were the two back options for the Annie (which is what the Combat is based on). Graflex backs have the rib and groove to retain the film holder swapped from the (now more common) Graphic back -- that is, the rib is on the camera and the groove in the film holder. The single latching plate was, however, the inspiration for the double latching plate of a true Graflok back (which has the same holder retention rib setup as the Graphic -- rib on the holder, groove on the camera).

 

[grat]

Got it. Was aware there's a difference between "graphic", "graflex" and "graflok", but only knowledgeable enough to know that graphic != graflok.

Looking more closely, I suspect I could fabricate a replacement back (more accurately, I know someone who could fabricate it) that would be graflok compatible, and possibly even work with the existing glass & bail. But that's non-trivial.

 

[shutterfinger]

If yours is like the bottom picture then its a Anniversary Speed Body not a Pacemaker Body.
This manual https://www.cameramanuals.org/prof_pdf/c-3_graflex_camera.pdf covers it. C-3 was the military nomenclature for the Anniversary Speed Graphic.

Graflok sliders are angled inward at a 45° angle, Graflex slider(s) are straight. Late (1950's) Graflex backs had a slider top and bottom.

The bump above the wind key is the cover for the top roller shaft.

 

[grat]

Seems similar. I don't have the tension knob, and my FPS speeds are numbers, rather than letters.

 

[shutterfinger]

The bottom pictured body has a Anniversary release plate. The tension is set by inserting a coin or screwdriver, whichever fits best, into the slot then removing the 3 screws around the perimeter of the cap over the tension roller.
Release the tension slowly counting the number of turns to reach 0 tension. Use this as your starting point on reassembly.
Graflex FPS are basically the same for all Graflex Cameras. Ask questions if you get stuck.

 

[Mr Flibble]

I have actually swapped out the Graflex back on my Combat Graphic 4x5 with a Graflok back (as I didn't have and couldn't source any Graflex holders back in the day).
It requires a bit of milling on the back to make the screw openings line up and it requires a slight adjustment of the focus indicator as there is a small change in registration distance between the different backs.

If you do not feel like messing with the curtain tension at all, you could always opt to just set it to 'open' and use to the leaf shutter instead. I rarely need the speeds over 1/400th anyway.