Graflex Users Workshop Proposal later this summer in Tonopah Nevada

jimgalli · Jan 1, 2022

This is a proposal to solve a single problem with singular equipment. I want to duplicate the "Lartigue" effect of the leaning wheels on race cars at speed only possible with graflex curtain shutters. I am limiting myself to film and shutter speeds available off the shelf in 1908 - ish.

Here's what I propose; We'll take my '29 Model A Roadster out on our local dry lake bed and duplicate the distance and speeds of the 1908 race cars. We'd need a mobile dark room to get quick answers. I'm picturing a line of nuts with Graflex focal plane cameras standing in a row with a Model A speeding past them at 25 to 50 feet away. Not sure the "A" can actually go fast enough. It can achieve 60 or so. Those 1908 beasts may have been moving at 90+ mph.

There would be wine involved. Cars coming at you at great speed at close distances out in the middle of the desert. What could possibly go wrong? If the Model A can't achieve the necessary speed, we might need motorcycles. Tall wheels.

My initial guesses are that he was using his 3/8" slit at about 1/100 second f5.6 -ish with asa 25 film. Maybe they only had asa 12 or 10 in that time frame which gets you down in the 1/30th ranges. We know he was panning the moving vehicle. Sound like fun?

BrianShaw · Jan 1, 2022

Yes, sounds like a lot of fun. I’ve been thinking similarly… a kid on a bicycle instead of a Model A. Model A and wine and cameras would be really fun… my buddy had one when we were in high school and it was both a taxi and a jeep to us.

Sirius Glass · Jan 1, 2022

I am interested. I have to take out my Graflex Model D which shamefully has not been used for years and take it for a drive up there to meet you.

AnselMortensen · Jan 1, 2022

I'm interested!
I'd have to use my Anny Speed, but sounds like good fun.

GKC · Jan 1, 2022

Can 5x7 Speeders play?

jimgalli · Jan 1, 2022

A Speed Graphic pre-focused with a "sport finder" might actually be the most sensible solution. This would be open to anyone with any kind of graflex curtain shutter camera that could possibly achieve the effect. I've got half a dozen that would need to be tried. Graflex 3a with 70mm film might be the perfect piece, who knows.

jimgalli · Jan 1, 2022

Of course, when enough idiocy has transpired and we're all satisfied with our egg shaped wheels, the cirkut camera must come out and record this historic undertaking. It also being a Graflex creation.

AnselMortensen · Jan 1, 2022

Hmmm...
Now I know what I bought that box of Efke 25 ORT 4x5 for....

MattKing · Jan 1, 2022

Sounds like something that might end up on the Discovery channel .
Or possibly the History channel.

jimgalli · Jan 1, 2022

MattKing said:
Sounds like something that might end up on the Discovery channel .
Or possibly the History channel.

Actually we're right at the fence of area 52 so folks should get their will in order and plan on being abducted by UFO's. We'd definitely make some memorable history though.

Sirius Glass · Jan 1, 2022

GKC said:
Can 5x7 Speeders play?

Converting of 60's talk, "If you gottem smokem" to "If you bring it, we will come."

Sirius Glass · Jan 1, 2022

I will bring my circa 1928 4"x5" Graflex Model D and my 1953 4"x5" Pacemaker Speed Graphic.

abruzzi · Jan 1, 2022

I'll bring my KTM, in case the model A doesn't go fast enough--nice 21" front wheel. I've had it up to 120mph.

bdial · Jan 1, 2022

It does sound like fun, or at least "interesting".
I've seen some examples of the effect made with 35mm cameras, but it's probably much more pronounced with a shutter moving 4 inches instead of 1 inch.

Wine, 100 year old cars, 70 year old cameras, getting abducted by aliens. What's not to like?

BradS · Jan 1, 2022

Sounds like a lotta fun! Pencil me in.

grat · Jan 1, 2022

Just some possibly useful speculation-- the race was the 1912 Grand Prix of the Automobile Club in France (well, duh, that's the name of the photo listing).

The winning car's average lap speed was 68.45 mph, and had a possible top speed of around 102 mph. Given that the roads were mostly unpaved, the lap length was 47 miles, the total race distance was 954 miles and the car had no front brakes(!), I'm going to speculate that the top speed was closer to 80 mph, as you wouldn't want to run an engine like that near the rev limit for very long. Those engines had massive cylinders, and the winning Peugeot had a bore / stroke of 4.3 inch x 7.7 inch. That's a really long stroke.

Sirius Glass · Jan 1, 2022

I was not around then. Are we sure that when the tires got hot that the wheels did not deform and become elliptical?

jimgalli · Jan 2, 2022

AveryMiller said: ↑
Now this is an idea. The real question is, does anyone here own any century old goggles and race cars?

Yes, when we do this we'll take the wind screen off of the Model A and my high school buddy, Glen, now 70 years old will don a WWII leather helmet and googles. Of course, just a slight miss at 65 per in the ancient Ford with bleary goggles and he'll wipe out an entire line of other old farts with their old black leatherine cameras. These are acceptable risks.

grat · Jan 2, 2022

Anyone got Jay Leno's number? I figure the guy who has a speeding ticket on his wall for doing 75 in a wooden-wheeled steam powered car from 1912 is who we need-- he has the car(s) and the crazies.

jimgalli · Jan 2, 2022

This is actually the car I have in mind if you can schedule it for me. Right at home on a dry lake in Nevada, surely. But the Model A is runner up, and we have it.

Sirius Glass · Jan 2, 2022

Better put the top down to cut the drag.

outwest · Jan 2, 2022

I've got this old Graflex I got from some old guy in Tonopah - wait, it was you! How long do you think it will take you to strip that A down and put the straight pipe on the side? When do you want to do this, Jim? I have fond memories of the Tonopah workshop and the railroad museum in Ely. Not to mention grabbing a burger at the Little A'Le'Inn on the extraterrestial highway.

Sirius Glass · Jan 2, 2022

outwest said:
I've got this old Graflex I got from some old guy in Tonopah - wait, it was you! How long do you think it will take you to strip that A down and put the straight pipe on the side? When do you want to do this, Jim? I have fond memories of the Tonopah workshop and the railroad museum in Ely. Not to mention grabbing a burger at the Little A'Le'Inn on the extraterrestial highway.

I was thinking more in line with a spiffy flame paint job.

jimgalli · Jan 4, 2022

Here is a screen grab of google earth showing the ultra remote location of "mud lake". It is a literal 2 track road for 15 miles of desert ruts and rocks to get there after you leave Hwy 6. My plan is to spend a night out there. Thinking May, 1st or 2nd quadrant. Should be warm enough but not getting too hot. Note the elevation. Almost exactly a mile high, so it can be very cool at night. Thinking I would spend Thursday setting stuff up, hauling out the camper etc. Friday would be the work day. Fri nite on the lake. Campfire and vino. Saturday would be for do-overs if we haven't gotten what we were after. Also first AM light on the lake could be quite something for the color cameras perhaps.

That's my "A" out on Mud Lake in 2018.
Dope, right?

GKC · Jan 4, 2022

That A is a real beauty!

Graflex Users Workshop Proposal later this summer in Tonopah Nevada

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