Graflok back spring hook part ?

Kino · Jan 5, 2022

I have a Graflok back that has busted anchor hook (for lack of a better term) and need a replacement.

It is the bottom one of the two formed steel hooks that the chrome spring levers on the ground glass holder engage and allows the ground glass and focus hood to hinge up for the holder. It appears to have two hex head screws holding what remains of it in place. Strangely enough, the top one only has one screw, so it might have already been replaced in the past unless that is a normal configuration.

I guess I could try to fashion one out of steel, but if it's available to purchase, that route would be preferable.

Sirius Glass · Jan 5, 2022

Try the usual suspects: KEH, Samy's, Adorama, B&H, eBay ...

shutterfinger · Jan 6, 2022

What camera? Graflex Graflok Arm Assembly have no screws.

Mr Flibble · Jan 6, 2022

I think these are riveted on originally.

BrianShaw · Jan 6, 2022

Picture would help… as you must already know.

Kino · Jan 6, 2022

shutterfinger said:
What camera? Graflex Graflok Arm Assembly have no screws.

This is a back on a B&J 4x5 flatbed camera I bought back in August from a fellow user here on Photrio. They might have been originally pinned or rivited on, but no longer...

Top Hook

Bottom (missing) hook

The back

The camera has property tags from the US Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories, who ran the New Manhattan Project, so its probably had a hard life with much use.

AnselMortensen · Jan 6, 2022

That looks like part of the casting has broken off.
Those hex head bolts don't appear to be original.
Best fix would be to find a complete replacement back casting.
As you say, that's had a hard life.
Nice camera! It's got a lot of "mojo".

abruzzi · Jan 6, 2022

that piece is unique, camera to camera. For example one of my 4x5s the hook on the glass back bends forward, on another it bends backward. So what you need is likely to be specific to B&J. Fortunately, from the photos it doesn't look as complicated as some cameras I've seen. You may remove the unbroken one and take it to a local machine shop and see if they can make you a mirrored one. Alternately, find a "for parts" B&J for cheap and scavenge from that.

EDIT: looking a little closer--at first I thoguht the hook was just a small piece held on by the two screws, but it looks like it is part of a larger piece, which means it might be harder to hack a solution. But becuase the scres are right there, you may sill be able to use them to hold a small piece in place, and just make a small pirce with a shallower hook (shallower because it will be sitting higher, on top of whatever is under those screws.

shutterfinger · Jan 6, 2022

Its a Watson Portrait or a Watson Commercial View http://piercevaubel.com/cam/catalogs/1940burke&james.htm pages 28-31.
The broken part is a retainer hook and is specific to B&J view cameras. They had a long production run.

Kino · Jan 6, 2022

Thanks Shutterfinger. Nice to know the actual model.

Mr Flibble · Jan 7, 2022

The graflok back on my US Air Force C-6 had the same problem, broken retainer hook.
I switched out the complete back, though. Might have to look into repairing the other one.

Kino · Jan 7, 2022

It does appear these hooks have been repaired at least one time, so I will attempt to find a suitable material to shape into a retainer hook and attach. I'm in no hurry; this is a back-shelf project, but I do want to get it fixed. I have a bucket full of weird lenses in shutters laying about that need to be tested.

maltfalc · Jan 25, 2022

that's a graflex graphic graflok back, modded to fit your camera. if you end up making a replacement, your best option will be to use spring steel or similar steel that can be softened, machined and then hardened again.

Kino · Jan 25, 2022

maltfalc said:
that's a graflex graphic graflok back, modded to fit your camera. if you end up making a replacement, your best option will be to use spring steel or similar steel that can be softened, machined and then hardened again.

Good point. I'll keep that in mind.

Graflok back spring hook part ?

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