How to lubricate Grafmatics ?

[GeorgesGiralt]

Hi !
I own some Grafmatic 4x5 film holders.
Some of them are stiff and hard to operate. I think they will benefit from lubricating, but before making a mess, I wonder and ask :
What lubricant to use ? What to lubricate first ?
TIA !

 

[bdial]

I don't know what others have used, and my Grafmatic works fairly well (or did last time I used it). But, I'd try a pastewax first, some of the pain stuff made for wood that doesn't have the silicons and abrasives in automotive waxes.

 

[juan]

Are you sure they need lube and aren't stiff because of a bent septum? I've been able to free my by adjusting the septums and simply working them for awhile and getting the original lube redistributed.

If I had to try something, I think I would use lemon Pledge - the kind with the silicons. I've used that on dark slides with good success. Spray lightly, work the Grafmatic through the septums a few times, then go back and wipe off.

I'd also ask over at Graflex.org
juan

 

[GeorgesGiralt]

"Are you sure they need lube and aren't stiff because of a bent septum?"
Yes, I am !
I've checked the septums and replaced the bent ones (funny to write one with an s ? Is this good English ?).
The cariage is hard to pull even without septum into it. The sliding part is really dry, so I wonder if it has not suffered cleaning prior to be sold to me ?
I'll give Graflex.org a try, thanks

 

[outwest]

Georges, in the past I have used a Teflon lubricant like Teflow. You can tell by the wear marks on the septae, case halves, tension springs and dark slide where the friction points are. This treatment was messy and time consuming as the holder had to be worked periodically over several days and the lube redistributed until it finally settled in and aired out. Now I have Ice Wax, a bicycle chain lubricant that I got on recommendation to lube focusing rails, which dries quickly and doesn't attract dust.

 

[wfwhitaker]

Elmer's Slide-All is microscopic particles of Teflon in an aerosol base. I've had excellent results using it to lubricate Grafmatics. Spray the lubricant on the parts of the holder where friction occurs. Once the propellant has evaporated, it's easy to see there the Teflon is distributed. Wipe off any overspray. If applied too heavily, it will build up, which you don't want. You might buff it lightly. When I first tried this on a Grafmatic the difference in operation was amazing.

I've used it in a similar way on older film holders, spraying the darkslide lightly, allowing it to dry and then buffing it. It cured the problem of balky darkslides. I did make sure to buff it out, though, so there would be no residue to accumulate in the light trap and eventually cause problems.

Be very careful if you try to use this product on finished wood surfaces such as camera rails. The propellant contains acetone (among other things) which will dissolve the wood finish.

 

[TimVermont]

Here's a previous thread on Grafmatics that you may find useful:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[GeorgesGiralt]

Hi !
Wonderfull !
I found a spray of lube with Teflon in it made for lubricating bike chain.
I sprayed the worst Grafmatic I own, and.... Bingo ! It's smooth as a baby's skin !
I let the spray cure for a couple of minutes and wiped out the excess with a clean cloth. It seems to be perfect.
This afternoon, I will run it with ruined T-Max film in it to see if it stains the negs, and if not, all Grafmatics will have this treatment !
Thanks.

 

[Maris]

All my Grafmatics have been freed up and rescued with the following procedure.

First I check, straighten, tweak, every septum so it is is like new. Grafmatic jams can bend, distort, or crimp septums depending on how heavy handed and desperate the previous owner was. Often a Grafmatic is sold because it jams. Bent septums are usually the cause.

Next I spray the Grafmatic with a hydrocarbon like RP-7 or WD-40 until it is absolutely swimming in oil. Working the Grafmatic through several cycles distributes the oil where it wants to go. The action should be butter smooth by now.

Then I clean the oil from every surface I normally touch and every surface the film touches. Everything else is left filthy with an oily film. This has the effect of maintaining lubrication while providing a sticky surface to trap any dust raised by the film change mechanism crashing back and forth.

I have built my working Grafmatic collection from other peoples unreliable gear. Provided nothing is missing or broken Grafmatics can be resuscitated.

 

[Howie1922]

Hey Everyone!

I found this thread when researching how to lubricate my own grafmatic. In the process I found the repair manual, along with their recommended lubricants.

It looks like they used Paraffin and something called Neolube to lubricate the drawers and dark slide.

Here’s the link to the repair manual:

https://galerie-photo.com/manuels/grafmatic-45-service-manual.pdf

Does anyone have insight as to what a modern equivalent for these lubricants would be? Would using some paraffin wax be sufficient?

Thanks!

 

[ags2mikon]

The last time I did mine I used a product called Tri-Flow gun lube. It is for use in dry dusty climates and does not leave a wet surface to attract dust.

The paraffin listed is American paraffin not English paraffin.

 

[grahamp]

How times have changed. Of the solvents listed, acetone is probably the least toxic, and then only with precautions. Toluene or carbon tetrachloride? Ugh.

 

[Chuck1]

Since they say parrafin
It's not solid wax(like the canning wax at the grocery store)?

 

[reddesert]

Paraffin in this usage is almost certainly American paraffin, which is basically like candle wax. In the UK, "paraffin" can refer to what Americans call kerosene (the flammable liquid).

 

[BrianShaw]

Since they say parrafin
It's not solid wax(like the canning wax at the grocery store)?

Good question. My understanding is that there are 3 types of “parrafin”: liquid (kerosene), solid (paraffin wax, “canning”, and soft (Vaseline). Hot pack or cold pack canning with parrafin, BTW, was deemed unsafe many years ago.

 

[blee1996]

Since it is metal on metal, I will use the usual 3in1 dry lube stuff .

 

[ags2mikon]

The solid "canning" wax / paraffin is what Graflex was refering to.

 

[Howie1922]

Thanks everyone! I'm going to try the solid paraffin at some point to lubricate the slides. I'll report back with how it goes.