How to replace ground glass on a Speed Graphic?

Is it really as easy as removing those two bars with little screws on either side of the glass when you have the flip up, eye-killing cover open? I'm considering replacing mine as it's probably nearing 100 years old and I've heard new GGs are brighter. I work a lot indoors and in lower lights so anything to brighten up the image would be cool.

Hello Akki,

it is. Just be carefull to remember the order in wich fresnel (if it is there) and groundglass are placed.
Fresnel goes in first, with the rough surface facing outwards the camera. Groundglass goes on top, with the ground side facing to the inside of the camera.

G

Akki14 said:

Is it really as easy as removing those two bars with little screws on either side of the glass when you have the flip up, eye-killing cover open? I'm considering replacing mine as it's probably nearing 100 years old and I've heard new GGs are brighter. I work a lot indoors and in lower lights so anything to brighten up the image would be cool.

Click to expand...

If you haven't figured it out already, you can remove the flippy cover by just pushing out on the tabs on each end (at least on my graflock version) Then all you need is a small screwdriver, and what Argus said if their is a fresnel. Although Argus is to tasteful to shill it directly, he makes and markets a fine GG.

I was already looking at Argus's site and was going to order from there but figured I needed to measure the old one too. I'm still debating about if I want the gridded version or the plain version, either would probably be a vast improvement. My Speed Graphic doeesn't have a graflock back It's a spring back. One of the first Top Handle Speed Graphics, so I doubt it has anything as fancy as a fresnal in it.

Also, I'm really confused because the few speed graphic ground glasses I've seen, they're installed "backwards" - with the ground side towards the user instead of towards the lens/bellows. Of course this means the folded fabric has left a sort of X pattern on the ground glass...

Akki14 said:

they're installed "backwards" - with the ground side towards the user instead of towards the lens/bellows. Of course this means the folded fabric has left a sort of X pattern on the ground glass...

Click to expand...

??? That changes the focus!

EASmithV said:

??? That changes the focus!

Click to expand...

Been using it for nearly a whole year before i flipped it around. Didn't see any difference in focusing *shrug*.

According to Graflex’s Pacemaker Speed and Crown Graphic Service Manual and Parts Manual, (January 1965) the ground glass has a polished side and a frosted side and, “outside” means toward the viewer, the opposite is toward the lens: "Reassemble the focus screen (7) with the polished side of the focusing screen to the outside", and "Assemble the Ektalite field lens [fresnel lens] underneath the glass with the grooved side toward the frosted side of the ground glass" (p.6 sec.6). The same thing is said concerning the back for the Super and Super Speed Graphic in Graflex Service manual (March 1965, p 19 sec.8).
This holds, as far as I understand, only for those backs to the Graphics that are constructed for the Ektalite fresnel lens. I also have a somewhat older Speed (at least I think it is older than my Crown) though it has a Graflock back the only way to attach a fresnel lens is on top of the polished side of the ground glass, the frosted side of the ground glass toward the lens (like I do on my Sinars). If you change this in some way the film plane will not coincide with the sharp picture on the ground glass (at least it should not coincide if everything is correct!) If you turn the grooved side of the Ektalite lens toward the lens it will not change the focus and you will not see the fresnel rings using the loupe, but the peculiar fresnel effect of lightening the ground glass will not be really as good (my experience at least).
//Bertil

There's no fresnel in my speedgraphic. It's a 1912 top handle speedgraphic before it was named as such really, at least on the camera itself.

By the way, this is an ancient topic to bring up. I did manage to take it apart and then discovered it was mostly being held together by decades of gunk seeping out of the leather (yuck) and the screw holes were totally stripped, no clue how it was holding itself together... Ordered a new groundglass but it's not done yet (no problem) and need to buy new tiny screws but should be doing that tomorrow, otherwise it's being held together with a bit of masking tape which strangely works It'll all come together eventually.

Akki14 said:

It'll all come together eventually.

Click to expand...

Or it'll all come apart eventually!


Steve.

Nothing tape can't fit!

Toothpicks and perhaps a bit of white glue will restore the screw holes.

I'm intending on using milliput black epoxy putty. Seems good and hard when cured and is sticky when first mixed. I'm not quite sure why i don't like the idea of superglue/whiteglue and matchsticks like what seems to be recommended all over the place.

Epoxy isn't reversable, and if the repair needs to be re-done at some point, epoxy will be difficult to work with.
In a small hole that isn't perfectly clean it probably won't hold any better than wood and white glue.