Just fixed up a Kodak 2D

Alan Gales

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Ari said:
Maybe we'll settle on Betty, then, Alan.
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I'm just joking of course. Name her/him what you like. Some of my friends used to name their cars. The only thing I ever named (and I had help from my wife) was our daughter, Samantha. Could you imagine being Adam and having to name all the animals?

I hope you and your family are doing well!
 

jimjm

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Maybe try jimgalli here on the forum, or at http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com .
If anyone has what you're looking for, he would.

Good Luck!
 

Alan Gales

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Ari said:
All's well, Alan, I hope the same for you and yours. Thanks
I actually prefer Betty, it has good connotations for me: Betty Boop, Betty Grable, our former neighbour Betty.
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Let's not forget Black Betty!


Or Betty Rubble!


My family is doing fine. Tired of being cooped up but doing fine. Thank you for asking!
 
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Alan Gales

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You know you can always refinish that camera and it will look like a piece of furniture. Make Frank Petronio proud!
 

Donald Qualls

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You guys are forgetting Betty White!

I haven't named many of my possession, but there was a 1967 Mercury I named Freddy...
 
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Ari

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I've been told by Richard Ritter that the rails on the 2D are non-standard size, so getting something from McMaster-Carr, and places like that, would be pointless.
I'm not sure which part of the rails was non-standard, he didn't elaborate.

So I'll have to look for a spare extension rail; luckily, I'm in no rush.

Thanks, everyone.
 

Donald Qualls

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Ian Grant said:
You have to have heard of them to forget them I've never named my cameras

Ian
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Betty White probably isn't meme-level known in UK the way she is here in the States. Think of Queen Elizabeth, only a comedienne. Still working into her 80s and seeming not to age since her hair turned white.
 
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Ari

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It doesn't look much different, but it works a thousand times better. I wasn't interested in a full, or even partial restoration, and if the camera lost some of its old-timey look, I didn't mind as long as it could be a reliable user.


Everything's been cleaned and lubed, all controls are secure and smooth. The patched bellows (hockey tape and black liquid tape) are light-tight, and the back, despite some unevenness, is also light-tight.
The ground glass and film plane registration was my final concern. I was saving that for last. I was initially worried because I use Toyo holders that a) they wouldn't seat properly, and b) their film positioning would be off from the original wood film holders, circa 1930.
I had nothing to worry about, after shooting a dollar bill test sheet, I found that the film plane is bang-on with the GG.


One trick I used which so far has worked well: the standards wobbled a lot, even when locked down. The grooves on the side, where the standards ride, had gotten quite wide, leading to the wobble.
I thought of filling in the grooves on the focusing rail with epoxy, then cutting a new groove just thin enough to accommodate the brass plates, but I don't have a super-thin kerf blade capable of that kind of accuracy.
So I used aluminium tape on the ind=side and outside of the brass rails; some of them need several pieces to fill in the gap, and the results have been very good.
I could probably add one more piece of tape to each of the four rails, but I don't want to impinge on movement too much.
This may need regular maintenance, we'll see.


Now to get to making some photos!
I have a couple of old lenses in barrel I'm excited to try, and I'll start with those. Making some lens boards later today.
 

Ian Grant

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I have a similar issue with an early British Half Plate field camera, in my case the top of the groove is so worn at the rear of the camera that it crabs and skips some of the rack when using the focusing pinion. The ideal repair is to graft in new wood but it's mainly for display so it's not worth it as it's an unknown manufacturer and nothing special,

The issue is a design flaw, not taking into account the long term effects of wear, because it was a known issue before 1900 and most British field cameras from the better manufacturers were using brass on the edges to stop this happening, and better locking systems and or struts to keep the standards rigid.

The issue you're camera has is common to some other US style camera, my Seneca 7x5 cameras have similar issues but not maybe so significant. By the time my Agfa Ancso 10x8 cameras were made the company used brass strips either side of the focus racks that the standards ran on giving far greater rigidity, however earlier Ansco cameras had use wooden grooves like the 2D. Your 2D I'd think pre-dates my two Agfa Ansco's but it's surprising that the only Kodak wooden view cameras to address this issue were the post WWII British made Kodak Specialist 2 with their aluminium edges, these were being sold as precision cameras for medical, dental, scientific, and industrial use so rigidity was important.

Ian
 

Ian Grant

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Some other thoughts, I don't know if the rear standard will come off the trackbed, although I'd assume so as the Specialist 2 has something added to stop this, actually there's a bit added gummed into the Instruction/Manual that came in the kit.



I have some self adhesive velvet, I think people use it to flock TLRs, actually it's mainly used to make jewellery cases. Could you put some on the underside ?



I'm thinking either the whole top side of the groove or the inside edge of the metal bit so the opposite of what you've done.

Ian
 
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Ari

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Ian, you can't see it, but there's aluminum tape on the inside edge of the brass, too. So now, only aluminum tape is coming into contact with the wooden groove.
I had other options at my disposal, different materials and adhesives, and if I had some flocking I'd have considered that, too.
But everything I had on hand would have likely imparted some "bounce" which is what I wanted to eliminate. So I turned to thinking of something solid that wouldn't disintegrate after a few minutes in the grooves.
The aluminum tape occurred to me one second after I thought of using small thin washers, then aluminum foil. The tape is very grippy and decently thick, it's the type used for joining furnace pipes.
I have to say, it's doing a great job and doesn't seem to have worn down at all despite moving back and forth in that track.
I think if I had used the tape in the wooden grooves, it would have worn down quickly, but not 100% sure as I didn't test that out.
Thanks for the suggestion!
 

mark

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I have a 5x7 and an 8x10. No slop in the standards.
 

Ian Grant

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The aluminium tape may well last longer than my suggestion, and it's not a big problem if it does wear as it's easy to replace.

Looking at the first image (post #37) it does look as if all the wear if from rear focusing. One advantage of the 2D is it has front and rear focussing, most British Tailboard cameras and Continental Reiskameras have a fixed front standard and rear focussing which is ideal for Portraits where with large cameras and longish lenses front focussing has a bigger impact on perspective, (altering lens to sitter distance) making it harder composing.

Doing some close up work with my Wista 45DX I found it a real pain because of the front focussing particularly with a 210 lens, I did get what I was after. When I switched and tried my Kodak Specialist 2 there was a world of difference, the ability to fine tune distance with the sliding tripod block and front focus then focussing from the rear made it very much easier. Unusually the Specialist 2's tripod block is geared so allows fine tuning distances.

I'd recommend looking for a sliding block as well as the extension rail, The sliding block makes a big difference with long heavy lenses and balancing the camera on a tripod, I have one with my 10x8 Agfa Ansco Commercial View which makes it much easy to use compared to my 10x8 Agfa Ansco Universal View which doesn't have one. The Commercial has front and rear focussing and takes an extension rail, the Universal has a fixed front standard and can't take an extension rail I plan to make a sliding tripod block for it maybe this Summer.

Ian
 
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Ari

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Good suggestions, thanks Ian.
I'm not sure how long I'm going to keep this camera, maybe for a few months, maybe years as a back-up or for wet plate, should I ever get back into it.
So if I can find some rails for cheap, I'd build a rear bed for closer focusing on my 12" lenses. But I don't want to spend more than $20 on anything, even though having the tripod block is very handy.
For now, I've attached a long QR plate, 6 1/2 inches, to the camera, which gives some of the benefits of a sliding tripod block, and I may tie the front and rear with a long aluminum bar, under which I'll mount 2 or more long QR plates.
Then the camera can slide back and forth in the QR clamp; cheap thrills!
 

awty

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You guys talked me into it and I bought one.
Looks in very good condition and solid. Want to use it for wet plate, being able to use it for both 5x7 and half plate will be handy, might make a 4x5 back for it to.
 

Kodachromeguy

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removedacct1

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The 203mm f7.7 Ektar is my favorite 5x7 lens. No room for more than a bit of tilt, but otherwise unbeatable.
 

FotoD

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awty said:
You guys talked me into it and I bought one.
Looks in very good condition and solid. Want to use it for wet plate, being able to use it for both 5x7 and half plate will be handy, might make a 4x5 back for it to.
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The wood is beautiful. Did you remove the paint, or was it always like this?
 

awty

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Kodachromeguy said:
What a beauty! It's spectacular. Did you or a previous owner restore it and install new bellows? Regardless, nice example of a classic.
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FotoD said:
The wood is beautiful. Did you remove the paint, or was it always like this?
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I havent received it or seen in the flesh, hopefully get it at the end of the week. Theres no mention of a restore, looks factory varnish and original bellows. Makes you wonder why they painted ugly grey, when they look so nice natural.
 
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