Question for Owners of Ansco 8x10 View Cameras

[jon koss]

Attached are two photos of the back end of an Ansco 8x10 view camera. Could someone let me know if the knob in the red rectangle is intended to act merely as a 'brake' on the sliding truck or is it intended to act as a lock? Mine acts only as a brake or damper but I would be curious to know if this is correct!

Best,
Jon

 

[Tom1956]

What's the difference between a brake and a lock? Never seen one in my life. Looks like a nice camera. A brake IS a lock Probably works by simply warping the track locally. It's a lock. (or a brake)

 

[richard ide]

Mine tightens enough to lock movement.

 

[jon koss]

Thanks, Richard. Mine does not come close to that. Jes' plain wore out it seems! I will have a think on how to adjust.

Mine tightens enough to lock movement.

 

[shutterfinger]

Post a picture of the bottom side of the knob and rails similar to photo 2.

 

[richard ide]

I just got mine a couple of months ago to rebuild. I just took a good look at the screw and it pushes against a metal strip which clamps the movable rack assembly. I can see where the wood on the rack assembly has compressed over the years. there is a collar under the knob where the threaded rod is pinned to the knob. The bottom of the collar now rubs on the camera body so it will not tighten properly. I substituted a machine screw for the original piece and it clamps very easily. A really fast easy fix would be to put a ball bearing or short metal rod under the knob/screw; or use a size 10 32 NF screw as a replacement.
A picture would not show much as the plate is hidden in the wood frame.

 

[Ian Grant]

It should lock the rear extension.

Ian

 

[rwhb12]

Ansco 10 x 8 back required

Jon

I do not have a 10 x 8 back for my camera, I do have a 10 x 8 to 5 x 4 (yes I am in the UK!) back. Does anyone have a spare, drawings or photos that may help me construct /acquire one?

Russ

 

[bdial]

Jon

I do not have a 10 x 8 back for my camera, I do have a 10 x 8 to 5 x 4 (yes I am in the UK!) back. Does anyone have a spare, drawings or photos that may help me construct /acquire one?

Russ

There are 2 8x10 wooden camera backs in the classifieds, they are probably adaptable.

I have a 5x7 which came to me with only a 4x5 back, and later found a 5x7 back for it, but it needed some adjustments to fit my camera, even though it was from the same maker. I'll wager that it's a normal situation for the old wood cameras that may have been more or less built by hand.

 

[whlogan]

THE WONDERFUL LONG PHOTO CERTIFIES THE NEED FOR A PANORAMIC CAMERA, SEE?
LOGAN

 

[tessar]

I am sure Ian Grant is right. I had a look at my Ansco 8x10, on which the corresponding knob does not move. On my camera it serves no purpose because I don't have the extension rail.
Long ago I found a couple of sites that may be of interest:
A scan of the 1941 Ansco catalogue:
http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/agfa_1.html
and a discussion of the Ansco field camera specs:
http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=003YZA
Richard Knoppow is an expert on these cameras. He is a member of this forum. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you send him a PM with any questions.

 

[Ian Grant]

I am sure Ian Grant is right. I had a look at my Ansco 8x10, on which the corresponding knob does not move. On my camera it serves no purpose because I don't have the extension rail.
Long ago I found a couple of sites that may be of interest:
A scan of the 1941 Ansco catalogue:
http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/agfa_1.html
and a discussion of the Ansco field camera specs:
http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=003YZA
Richard Knoppow is an expert on these cameras. He is a member of this forum. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you send him a PM with any questions.

I'm surprised your camera doesn't have sliding extension bed (page 6 of the Catalogue), it's quite different to the additional extension rail which came with the Commercial View (I have a Commercial View and a Universal View). Some of the Photographs in the 1941 Catalogue are actually incorrect, the image showing the underside of a Commercial View on page 10 is in fact a Universal View, there's no key slot etc for the extension rail.

It's also worth noting that Agfa ansco cameras changed after the US entered WWII and production moved from Bingham.

Ian

 

[tessar]

Right again, Ian, and thank you. I feel stupid. I've never had occasion to extend the rear rail on my post-WWII Universal because the bellows draw without sliding back the rail has been sufficient for my purposes. The knob as it is now doesn't move, so when I have more time I'll have to study it carefully to see just how it works.

 

[Ian Grant]

The knob itself is just a friction lock, once loosened the rear extension has to be pulled out by hand and then locked to hold it in position.

Ian

 

[jon koss]

Hi there Tessar - These photos should give you a good idea of how things work in there. You can see that as the knurled screw is run in by the user, it impinges upon the metal strip nestled in the track itself. The strip then provides friction as the rail slides by. The friction is of course variable depending on how much the knurled screw is run in.

Also, if your screw is stuck, there should be no harm in backing it out counterclockwise. It is designed to back all the way out and detach from the camera if needed. If not hand loose, just wrap the knurled part in rubber or something to protect it and give yourself a little leverage via pliers or a small strap wrench. Should pop free and behave well ever after.

 

[tessar]

Thanks, Jon. It works like you said. I'm just a beginner at LF. The camera is in unbelievable shape for 60+ years, perfect bellows (most likely replaced). The previous owner had been kind enough to strip the ugly grey paint and refinish it beautifully. When I got it I searched the internet high and low for an instruction manual, but there probably never was one. I'm sure it wouldn't have been needed by anybody who bought one of these in the late '40s. I was also lucky to find an old Ries tripod with a 6-inch platform, just right for the camera.

 

[jimgalli]

Jon, I once had one of these beasties that had shrunken so much the thing was barely a damper let along a brake or a lock. This will sound more extreme than it really is. I took a heat gun and heated the glued joints until I could take the base apart, removed some material, and glued it all back together so that it functioned properly again. Not nearly as difficult as it sounds. Took an hour or so to do, and I'm mostly a wood butcher. Meaning a chain saw is my tool of choice for wood.

 

[jon koss]

I'm on it! A friend was in town and happened to have a nice little 12-inch Stihl in his truck so we went after it. All is well now. Thanks for the advice!!

J

Jon, I once had one of these beasties that had shrunken so much the thing was barely a damper let along a brake or a lock. This will sound more extreme than it really is. I took a heat gun and heated the glued joints until I could take the base apart, removed some material, and glued it all back together so that it functioned properly again. Not nearly as difficult as it sounds. Took an hour or so to do, and I'm mostly a wood butcher. Meaning a chain saw is my tool of choice for wood.

 

[JRKyle]

Ansco 8X10 Rebuilt

I have finely repainted and cleaned up the Ansco 8X10 - With a new bellows....

It was not in too bad of shape for it's 70+ years.