Wisner Technical Field problems

[Doc W]

I think I screwed up the rear geared tilt on my Wisner Technical Field. I am not even sure what I did or how it was supposed to work originally. I never really used it, but now that I try, I am a little confused, and I think I broke it long ago! Does anyone know of a site or video that explains all of the movements on this camera? Or does anyone have the same camera and would be willing to go through these rear movements for me?

 

[Peter Schrager]

Richard, ritter is the answer..send it to him

 

[Doc W]

I emailed Mr. Ritter with a bellows question a while back but never got a response. Do you have a current email address for him?

 

[Alan9940]

Though I've never had any personal dealings with Mr. Ritter, I've always heard it's better to call him than e-mail.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

Hi Don,

The Wisner back tilt is a fairly straightforward mechanism. Is something actually broken? In that case, you'll need to have a part custom made (maybe there's a small-parts machinist in your area that can help?). If something is just dislodged or disconnected, maybe simply looking at some images will enable us to help. Can you post a couple?

Best,

Doremus

 

[wsetser]

The controls for the geared axis tilt are backwards from the focus. As viewed from the back, the knob on the right is the lock and the one on the left controls the tilt.

 

[Doc W]

I will get some pics soon.

 

[Doc W]

Ha, even before I got to taking pics, I noticed that on the right side of the camera, the geared track is missing. So when I turn the knob, it goes completely out of whack. I can't believe I didn't see this before, but I think I remember when it happened and how, although that really doesn't matter now. There is a good machining company in town, with the delightful name of "General Grinding," and I have used them before to make a part for my Kodak Master 8x10. I love saying that I am taking a job "to the General." The shop itself is straight out of the early 20th century (or even late 19th!): benches and tables worn smooth from decades of working with oils, lubricants, etc. The machines themselves are amazing and I have often thought of asking if I could photograph there for an afternoon.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

A footnote: when I got that part made for my KMV, Michael Smith actually loaned me the same part from one of his cameras so I could show them as a model. I am still grateful to him.