Want to Buy WTB: Repair Services - Kalart Rangefinder Restoration

[holmburgers]

OK, call this a wild hare... but I figure I'd put out my feelers here and see if anybody takes the bait.

I've got a B&J Press 4x5" that I use as a field camera, but I'd love to have the rangefinder fixed up and repaired so I can do handheld stuff as well. Given many APUGger's propensity for DIY repairs and general fiddling, I was wondering if someone here would want to tackle the repair.

I've opened it up and I'm fairly sure it will need a new beamsplitter, and also there is one lenslet in there that is loose. Not sure where it goes(?)...

Other than that it appears to be in good condition and complete. So it'd really be a matter of cleaning up the lenses, putting in a new beamsplitter and finding where this little lens fits and cementing it back in place.

Alternatively, if someone has some of the beamsplitter material, maybe you could just sell me enough to do it myself.

Whaddya think?, interested? Put in yer bids and let's see if we can work something out. Sending just the rangefinder would be preferable, and then I could probably figure out the lens coupling/calibration myself.

 

[binglebugbob]

Since the Kalaart rangefinder is also used on Graphic press cameras, you might search Graflex Org, because there may be resources there. There are on line instructions on Graflex Org on how to adjust Kalaart rangefinders, but you'll have to find a source for beamsplitters. Be careful in cleaning beamsplitters, because you can quickly and easily clean them right down to just plain glass.
bob.

 

[holmburgers]

Thanks Bob. Yeah I know there's quite a bit of info on the Graflex website, and that's why I think I'd feel OK about tackling this myself. I was just hoping someone might enjoy this kind of work and want to take on a weekend proejct for a little bit of compensation.

We'll see... cheers!

 

[Bertil]

I bought very nice beamsplitters to my Kalart rangefinders from a US guy on Ebay, Phenidon; he sells a lot of Graflex stuff - these beamsplitters for Kalarts, perhaps not very cheap, but very good and clear; according to Phenidon the best he ever saw, and I think he has a lot of experiences with these things.
At the moment he doesn't have these beamsplitters out for auction, but I think there is a good chance that he still have some of these for sale, try to find and mail him, unless you have some other source of supply for these things (you will soner or later find him on eBay if you search för Crown Graphic or Buch Pressman 4x5)
/Bertil

 

[holmburgers]

Thanks Bertil, I'll shoot him an email.