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hand-made roll-film back for 3x4 speed graphic

 
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f6point3



Joined: 28 Jun 2006
Posts: 4
Location: Texas Gulf Coast

PostPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 4:03 pm    Post subject: hand-made roll-film back for 3x4 speed graphic Reply with quote

After much procrastination, thought and further procrastination, I have finally constructed a roll-film back for my 3x4 Speed Graphic. Not having the funds to buy one on ebay or elsewhere, and holding firm to the philosophy that if one can make it, why buy it?, I did the following:

Removed the ratty old bellows, lens and struts from an Ansco VP 120 folding camera.

Sealed all holes in camera body (there were several).

Cut a piece of plywood to fit sheet film area, cut a square hole in center (natch).

Painted everything flat black.

Cut from black card stock a 645 mask and attached to film plane frame inside camera body.

Modified top viewfinder by attaching a small slip of clear film with a 645 rectangle drawn on (I used a Kodak Tourist "Duo" adapter for both the 645 mask and the viewfinder - traced the inside of the frames).

Attached camera body to plywood with small bolts and nuts, with common weather-stripping between.

To attach the device to the Speed Graphic itself, I utilized the screw-holes from the ground-glass focusing screen (which naturally had to be removed), found small bolts with a matching thread, and modified two brass picture-hanging hooks (with holes in the center): attached the hooks at top and bottom with the bolts and used them as braces. To take up the space between the plywood and the braces, I cut two one-inch lengths of jacketed two-strand cable and slipped them between.

Now, the whole thing looks a bit clumsy, but I think it's gonna work. I've borrowed a 127mm, f/4.7 Ektar lens from a fellow collector (he doesn't use his collection, and I didn't have a decent lens for my SG), and have done the "wax paper" test with the open camera back to check the focus. I think, even, that I've got the rangefinder lined up so I can use it.

Well, wish me luck! I'll be back after I've shot a roll of 120 to let you know how things went.

Pete Lutz
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glennfromwy



Joined: 29 Nov 2001
Posts: 903
Location: S.W. Wyoming

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 4:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

While patiently waiting to stumble across a focus panel or a roll holder for a 3X4 Graflok back, I made an adapter of thin plywood that the Graflok clamps would hold onto, and put an RB-67 roll holder on it, attached with double sided tape. It's a temporary setup that I may never get around to using, but it works fine and the roll holder can easily be removed and put back in service on one of my 2X3 Speeds.
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Glenn

"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"
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f6point3



Joined: 28 Jun 2006
Posts: 4
Location: Texas Gulf Coast

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As the original poster of this particular thread (and boyoboy, have the replies been pouring in - thanks, Glenn! hehehe), I wanted to return and say that my experiment did work, and worked very well! I shot a roll of color using the little lens previously described, and, well, not a single frame was in focus. So...I borrowed a f/4.7 127mm lens from a buddy who has a SG on display (never uses it), and tried again.

This time, using a roll of 100ISO b&w film, and the "new" lens, I was able to actually use the rangefinder. It seemed to work better on closeups for some reason, but I did a lot of closeups, so that's no biggie.

So now I wanna use it all the time.

Glenn, my own SG doesn't have graflok clamps, it's pretty old, possibly pre-war or immediately post-war (WWII, that is).

Pete
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45PSS



Joined: 28 Sep 2001
Posts: 4081
Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.

PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Does your old Speed have a wind key, a tension knob, and a plate with curtain widths and tension setting table showing the shutter speed for the combinations? Yes=Anniversary Speed; No-Does it have a wind key and lever to select Lo/High and a selector switch for front/rear/trip? Yes=Pacemaker Speed pre 195?, (before graflok backs). If you have a TLR you could borrow the ground glass from it and put the ground glass into the homebrew roll film back at the exact film plane and using a loupe set up the infinity stops and the rangefinder to exact position for the lens in use. Sounds like you have them close to being correct.
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R_J



Joined: 03 Aug 2004
Posts: 137
Location: Europe

PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 8:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

i don't know if this is appropriate to post or not - if it isn't, please delete this entry. I have a few 3x4" film holders of various description if anyone wants these free. I'm sure I might even have a few 3x4" frozen film somewhere (9x12cm sound right)?

That might save someone from trying to cobble up a new holder. Not sure which cameras these were designed for.
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martolod



Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 1:26 pm    Post subject: 9x12 film & film back Reply with quote

pm sent re film and filmback
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R_J



Joined: 03 Aug 2004
Posts: 137
Location: Europe

PostPosted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 9:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Film & backs gone
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Murray@uptowngallery.org



Joined: 03 Apr 2002
Posts: 164
Location: Holland MI

PostPosted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:00 am    Post subject: another roll back hack Reply with quote

I just dug my roll back hack out last week to resume testing.

I thought it would be easy & cheap & totally lost track of how much time I've spent on it.

4x5 holder, cut 2-1/4 x 3-1/4 opening in middle panel with Dremel cutoff wheel (honeycomb aluminum, a pain in the neck). Retained darkslide function.

Removed back from an Agfa Ventura 69, epoxied to modifed 4x5 holder, touched up shiny spots with flat black paint.

Had a machinist buddy make a 1.700" spacer for ground glass because that's how far back the film plane is with the camera back.

Had Graflok grooves cut in modified film holder. Obviously too fat to fit under Graflok back.

Had Graflok grooves added to glass spacer block because no way to hold on camera otherwise. Groove placement based on friendly Internet measurements - need to add shims or tape to tighten Graflok clamp grip on glass spacer.

Got another idea; in response to concerns about film flatness, glued a piece of anti-reflective glass at film plane. I expected to have to reshim the glass/spacer assembly due to insertion of glass plate into optical path but it appear to be right on now. So it must have been wrong to start with & I got lucky.

Maybe 2 years now, I haven't run any film thru it yet, but I'm getting close. I suppose I could have gotten one of those funny-looking Greflex rollfilm backs, but that would have been too easy.

Murray
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