Excuse me for interrupting your fine forum with a question. The only Graflex equipment I own is a roll-film holder that I intend to use with my Cambo view camera. I'm hoping this holder will add 6x7 capability (I also have a nice, old MPP 6x9 holder faithfully enough copied from a Linhof model).

The holder that I bought on ebay is marked as a Singer Graflex RH-20, while the insert is unmarked but has a blue lever and a 10-exposure counter. From digging through the archives here, I gather that the shell is intended for a 220 6x7 insert, while the insert provided is probably a little older (perhaps General Precision vintage) and is for 120 film (which is fine with me). I also understand that there should be no problem with this combination.

But the shell has an interesting feature that I've not seen discussed anywhere. There are two small semi-circular bumps along the light-trap rails at the top and bottom of the frame on the shell. It appears to me that the proper insert would have two depressions at the same spots. They are slightly offset from each other laterally, and it looks to me as though they were intended as a way to ensure insert and shell types matched.

But the insert does not have the corresponding depressions, and will not seat fully into the shell.

My question is: Can I grind off these bumps so that the insert will seat fully into the shell? Does anyone know what these bumps are for?

Rick "appreciative" Denney

file this one under "Ya learn somthin' new everyday" I read your post twice, convinced you had been suckiup the fixer fumes a little too often.

But I decided to have a look and just happened to grab my late Singer Graflex RH-20 holder and have a look...... and there they are!


Now on GP holders the RH-10 and RH-20 insert shared the same shelland was labeled "RH-10/20". This Singer holder happens to be a labeled RH-20 and has an RH-20 insert.

I've never seen these on the earlier models and not sure what they are for-- even though they are off set, you can still put the insert in upside down.

I see two options for you. Put it back up on ebay or grab a file, dremel tool, etc.) and "adjust to fit" as they used to say. Maybe somebody from the company might know why they put them on there. Might there be compatibility issues between the old insert and new shell? I don't know.

Does anybody out there ahve an RH-10 holder to see if it has the same bumps?



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Les on 2003-06-05 12:06 ]</font>

Quote:

On 2003-06-05 12:02, Les wrote: file this one under "Ya learn somthin' new everyday" I read your post twice, convinced you had been suckiup the fixer fumes a little too often.

A reasonable enough assumption, heh, heh. Your picture shows just what I'm talking about, except that your insert has the depressions that mine doesn't.

I can't see any reason why the insert would not be compatible--the spring plate inside the door should hold the insert tight against the frame opening, and all the light traps seem to interlock.

But there is one key advantage to the RH shell over the older Graflex 23 shell that I looked at (which, incidentally, had the rollers at the edges of the frame and a lever-wind 8-exposure insert with a red lever), and that is that the latch on the door engages with steel pins that are riveted in the cast aluminum frame, rather than latching against the aluminum casting itself. One of the reasons I passed on the 23 (and went with the MPP instead) was that the aluminum catch was worn out and the door would not latch tightly. The curl of the film would lift the insert away from frame. That's not a problem on this newer insert, but it's another reason to recommend the newer version in addition to those in the archives.

Rick "who never expected to surprise Graflex experts" Denney

Well, whaddayaknow? My Singer RH20 also has bumps on the shell and depressions on the insert (sing to the tune of "Time on my hands, love in my heart"---"Bumps on my shell, depressions," etc. You have to speed up that last part to make it fit). Anyhoo, none of my GP RH10s have bumps/depressions, nor does my Graflex 23 knob advance. My Singer RH20 has manufacturing code G5A and a metal, not plastic, advance lever.

By the way, Les, my GP RH10 shells are all stamped "RH10," not "RH10/20." One of them has the same grey cover material that my grey Century has. Looks neat on the camera!



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Henry on 2003-06-05 14:29 ]</font>