I recently purchased a graflite 3 cell flash and have a couple of questions about it. 1)I assume that this flash unit was originally used on a Pacemaker with the solinoid (sp?) to fire the flash and shutter from a single button on the flash unit. Can I easily use this flash on my Anniversary model? My camera has a 135mm Wollensak in a Graphic shutter. 2)The unit comes with a 7" reflector and is set up to use the "light bulb looking" flash bulbs. It appears, though that the tops will interchange. Can I use a 5" reflector and press 25 bulbs? 3)How exactly is the unit supposed to mount to the camera? Thanks in advance for all of the help!!! I really appreciate it.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: TimKean on 2004-01-13 08:25 ]</font>

Is the lensboard on your "Anniversary" equipped with a solenoid? Is the shutter synchronized?

On the postwar "Graflite" guns I've used, the 7" reflector (for screw-base bulbs) is interchangeable with the 5" reflector (for bayonet-base #5 and #25 lamps, and their FP equivalents). Many of us preferred #5s to the big screw-base lamps, but wanted the ability to use those when necessary, and so owned both reflectors.

There were a number of ways to attach the flashgun to the camera.

If your "Anniversary" is fitted with a Kalart rangefinder, the RF housing probably has a vertical bar or rail of heavy chromed metal attached to the side. Kalart made a clamp that encircled the flashgun and carried a slotted block, with setscrew, that slid onto this rail. It was pretty easy to slip off for off-camera flash, and held the gun very securely.

Graflex made a vertical bracket with top and bottom lugs closely resembling those that secure the leather handle on the left of the camera. This bracket typically was attached to the Kalart rangefinder, over the Kalart slide, or to a steel cage surrounding the rangefinder. It also could be attached directly to the side of the camera.

That bracket is designed to work with a pair of clamps that fit around the flashgun handle; the top clamp has a release mechanism for easy removal. This is faster to attach and detach than the Kalart slide system, and very secure too, but getting the clamps spaced just right on the flashgun handle can take five minutes of thought and effort.

Those clamps also will hold the gun onto the handle lugs on the other side of the camera body, if you want. Some people used to do this to use the 3-cell flashgun as a handgrip -- if the camera has a solenoid, the switch on the flashgun allows it to serve as a remote release, too.

Honeywell made a sort of scaled-down version of this two-lug bracket, with a single encircling clamp for the flashgun handle fitted with a quick-release button. The mating bracket, much smaller than Graflex's, also attached to the side of the rangefinder, or directly to the side of the camera.

Quote:

1)I assume that this flash unit was originally used on a Pacemaker with the solinoid (sp?) to fire the flash and shutter from a single button on the flash unit. Can I easily use this flash on my Anniversary model? My camera has a 135mm Wollensak in a Graphic shutter.

Yes, functionally, the Graflite can do everything that the earlier war-time model will do. If the shutter is a Graphex or Rapax with full built-in flash sync (with an M-X-F-OFF) lever near the bi-post, then you should be all set.
If it is a Graphex with a white "X" on the face-plate (near the bi-post connection) then it has built-in sync for electronic flash but bulb flash will require the solenoid set up for 20-millisecond delay.

Quote:

2)The unit comes with a 7" reflector and is set up to use the "light bulb looking" flash bulbs. It appears, though that the tops will interchange. Can I use a 5" reflector and press 25 bulbs?

Yes, the reflector heads are interchangeable. Just unscrew the knurled screw on the front of the black bakelite and you can swap them out. The 7" reflector is used for standard Edison-base bulbs, as you said, and the 5" reflector is good for the bayonet-base bulbs like the #5 & #25. You can also get a Edison-to-bayonet base adapter so you can use the smaller bayonet base bulbs with the 7" reflector.

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3)How exactly is the unit supposed to mount to the camera?

This depends on what mount hardware is on both the Graflite and on the camera. If you have the standard Graflite clamps and the appropriate matching mounting plate on the camera, you will be all set.
If you don't have the correct mounting plate on the camera for the clamps, then you will have to get one (and possibly an encircling bracket to protect the side-mount rangefinder; i'm not sure if you can mount the Graflite plate directly to the RF).
A good source for this hardware is Stephen Shuart, or perhaps you could also try Tom Doane at Catpawfoto.com.

Hope this helps.

No, the lens board is not equipped for the soliniod. And, the range finder is the Hugo Meyer version. The lens is synchronized, and I figured that I could use this flash, but I just wanted to be sure that I didn't run across some problem I hadn't anticipated. Thanks again!!!