Does anyone know if the shutter cloths on 4x5 Speeds/Crowns etc. will also fit the RB Series B?

Chris

This seems to be related to the immediately previous question about the length of the shutter curtain.

What we need to know is whether Graflex made one focal plane shutter per format, and installed it on all contemporary cameras of that format, or whether there were differences in the physical dimensions of (say) the shutter on a 4x5 "Anniversary Speed" and the one on an "R.B. Series B" reflex made at the same time.

Unaided reason would favor the idea that they did, but there may have been arcane manufacturing reasons for their doing otherwise.

I'd be glad to know the answer to this, too.

Only the speed has a curtain, the same basic shutter design was used on many camreas from 1907 or so until the end of Graflex. Any curtain from a 4x5 camera with the same number and width of slots will work. The curtain from a Pacemaker only has 4 slots and will not work.
Charles

Hi Charles - Are you speaking from personal experience about the interchangeability of the 4x5 curtains, or is it more of an educated guess? The reason for the question is that I just dredged up an old photo I received via email showing various 4x5 shutters layed out side by side. The caption says "Here is the photo of the curtains--2 are Speed Graphic--2 are Graflex....note the diff lengths!"

I believe I saved my dead 4x5 RB Series B shutter when I swapped it out. If anyone has a Graphic 4x5 curtain lying around, I would be glad to compare dimensions.

Any thoughts are welcome.

JC

Camz---NO, different end gear configurations!
Most curtains vary not only in length, but the gearing is diff between Graphic and Graflex! 3x4 Super D curtain will not fit in a 3x4 D model with the same body as an example! Look out for worn gears on the overworked models, many repairs require shims to hold rollers so they engage a bit deeper, to get to better tooth engagement! That photo was one that I took I believe, still have it for anyone interested.....via email........Bert

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: bertsaunders on 2004-04-26 20:52 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: bertsaunders on 2004-04-26 20:56 ]</font>

Reread my previous post "with the same number and widths of slots" is the key to the educated guesstimation. The Graflex online shows a 5 slot curtain. If another curtain from the same format with the same number of slots and the same width of each slot not be the same length? If not I apologize for the misinformation.
Charles

_________________
While a picture may be worth a thousand words, a quality photograph is worth a million.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: 45PSS on 2004-04-26 21:10 ]</font>

Right-O, Bert - It was your photo of the various curtains! Glad to see a post from you - it motivates me to tackle the mighty 5x7 Press that needs both a shutter and a focus rail realignment. Maybe if the wife takes off to the Cape for a week this summer...