Hi Everyone.

Recently, I acquired a Super Speed Graphic with a Graflex 1000 Optar 135mm Lens. After reading as much info as I could about this lens i.e. how to cock the shutter and the fact that they are a little suspect mechanically, I tried to cock it. What I expect is something like: rotate the Lens shade clockwise until I hear a click. Then I should be able to release the shutter. What is happening is that I'm rotating the shade about 1/4 turn and then I hear a faint click. The shutter still won't fire. If I rotate the shade further the lens will fire automatically. Sometimes it stay's open for a while but other times it fires at some arbitrary speed that most definitely isn't 250th of a second or whatever the shutter speed is set to.

The optimist in me is hoping that it's user error and that there will be a user solution. The realist in me says, "Start looking for a repair guy or a new (used) lens".

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Mitch

There are no instructions for the 1000 speed shutter on this site but over at the camera eccentric there are several including a Super Graphic instruction manual and a Graflex Shutter operation manual of which pages 4 and 5 cover the Graflex 1000 speed shutter.
http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/shuttera/p5.html
Fred Lusting, an 80 year old man, is the only person with parts that can repair the 1000 speed shutter. His contact information is elsewhere on this site.
I am quite capable of doing a CLA on the 1000 speed shutter but I do not have any parts if they are required. Fred Lusting does not sell just the parts, he has to do the repair. You must contact me via the Private Message function for info on my CLA offer. I have CLAed 4 Graflex Super Speed shutters and sold 3 of them on ebay and have had no camplaints from the buyers. I use the 4th on my personal, fully equiped Super Speed.
The 1000 speed shutter operates differently from other shutters in that when it needs a CLA the cocking ring becomes more difficult to turn while the speeds remain correct, other types of shutters cock normally but the operating speeds change. IF the cocking ring is not silky smooth when cocking or requires more than 2 ounces of turning pressure to cock then it needs a cleaning. While it may operate with a cocking pressure of 3 or more ounces of turning pressure there is risk of damaging the shutter. The nylon eccentric gears that operate the shutter leaves must turn freely and will strip if their rotation is restricted.

If your mechanical abality is above adverage to excellent and you are familuar with working on small, delicate parts with hairpin springs then get a repair manual form www.craigcamera.com and have a go at cleaning it yourself.

To operate: with the lever marked O C at the C position, lower left side of shutter, and the shutter speed ring set to any speed, turn the cocking ring clockwise until it stops. Press down on the trip lever to release. When cocking and triping the shutter with the speed ring at O do not recock the shutter with the speed ring set to O, turn the speed ring to another speed to close the shutter then recock. Cocking the shutter with the O C lever at O may cause the shutter to operate erraticly. Return the lever to C and cock and trip the shutter 3 or 4 times to restore normal operation.

Wow 45PSS. what a beautifully concise and and informative reply. That''s exactly what I was looking for. Thanks. I'll mull over my tech ablilities and and see if I feel up to doing a cleaning my self. If not, I'll be in touch.

Thanks again,

Mitch