Graflex.org

[R_J]

Travelling around with a Century Graphic has taken a toll. I've now lost:

1. The strap and strap clips
2. The camera leather has fallen apart on the four walls of the Century.
3. Dented one 2x3" aluminum lensboard which doesn't quite align straight anymore


Despite this, I'm still fond of my Century!


Is there a source for the handle strap clips? I've found the strap indispensible for mobile shooting.

On previous posts (reference to restoration), www.cameraleather.com has been mentioned, although there seems to be no specific repair kit for the Century. If anyone has experience or pre-cut covering experience for the Century, could I please ask for some advice?

Any pointers to where I can start piecing this back together again would be appreciated.

Kind regards,

RJ

[Dan Fromm]

For the strap, the seller who offers this one has others, has offered 'em before. http://cgi.ebay.com/Graflex-hand-strap_W0QQitemZ120148493076QQihZ002QQcategoryZ15247QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

For strap clips, IIRC when I needed one for my 2x3 Century I found it on ebay.com. But also try www.mpex.com , they often have Graphic odds and ends including straps. I've bought straps from them.

[R_J]

Thanks Dan - I wasn't aware of either of these links. It does look like the postage costs fives times the current cost of the strap!

Got to love a stockist who can supply red or orange Century Graphic lensboards.

Now to work out how to repair the camera covering..

[Henry]

As for the strap, the cheapo plastic strap supplied as original equipment often stiffened, cracked and split. I removed mine and substituted a strap I made from one-inch wide, black woven nylon strapping and two black nylon (?) buckles. I found these at a leather supply store (Tandy), but they might be available also at fabric stores. I didn't bother with the snaps as found on the originals. If you can obtain a leather strap, such as was supplied on the Crown Graphic 2x3, so much the better. It won't be "authentic" but it will be a lot better than the original!

[R_J]

Thanks Henry - that's exactly what happened to mine - it almost slipped and died on the tarmac as a result.

What do you think of the ones in the link above? There is one in mpex too.

I've found larger Graflex camera owners don't look kindly on the Century - a kind of disdain for its smaller dimensions, and perhaps, its unpleasing strap..

[45PSS]

[Henry]

R_J, that strap on eBuy looks pretty good, especially if the bid price stays low. For myself, though, I like the one I fashioned out of strapping, as described. It's easy to attach it to one of the clips by melting the strapping with a soldering iron and fusing the strap to itself; this makes a permanent bond. Then you wind the strap through the clips a couple of times and through the buckles, which you have previously threaded the strap through; one of the buckles serves as a keeper while the other one does the work of holding the entire affair together. This makes a very sturdy arrangement, totally reliable for hand-held work, and adjustable to your needs. I think the whole thing cost me about 2 bucks in materials, plus I had a lot of fun and satisfaction working out the details. But certainly, if you're not interested in this kind of DIY amusement, I would go with the leather one; it's very handsome.

[SYNCHROJAMES]

I replaced the missing strap and hardware on my CG as follows:
2pcs 1"x4"x.031 brass sheet.
2 pcs 3/16"x6" copper rod
wrap tape around rod, form brass around taped area, place ends of sheet brass in bench vise with the rod close to the vise jaws.
tighten jaws to form brass around rod, use hammer & wood block to force loop over so it lays flat on camera side. remove rod,untape and form rod into loop with hammer, sm vise-grip & bench vise-cut off excess. Shorten brass to fit, drill mounting holes, (my CG req'd 3 on ea bracket-1 thru for the screw & 2 blind holes for the stabilizing pins; I don't know what a Century reqs. clean them up, install & make or buy a strap. I used an extra belt-shortened as needed, punch the holes & the buckle is already in place. Of course, you could go to the spare parts listing on this sites front page and contact Fred Lustig. He quoted me $10.00 for the hardware and $25.00 for the strap. Mine isn't original, but it works just as well and was lots cheaper

[disemjg]

The simplest, cheapest, and least elegant strap is a 1" wide nylon dog collar; I seem to remember that a 24" long strap was needed for a 45 so a century may get by with a 20" long collar. I got mine for about $6 at the grocery store. You do not need the clips that were used with the original strap unless you need to use the tripod socket that is on the left side of the camera, obstructed by the strap.

If you want the camera to look more original, then one of the leather staps from the sources previously presented is in order.

If I had to re-cover the body, I would use the material from Micro Tools. It's been a while since I bought the material I have, and I assume they have the same selection. Be sure to select something thin and relatively plain; you do not want a skin that looks as if it belongs on a Leica M3.

[Henry]

Yep, I had the same thought myself WRT dog collar, and had I not stumbled into the Tandy store, probably would have gone that route too. BTW, a cursory search of the Tandy website didn't turn up the strapping or buckles that I used, but if there is a store nearby it may have the stuff. It's real cheap by the foot, but it's sturdy and it looks good. Another source might be an outdoor-type store like Cabela's, if you can't find it at a fabric store.

[Billy Canuck]

A graflex.org member, bertsaunders, manufactures solid black leather straps with buckles that match the original Graphic equipment. Go to the member list and you'll find his name and e-mail address near the top. He made a strap for my 2x3 Crown a few months ago for $25.

[t.r.sanford]

FWIW, my first Graphic was a "Century" -- and the bellows went before the strap did! The camera had been through a lot by that time. I have a couple of 4x5 "Speed Graphics" now, and still would favor the "Century" for shooting rollfilm. It is a durable, precise, handy, versatile and reliable camera.

I've made a couple of straps for "Speed Graphics," over the years, and they worked well enough and did not look especially disreputable. The late lamented Tandy Leathercrafts stores used to sell materials for making belts, some of which could be dyed black and made into attractive, serviceable straps. But all the ideas posted here sound better.

[R_J]

I've not forgotten this thread: thank you for your thoughtful answers.

As much as I would have liked a Graflex strap (ready-made), the internet premium seems too high and I think I'll settle for a self-designed type which other Graflex users have shown here. Dan - the seller seems to be charging fixed (higher) fees for his straps at the moment. Maybe I'm too slow..

If anyone is aware of 'Crocs', these rubberised velcro straps are sold in leisure & sport shops for a fraction the cost. The are a perfect match in size for the handle of the Century Graphic and can be easily velcro'd as a handle. I'll find out how stable the velcro hold is - it is a faster remedy in the meantime than tailoring a strap.

With respect to the mahoganite covering - is there a specific link on the Microtools page? I have spent 20 minutes hunting the site which seems overwhelming with too many items. To no avail.

[45PSS]

http://www.micro-tools.com/ > select the european customer tab = http://www.micro-tools.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=MTE > select restoration supplies ( 7 rows down, 3rd from left) linking does not work at this point.
From the list of sheets of leather or leatherette select the one that will give the look and is the approiate size to cut the camera pieces out of. There are NO pre cut kits for the Century anywhere.
_________________
The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

[Henry]

That rubberized velcro sounds interesting; I have never heard of it. Might be the ideal solution. There is also double-sided velcro tape, which, as the name suggests, sticks to itself (hooks on one side, fuzzies on the other). You could loop this stuff around the camera body brackets, where the original strap was attached, with the velcro's fuzzy side turned so that the back of your hand is next to it when you hold the camera, with the hook side on the inside (if I make myself clear). This stuff grabs and holds like a son-of-a-gun, and I wouldn't have any concern about it giving way. By this method you wouldn't need to worry about buckle(s), either. Sounds like you have a lot of options beyond the leather one.