Graflex.org

[slungu]

Hello,
I am a long time reader here, and after some thinking I have got myself a Crown Graphic with Kalart rangefinder, to start my large format adventure ( a previous attempt with a Sinar F has failed due to portability ). Now, after getting my "new" Crown, I started disassemblig it to clean it up. I further noticed that the outer part of the bellows has run out of glue on the lower part for one third of the length. I would like to get the bellows out in order to be able to work with it and try to glue it back together, but I have not figured out how to remove it from the back ( front was pretty easy ). Can anyone give me a hint on that, since and the rangefinder plus the locking mechanism of the bed to the body seem to differ between my Crown and the repair manual that I found that deals with the upper rangefinder models ( Crown and Speed ) ?

Regards, Stefan

[troublemaker]

The bellows on most of the side Kalart Crowns are held in back by taps bent over a metal frame insert.
Simply remove the camera back and see what you have there. The later models made use of a snap clip in the center of the rear bellows frame.
Anyway, to unbend the tabs simply requires that an appropriate pair of pliers be found that can be used to unbend the tabs without overly deforming them. I prefer a set of duckbill long nose pliers, and used to use a small set of vise grips set to slightly open to grip and unbend the tabs without bending the bellows frame or the metal back insert they are bent onto.
One does not need to bend them back very far and the bellows can be sort of unsnapped form the metal rim. This allows them to be snapped back in place and makes for easier re-instalation. Care must be taken not to bend the thin metal the bellows seat against. I use the same tools, to re-crimp the tabs when I replace the bellows. Get the bellows to stay put, then you can go around and get each tab bent back inplace real nice. When this is satisfactory, a little flat black touch-up paint will cover the bar shiney metal that will be obvious on the tabs.
As far as the separation on the under side of the bellows. I assume you mean the seam. Ussually I find this more on the little 23 series pacemakers and Century models. I like to use masking tape carefully applied right along the seam following the pleats. Sometimes I'll take some of the tackiness out of the tape by running through my fingers and pressing against my pants etc... Then apply contact cement between the seam, prop open with a couple sticks or something to let the cement set off enough and then simply press the seams together. I think I've done like ten of these, and works real nice. Excess glue simply balls up and comes right off. Use fingers inside and out as necesarry when removing tape and just be careful.
Hope that helps.

[glennfromwy]

Yes, remove any snap on clips but please do yourself a favor - don't bend those little tabs. It's not necessary to bend them and they will unsually break off on re-installation. The Graflex service bulletins and repair manuals say to just bow it out and pop it into place. It's not really that simple, though. Carefully pry the top tabs downward until you can slightly move the frame outward at that point. Then, just work your way around until it's free. To install, slightly bow the frame and insert it into position. Then you'll need to go all around and press the frame into a snug fit and make sure all the tabs are seated. Actually, I've never had to remove the bellows to repair the bottom seam. I just move the standard all the way back and drop the bed. Then you can slide the standard out and off the camera body and easily reglue the seam. Much easier.
_________________
Glenn

"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"

[troublemaker]

Thanks for the heads-up Glenn.
Can't say exactly how many Pacemaker bellows I've had in and out of camera bodies. Many.
I'll try bowing one I don't care about and see how she goes, but I have never had any kindof problem, and depending on the tabs, one may have to open the crimp a little anyway to slide them out.
Also, while the later bellows design is meant to be bowed and makes use of the clip (a much better design), the earlier were not.
Off hand I'd say the 45 series bellows would bow much easier than the little 23 series without crimping the rear metal frame because it is simply a bigger area which allows more bend.
Note that I imply stongly to be very careful.
I also don't bend the tabs so they clear the frame; just enough so I can coax the bellows out and then snap them back in after repair and or cleaning. Probably what I do is inbetween.
Of more concern to me has always been being careful not to bend the inner frame the bellows are mounted to, which is really thin and easily warped. Thus the need for an appropriate tool offset enough so as to not bend the frame when squeezing the tabs back down and not create any light leak sittuation etc...

[slungu]

Thanks to both of you for the nice replies. I am still trying to figure out how to proceed without damaging anything, since if I damage the bellows frame, I can also get another crown... The eight clips that are bend on the back are hard to bend in the first place and I am not very confident in applying brute force.
Since I started this reconditioning job I encountered also another problem : I removed the leather on the case to get a new one and while removing the part in the middle of the bottom I saw it moves auite a lot. After removing the leather, a whole part of wood came out with the leather, so I now have a nice crown that waits new clothes, but with a large circular hole in the bottom instead of the tripod mount. So, still a lot to figure out, but the more I spend assambling and dissasambling the camera, the more I love it. Can't wait to put it all together and start taking some pictures with it.

Regards, Stefan

[troublemaker]

The positioning of the tabs is the reason I tend to use a very small set of vise grip pliers opened a little bit to bend them back part way. And there being tabs at all corners negates the ability to simply bow the bellows like the later style with removeable clips.
The little pliers I use have an offeset that allows me to get at the tabs and bend them back without damage. I've never experienced one to have damage. A little unnerving the frist time I did it until I found a likely tool.
But like Glenn suggests, with the front standard removed from the bellows, you may be able to initiate your repairs and cleaning without removeing the rear.
I tend to remove them more often than not because a lot of the cameras I get are in really bad shape and very dirty from years of inactivity etc... and thourough cleaining requires thourough dissassembly.

I've fixed a couple tripod mounts.
May be you can reset it with a little epoxy glue.