Carbo73
Joined: 15 Dec 2019 Posts: 12 Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2019 9:15 pm Post subject: 1A Graflex, shutter & hood problems |
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Hi, I've just entered this forum. It's my first message. I have a Crown Graphic, a couple of Speed Graphics, a 3x4 Series B, a 4x5 Graflex RB Auto and just since last week, a 1A Graflex.
I bought it from an antiques store (here near Barcelona, Catalonia) in fair good shape externally, and with some problems with the shutter, but that seem repairable. In fact the shutter fires quite well... sideways! That is, as a normal Graflex shutter would move, in fact (because the 1A has a right to left moving shutter curtain). And even pointing the camera downwards I have been able to shoot it horizontally, although all at 4, 5 or 6 tension in the curtain. Obviously the tension should be corrected and the curtain cloth has some slight folds, probably from being in the same position for years. But I think the main problem is in the relase button. The mirror moves up, but unless in the vertical or looking down position, then the shutter does not follows its movement.
Also I have a more intriguing problem with the hood. The camera has most of the characteristics of a latter production 1A type, with the shorter focusing hood, but the hood itself is of the earlier type. And here's the problem. It's only attached to the camera with 2 of 4 screws, the rear ones, and the top cover can't be closed. First I thought it was a transition model, but now I think somebody put an earlier hood to a later hood camera. Why? Maybe the original was lost and they could only find this one? But in fact in the web I've seen another similar "transition" camera. The serial number is on the 55XXX range, so it looks probably made in 1917-18, that is, the time where the hood was changed.
What should I do with the hood? Left it with only 2 screws (the other 2 are not missing, they were never there as there are no holes in the wood!)? But tha leaves the hood unstable and prone to breaking the screws. Put another 2 screws in front? But then the cover will continue to be impossible to close, as the hood ensemble is at least 2mm too high! Or maybe cut a bit of the wood arround the 4 places where the hood touches the frame? Probably that would not work, as it's on the bottom, near the ground glass also the hood structure makes contact with the rest of the camera... |
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