Speed Graphic rangefinder arm bracket ?

[Jim C.]

I got a beater Franken - Pacemaker Speed that I seem to be having some trouble getting
the Kalart side range finder arm to meet the infinity adjustment cam on the bracket that's
on the focusing yoke, if I set the arm where it meets the infinity adjustment cam ( the thing you use a dime to turn )
the arm is flush against the inside body and when the yoke is extended the rangefinder arm stops up against the bed braces.

If I set the arm to clear the bed braces ( attached pic ) it's not touching the cam, so I'm wondering if the bracket
that infinity adjustment cam is on is the wrong size.
The Anniversary Graphic that I have definitely has a different size ( width ) bracket.

Can anyone do a quick measure on their Pacemaker of the width for that bracket for me ?

[Jac@stafford.net]

Is the wheel on the wrong side of its mount?
After dinner I'll look at mine.
.

[Jim Jones]

The bracket might be different for a 3.25x4.25 and 4x5. Your bracket looks much like the ones on the 4x5 & baby Pacemakers I just checked. The adjusting wheel of all of them was on the outside of the bracket as in yours. Perhaps the offset in the arm could be reduced. Many of us mutilate old SGs just to make them functional.

[Jim C.]

Jac, the wheel is on the correct side, the slotted side for the dime is facing to the left of the picture.

Jim, it may well be for a 3.25 x 4.25 Graphic, those cameras aren't on my radar ( yet ) I only have 4x5's and 5x7's
so I have nothing to reference to.

I forgot to include measurement for the pictured one which is - 15/16" wide

My Anniversary bracket is 13/16" wide and riveted in which I never noticed !

[Jac@stafford.net]

Jac, the wheel is on the correct side, the slotted side for the dime is facing to the left of the picture.

Yes, I see that now. Sorry I cannot help.
.

[Leonard Robertson]

I looked at a 4X5 Pacemaker Speed and the arm coming down (from the round shaft into the Kalart) is much closer to the camera body than yours. It is directly behind the bed support strut. The lower tip of the arm goes against the small diameter of the infinity adjusting cam. The upper end of the arm is attached to a round hub with a set screw. I assume by loosening this set screw, the hub and arm can be adjusted nearer to the camera body, which is what I think you need to do. On my camera, the upper end of the arm is about 1/8" away from the camera body.

If this makes no sense, I'll try posting a picture tomorrow.

Len

[Jim C.]

I looked at a 4X5 Pacemaker Speed and the arm coming down (from the round shaft into the Kalart) is much closer to the camera body than yours. It is directly behind the bed support strut. The lower tip of the arm goes against the small diameter of the infinity adjusting cam. The upper end of the arm is attached to a round hub with a set screw. I assume by loosening this set screw, the hub and arm can be adjusted nearer to the camera body, which is what I think you need to do. On my camera, the upper end of the arm is about 1/8" away from the camera body.

If this makes no sense, I'll try posting a picture tomorrow.

Len

Len, what you described and makes perfect sense, I got where everything goes, but if I moved the arm closer to the body
the arm is practically inline with the bed brace and stops at the bed brace.

If you rack your Pacemaker all the way out where the infinity adjusting cam is totally clear of the bed brace
does the arm hit and stop at the back of bed brace or does it swing past it ?

[Leonard Robertson]

Yes, the rangefinder arm comes up against the rear of the bed brace. But not until the camera is focused (by the ground glass) to less than 3 feet. This is with a 135mm Optar lens. The closest focus shown on the bed focusing scale is 6 feet and I'm thinking this is about as close as the Kalart RFs were designed to focus. When the focus is at 6 feet the rangefinder arm is well to the rear of the bed brace. From what I can see, the rangefinder arm must be in contact with the cam on the bed in order for the rangefinder to function correctly.

Len

[Jim C.]

Len, Thanks for the info, my comparison to my Anniversary Graphic had me wondering how far that rangefinder arm extended
since the Annniversary rangefinder arm will extend way out. I guess the Pacemaker rangefinder arm has a much shorter throw.

[Leonard Robertson]

Jim - I grabbed a stray 4X5 Anniversary that was easy to get to and the rangefinder arm arrangement looks pretty much like the one on the Pacemaker Speed. Both cameras have the rangefinder arm quite close to the inner face of the camera body. When the bed is focused forward, the long, upper portion of the rangefinder arm comes up against the back of the bed strut. It actually looks like it slips in between the top of the strut and the bracket the top of the strut slides in. It almost looks to be designed that way to hold the rangefinder arm in that position. When the bed is focused forward far enough that the rangefinder arm is no longer touching the round cam on the bed, the arm is held in the correct position so that when the bed and cam are moved back, the lower end of the rangefinder arm is in the correct position to come back up against the cam.

Can you reach in with a finger or tool and move your rangefinder arm toward the side of the body so that the end slips up against the cam (and the upper portion of the arm is behind the top of the bed strut)? The arm seems fairly flexible on my cameras. I get the feeling you arm just needs to be pushed over toward the outside of the body and it will be correct.

Len