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Thread: Kalart side mounted RF alignment???

  1. #1

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    Kalart side mounted RF alignment???

    Hi,
    I am presently restoring a 4X5 Pacemaker Crown Graphic, and 3X4 Pacemaker Speed Graphic, both with side mounted Kalart RF's, though I have gotten these aligned in the past, I was looking for the Graflex or Kalart service manuals for what the mfgs recommend...

    Any source online where I could check one out??? I have seen instructions for the top mounted RF, but not the side mt units...

    Thanks,

    Steve K

  2. #2
    Jac@stafford.net's Avatar
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    Re: Kalart side mounted RF alignment???


  3. #3

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    Re: Kalart side mounted RF alignment???

    Thanks, Jac!!!

    Cool!!! Mainly, I dug up Graphic 22 Roll film back and viewfinder mask for the 3X4/127mm lens, but the back would need to be screwed down, so back to the RF + finder (and a nice FL for square portrait format) with a very nice SG I found recently... (And the 4x5 should be tuned up, too...)

    This might be fun, as well as Xray in 3X4 holders (and I found dev hangers, and a neg carrier...) :-)

    All good things to 'ya!!!

    Steve K

  4. #4
    Jac@stafford.net's Avatar
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    Re: Kalart side mounted RF alignment???

    Steve K, I have tried to work on Kalart rangefinders often enough to have found my profound stupidity to do it right. My success rate is abysmal. Most often I stopped when finding a stripped beyond salvation adjustment screw. I think I documented it with pictures here.

    Kalart rangefinders are my humblers. I'm too old to master them.

  5. #5

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    Re: Kalart side mounted RF alignment???

    Quote Originally Posted by Jac@stafford.net View Post
    Steve K, I have tried to work on Kalart rangefinders often enough to have found my profound stupidity to do it right. My success rate is abysmal. Most often I stopped when finding a stripped beyond salvation adjustment screw. I think I documented it with pictures here.

    Kalart rangefinders are my humblers. I'm too old to master them.
    I feel your pain, but the camera in question has been barely used, and the alignment is fairly close now, so it's worth a stab... Biggest (minor issue) is the lens focuses a little off when sitting on the bed stops, so I have to work on the lensboard to film distance so everything lines up...

    I'll see what happens, but with using green Xray film (with the CF), I hope to exploit the slight halation from the 2 sided film + green sensitivity for maybe a slight ethereal look when doing garden, etc shooting???

    Have fun!!!

    Steve K

  6. #6
    Jac@stafford.net's Avatar
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    Re: Kalart side mounted RF alignment???

    Somewhere in storage I have a NIB Kalart rangefinder. Should I dig it out of the storage mess?

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    Re: Kalart side mounted RF alignment???

    Quote Originally Posted by Jac@stafford.net View Post
    Somewhere in storage I have a NIB Kalart rangefinder. Should I dig it out of the storage mess?
    Hang on to it for now, I'll give you a shout if I need it, but mine seem to be much less than thrashed...

    I've never trusted these buggers too much, but for the SG, it would need to be to be used with the 2 1/4 back, as the spring back GG frame would be removed and the back screwed down as there is no Graflok... I'll see how long it takes for the fun to wear off... :-0

    Thanks,

    Steve K

  8. #8
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    Re: Kalart side mounted RF alignment???

    Lommen's instructions are how I learned it. Still frustrating. Twice I have found Kalarts that, despite being in good condition, just would not calibrate no matter what. Replacing them whole fixed the issue. So take up Jac's offer if it just doesn't seem like it's going to work.

    I still have one 4x5 Speed with a properly matched 127mm Ektar. I am not touching it no matter what silly lens I might wish was calibrated on it . I've calibrated about a dozen or so and would be happy to never do that again.
    Bryan | Blog | YouTube | Instagram | Portfolio
    All comments and thoughtful critique welcome

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    Re: Kalart side mounted RF alignment???

    Quote Originally Posted by Corran View Post
    Lommen's instructions are how I learned it. Still frustrating. Twice I have found Kalarts that, despite being in good condition, just would not calibrate no matter what. Replacing them whole fixed the issue. So take up Jac's offer if it just doesn't seem like it's going to work.

    I still have one 4x5 Speed with a properly matched 127mm Ektar. I am not touching it no matter what silly lens I might wish was calibrated on it . I've calibrated about a dozen or so and would be happy to never do that again.
    Corran,

    Got your message loud and clear... My new checklist;

    1/ If it ain't broke, don't fix it (or mess with it)... Check...

    2/ If it ain't broke, but does not align, it's broke and replace... Check...

    3/ If it ain't broke, does not align, don't get angry and throw it in a crazed fit, it's crazy and you were sane before you started the dammed project... Check...

    Many thanks for the input!!!!

    Steve K

  10. #10

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    Re: Kalart side mounted RF alignment???

    Update; I haven't dove into this RF project yet, but rewinding my mental tapes, I seem to remember an important tip about servicing these units...

    One of the cameras I am working on had issues with alignment about 20 years ago, and I was beating my head against the wall trying to solve the reason... Everything seemed fine, but it didn't want to settle into good alignment... I finally realized that despite the fact that everything seemed to be moving well, that there was a very slight resistance in one of the moving parts, that you couldn't feel when you pushed it with your finger, but probably would hang up ever so slightly when moved, and not reset properly even with the return spring pressure... I don't remember exactly what part, but there must have been some sticky old grease/oxidation/corrosion/wear spot/tweaked there and I had to very carefully clean everything well, and polish out the pivots/slides and clean very well again... I think one part needed to be lapped by applying some rubbing compound, I made sure there was no flat or dented spots on or any pivot or slide, and I had to go through the entire system of linkages until there was truly no resistance anywhere in the system, and everything reset perfectly... And that there's no play, slop, or binding in the system... Then carefully lubed and aligned... (I also suspect that many of these had "birth defects" due to poor QA right from the get-go...)

    This worked, and I realized that one of the present cameras I'm working on went through this, and the RF is still working very well... I'm also sure that RF's on other cameras may be toast, and replacement is the key... But without a proper CLA, they might have been over-tweaked and damaged in some attempt to align them, with the double whammy issues present...

    So, I'm impressed that I remembered this from so long ago, but annoyed with myself that I can't remember where in storage I put my telescope with the solar filter I'll need on Monday, as I put it there a several weeks ago during my move, and for the life of me, I don't remember which "safe place" I stashed it in!!! :-(

    Onward through the fog...

    Steve K

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