Calumet C-1, any weak spot?

[Ernest Purdum]

Once upon a time I was driving along in Los Angeles, listening to the traffic reports, when I heard that the San Diego Freeway was blocked because a bar of magnesium had fallen off a truck. Should I tell them to just go pick it up? No - Somebody will. Wrong. It stayed right there until a private hazardous materials firm was given a contract to remove it. I couldn't believe that fire departments wouldn't know that magnesium in solid form is no hazard.

(If I've told everybody this story before, I apologize, but I think it's a great story.)

[cyberjunkie]

Hi again, Curt. I misunderstood your rail lock query and was addressing the 4x5 Calumet while you were speaking of the C-1. Yes, the rail locks on the C-1 did not work well and I use a strong rubberband instead. I think that Brett also modified his with something more elegant. He was not only an excellent photographer but also a pretty fair machinist.
Merg

I have finally got my camera.
One of the two side "locks", the two flexible metal springs that are probably meant to lock the rail when folded, is broken.
I don't know if this is the reason why the rail can't be fixed in vertical position.
From previous posts i get that even when the two flexible things are in place, the rail can't be locked firmly. Is it true?
I thought about fixing the rail with a strong rubber band, even before i could read the same advice in a previous post, but i don't know if this could be a problem, because that way the rail would rest on the lever that relieves the back, allowing for the insertion of film holders.
I guess that if i fix in place the rail with a rubber band, or some kind of belt, when the camera is stored on its back, with the front standard up, the total weight of the camera will rest on the back release lever. Is it safe?
The best choice would be to store the camera sitting on its tripod block, but that would be impratical, at least until i find a case of the right size.
I am even thinking about having the broken spring redone, if i can find a sheet of steel of the right thickness, but i would like to know first if that would make any difference.

any advice is welcomed

have fun

CJ

[David Lindquist]

I have finally got my camera.
One of the two side "locks", the two flexible metal springs that are probably meant to lock the rail when folded, is broken.
I don't know if this is the reason why the rail can't be fixed in vertical position.
From previous posts i get that even when the two flexible things are in place, the rail can't be locked firmly. Is it true?
I thought about fixing the rail with a strong rubber band, even before i could read the same advice in a previous post, but i don't know if this could be a problem, because that way the rail would rest on the lever that relieves the back, allowing for the insertion of film holders.
I guess that if i fix in place the rail with a rubber band, or some kind of belt, when the camera is stored on its back, with the front standard up, the total weight of the camera will rest on the back release lever. Is it safe?
The best choice would be to store the camera sitting on its tripod block, but that would be impratical, at least until i find a case of the right size.
I am even thinking about having the broken spring redone, if i can find a sheet of steel of the right thickness, but i would like to know first if that would make any difference.

any advice is welcomed

have fun

CJ

On my C-1 I used a bungee cord (rather than a large rubber band. I wrapped a few turns of electrical tape around the spots on the back release lever where they contacted the rear bed extension.
David