Kodak Master View Repairs

[C. D. Keth]

I asked about this in the camera forum about a week ago and since I decided to fix it myself, I thought I'd post the result here.

My kodak master view had developed in it's 60 some years of service a good bit of slop in the rear standard. Locked down, I could still wiggle it plus or minus 1/8" or more at the top of the standard. This happened because the rail in the bottom of the standard had worn about .030" where it contacts the groove in which it slides. To complicate things a bit, the wear was worse at the ends of the rails. Evidently kodak designed the camera so one part would take all the wear, because the groove was worn very little in comparison.

I bought a small sheet of .032" brass and cut four narrow strips that roughly corresponded to the areas of wear. I silver soldered them in place, using several small binder clips to clamp it in place so the new stock followed the uneven curve of the wear.

Soldered up, it looked like this:


KMV Repair 2 by CKeth, on Flickr


KMV Repair 1 by CKeth, on Flickr

and lots of filing later, it looks like this:


KMV Repair 3 by CKeth, on Flickr

The solder joint is a little wider than ideal but I'll take it. Maybe it'll only last another 55 years instead of 60. It probably fits better and makes the camera more solid than when it was new. A factory just can't replicate the kind of fit someone can do by hand and time.

[C. D. Keth]

I fit the camera up today, adding a small amount of wax lube for bicycles to the rails and adding a rubber washer under the focus knob and it's like a new camera. It locks down very, very tight without killing your fingers and doesn't wobble. Hopefully that'll do for another 60 years.

[N Dhananjay]

Very nice, clean job. And it must feel good to have it lock down well. Cheers, DJ

[Henry Ambrose]

Good job!

[C. D. Keth]

Thanks, guys. I wanted to add, in case somebody searches for this kind of thing in the future, that no power tools are needed for this. I used a dremel to hog off metal faster in the initial stages but all the fitting and finishing is by hand. Someone could just as easily (and nearly as quickly) use a course file for the first stage.

[fecaleagle]

I've been overhauling a 5x7 Ansco Universal View with just a tub of Wright's copper cream, fine steel wool, paper towels, and elbow grease. It's been a long slog, but everything is now back in beautiful working order. I didn't have to grind off anything, but most of these wooden field cameras can certainly be restored with hand tools and plenty of patience... I feel I even found a little zen polishing all those tiny little brass screw heads.

[C. D. Keth]

I've been overhauling a 5x7 Ansco Universal View with just a tub of Wright's copper cream, fine steel wool, paper towels, and elbow grease. It's been a long slog, but everything is now back in beautiful working order. I didn't have to grind off anything, but most of these wooden field cameras can certainly be restored with hand tools and plenty of patience... I feel I even found a little zen polishing all those tiny little brass screw heads.

I did that same thing a few years ago with an 8x10 2D. When you put it all back together and see it, it's all worth it.

[Ari]

Nice job, Chris; enjoy your "new" camera.
It's such a pleasure to get these things back to perfect working condition.