Oh yes - I wondered about that! I thought maybe my replies would get taken down.Originally Posted by Steven Tribe
Will look later or maybe tomorrow as I'm out tonight. GG I Have. Strips I have from the 5x7 backs that I bought. Might need resized but that's easily done.
Thank you very much.
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...3&d=1458557253
It is the right back as you can see with this photo from CCHarrison's listing a few months ago.
Gordon, the fittings on the half plate back you have appear to be the same size as on the two quarter plate Lancaster backs I have. One's just the focus frame, plus the corner strips to hold the glass and the 4 hinges all stamped Lancaster Patent.
Interesting to note that screw alignment is sort of there on both backs and the camera body but not very precisely, on my Houghton, Butcher, Thornton Pickards and Gandolfi cameras it's always very precise. Two unknown camera there's no attempt at all.
Ian
yes. I could tell it was correct right away.
When I did a scaled down drawing of the back - reduced to fit the rear of the 1/4 plate - I then placed the brass fittings that I had removed from the half plate back on top of the drawing and there was insufficient room (not enough wood) to take the fittings. So my assumption at this point was that I could reduce the size of the wooden frames but then my existing 5x7 fittings would be too big and look silly! It would not be possible to view any wood - only fittings - and at one point there just was not physically enough room. I couldn't fit the film holder catch in between the two Z hinges.
It was also evident that trying to re-size the brasswork would be a long, laborious task and would leave me with bright shiny edges where the brass had been filed/cut/screw holes re-drilled and they would look false.
I agree that they look to be the same - and that's why I bought the 5x7 backs - but in reality it turns out otherwise
Ian,
Turns out - now that I've received the back from Steven Tribe - that it is also too big. It measures 5.5 inches sq. so it won't fit inside the back frame using the brass lugs because the back frame is itself 5.5 inches sq. (outside dimensions). The 3 x DDS that Steven sent me are 4 1/4 x 5 7/8ths whereas the ones I have that fit the camera are 4 x 5 5/8ths. So it seems my camera is slightly smaller than 1/4 plate - I didn't know they made one smaller than 1/4 plate - and it doesn't appear to have been modded.
The back from Steven is still a lot better than my two (European) half plate backs (and the brass fittings are correspondingly smaller) and would work if I made a new back to fit exactly but I was wondering if you could measure the back you have to see what the outside dimensions are?
Gordon, it appears that the Quarter plate Instograph went through changes. The back frame I have is 5.5 inches and the rotatable back itself is 4 7/8 inches, unfortunately the focus screen frame and fittings are missing and I'm not sure if I had it. It takes slotted plate holders. The camera came in a box with two others, an un-named half plate and a Quarter plate Thornton Pickard Ruby missing all it's brass work, as it's missing too much I've not done anything with it.
My other Instograph focus screen frame fits but not perfectly although it just needs very slight modification to the back frame, it is Quarter plate though. I went through the camera parts, plate holders etc, last night as I was moving them to new storage shelf units, I've some other parts elsewhere so I'll check if I have a second focus frame.
Ian
Thanks Ian,
Fingers crossed!
Hi again Ian,
Not sure if you got my emails sent via gmail to your private email address?
Regards,
Gordon
I think we've now got a back and all the fittings on the way to help finish this restoration
There's a nice bright re-ground Ground glass screen, and a focus scale to help complete it.
Ian
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