Exploded diagram/Spare parts for the Calumet C-1

[DannyTreacy]

Hi,

I'm in the process of purchasing a Calumet C-1 that is missing a couple of parts. I don't know the exact number of the items so does anyone know where I can get hold of a kind of exploded diagram of the camera enabling me to identify the parts?

Also is there a source for the parts stil? I'm thinking that since calumet US folded is it possible to find a supplier? I'm based in the uk but don't imagine that calumet U.K. will have any parts, I don't think that they even have parts for ANY analogue cameras.

Thanks,
Danny.

[AJ Edmondson]

Probably pretty difficult to locate... most of the parts (with the exception of locking knobs) are pretty generic but are SAE, not metric. Jose - who was at Calumet forever - was always a great source but, as far as I know, he retired when they folded. Once you have the camera you can inquire here on the forum in hope that someone has a junker to cannibalize. That said, they are pretty simple and any competent machinist can probably fix you up in short order. For what they are - a no-nonsense work-horse with no frills - they are great cameras.
Joel

[DannyTreacy]

Probably pretty difficult to locate... most of the parts (with the exception of locking knobs) are pretty generic but are SAE, not metric. Jose - who was at Calumet forever - was always a great source but, as far as I know, he retired when they folded. Once you have the camera you can inquire here on the forum in hope that someone has a junker to cannibalize. That said, they are pretty simple and any competent machinist can probably fix you up in short order. For what they are - a no-nonsense work-horse with no frills - they are great cameras.
Joel

Hi Joel,

Thanks for your reply. What's SAE? I haven't come across that term before. I contacted a company called C&A Global who bought Calumet US after it had folded and they said "When the original Calumet company went bankrupt, the name and new physical stock was purchased by C&A Global. Spare and undocumented parts were abandoned or destroyed at the time of bankruptcy and were not transferred to C&A Global."

Such a shame! I guess my only hope is like you say that someone may be able to machine or sell me an old part.

Thanks,
Danny.

[Jac@stafford.net]

What's SAE?

Short cut: SAE is not Metric, but some SAE sizes came from British Witworth and their sizes are so close that it matters not unless one is a NASA contractor, and we are not. Worry not.

In my experience with my Calumet C1 8x10 I have found some fasteners in our common USA hardware parts store.
If you find you need parts there is an almost 100% chance we can point you to a common, economical source. Identify them and we can help. IMHO the C1is most reliable 8x10. It is difficult to schlep in the field, but is so precise it is worth it.

If you think you have found a missing part, write here. It is likely we can point your to a source.
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[DannyTreacy]

Short cut: SAE is not Metric, but some SAE sizes came from British Witworth and their sizes are so close that it matters not unless one is a NASA contractor, and we are not. Worry not.

In my experience with my Calumet C1 8x10 I have found some fasteners in our common USA hardware parts store.
If you find you need parts there is an almost 100% chance we can point you to a common, economical source. Identify them and we can help. IMHO the C1is most reliable 8x10. It is difficult to schlep in the field, but is so precise it is worth it.

If you think you have found a missing part, write here. It is likely we can point your to a source.
.

That's great thanks for explaining. Yes I'll wait for the C-1 to arrive and then photograph the areas where parts are missing and upload them.

Thanks again.

[AJ Edmondson]

Sorry about the confusion with reference to SAE - Jac is right, it is not metric and I found all of the parts I ever needed in hardware stores in the US. I did indeed schlep one for well over twenty years and was never disappointed by the camera.

[Mark Sampson]

SAE= Society of American Engineers. English, not metric, measurements; but not quite the same as British Whitworth specs. The C-1 is only slightly more complicated than a shovel (for good reasons), so if you have any mechanical ability (and a kitchen table) you should be able to make it work just fine. The one I used at Kodak had been used hard and patched up many times. It still did a great job (although I never liked having to take it on location).

[Jac@stafford.net]

The C-1 is only slightly more complicated than a shovel

My favorite quote of the year! Thanks for that.
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[DannyTreacy]

SAE= Society of American Engineers. English, not metric, measurements; but not quite the same as British Whitworth specs. The C-1 is only slightly more complicated than a shovel (for good reasons), so if you have any mechanical ability (and a kitchen table) you should be able to make it work just fine. The one I used at Kodak had been used hard and patched up many times. It still did a great job (although I never liked having to take it on location).

Great analogy and exactly the reason I went for that as my field camera choice in 10 x 8. Yes it's heavy but my style of photographic practice has me lugging lights,tripod and stands about in the field on an all terrain cart so an extra 12 or so kilograms is no big deal.

I'd much rather have a robust workhorse in the field than a work of art.

[DannyTreacy]

The C1 finally arrived, I've uploaded a few shots of the areas that need parts, the first area requiring attention is a kind of aluminium hinge that's missing on both sides, it means that the rail cannot be folded up behind the ground glass. I have basic tools but nothing that could machine such a thing as this.

The other part is the large focussing knob, it's one of those types with an Allen fitting in it.

If anyone out there has these parts from a C1 that they don't need please get in touch, thanks!

Regards,
Danny.

[tonyowen]

Not certain if you've seen this web page but it kinda shows how the camera folds up
www.largeformatphotography.info/calumet/calumetc8x10.html
For the knob unless you'll after an exact copy then any hardware store should be able to help.
However it is likely that any setscrew fitted into the knob will be metric - but at small sizes metric and SAE/Whitworth/imperial allen keys are almost interchangeable.
regards
Tony

[Jon Shiu]

I think the parts missing is actually a pair of stainless rail guide for the front rail section, whose ends provide hinging. It should be fairly easy to make the hinging part out of thin strips of steel, although they would need to be pretty sturdy to withstand use.
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[DannyTreacy]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Unfortunately I don't think my skills are enough to manufacture the right parts from steel. Maybe it's something that a fabrication place could do?

The hinge must provide a degree of rigidity as it seems a bit wobbly without them.

Yes Tony I think you're right I can probably get a knob that fits from s good hardware shop.

Thanks

[mikanystrom]

SAE= Society of American Engineers. English, not metric, measurements; but not quite the same as British Whitworth specs. The C-1 is only slightly more complicated than a shovel (for good reasons), so if you have any mechanical ability (and a kitchen table) you should be able to make it work just fine. The one I used at Kodak had been used hard and patched up many times. It still did a great job (although I never liked having to take it on location).

Society of AUTOMOTIVE Engineers.

SAE (= American) are *not* generally compatible with Whitworth. The thread form is different (that's the part that only NASA would care about), but more seriously, some sizes are a completely different pitch! So while most of the pitches are the same, for example 1/2 inch bolts are 13 t.p.i. in SAE and 12 t.p.i. in Whitworth. Not sure if a C1 has any fasteners that have different pitch threads.

The SAE threadform is actually the parent threadform of the metric M system (same shape (same angles) and generally the same proportions as the M thread).

SAE thread fasteners ought to be readily available almost anywhere in the world from: auto parts stores that specialize in American cars, or boating stores that service old outboards (I think even some European stern drives might have used SAE fasteners). The boating stores would likely have pretty stainless fasteners, too!

[AJ Edmondson]

I replaced the hinge in mine (after it finally wore out) with a section of piano-hinge bought at a hardware store (standard item). The hole spacing was correct but I did have to cut it to fit (length).

Joel

[Jon Shiu]

I replaced the hinge in mine (after it finally wore out) with a section of piano-hinge bought at a hardware store (standard item). The hole spacing was correct but I did have to cut it to fit (length).

Joel

Do you have a picture of that? The C1 does not seem to have flat surfaces to mount that type of hinge.

[DannyTreacy]

+ 1 to any photos of your Diy hinge if possible.

I've found stainless steel in the correct thickness (1/32") but my problem is that once I cut it to the right size I won't have the right tools to bend the edges of the steel so that it folds around the edges of the front standard.

Do you think that if I took the camera and cut steel to a metal fabrication type place they could bend it to size?

Thanks

[AJ Edmondson]

Sorry folks, no photographs. That was quite a few years ago and the camera has long since been sold. I can recall cutting the hinge to width on a Bridgeport milling machine and then having to grill the countersinks for the screws.

Joel

[AJ Edmondson]

I'm not sure we are even referring to the same part and I can't tell from the pictures. The hinge I am referring to allowed the rear rail section to fold up to the travel position where a chromed bar attached to the camera body (underneath the strap) secured it. Maybe I am getting too old and need to keep my own counsel until I understand the problem.
Joel

[Jon Shiu]

I think you are thinking of a different camera. The C1 has some small tabs on the side of the rail that lock up the rear rail. I believe he just needs some pieces of stainless that extend backwards from the front rail with some elongated holes.
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[DannyTreacy]

I think you are thinking of a different camera. The C1 has some small tabs on the side of the rail that lock up the rear rail. I believe he just needs some pieces of stainless that extend backwards from the front rail with some elongated holes

That's correct Jon, it's the stainless steel parts from the front standard that I need and the hinges that connects the rail to the front standard.

The second image you provided is exactly the main parts that I'm missing so my rail cannot connect to the front standard.

If that C1 is still in your possession would you be able to take some detailed measurements of the stainless steel plate to enable me to see if I could get two fabricated?

I have found the right size steel but as of yet don't have any measurable items or the means to shape them.

Thanks

[Jon Shiu]

I got rid of all of the C1's a few years ago. Perhaps if you make all the mounting holes oblong you could adjust to suit.


That's correct Jon, it's the stainless steel parts from the front standard that I need and the hinges that connects the rail to the front standard.

The second image you provided is exactly the main parts that I'm missing so my rail cannot connect to the front standard.

If that C1 is still in your possession would you be able to take some detailed measurements of the stainless steel plate to enable me to see if I could get two fabricated?

I have found the right size steel but as of yet don't have any measurable items or the means to shape them.

Thanks

[DannyTreacy]

I got rid of all of the C1's a few years ago. Perhaps if you make all the mounting holes oblong you could adjust to suit.

Ok thanks for the info.

[Captain_joe6]

Right you are on the plates + elongated holes. Not too elongated, mind you, but with just enough play for the rear rack to move away from the front rack and make its upward swing.

For the knob, a quick peruse around McMaster-Carr (McMaster.com) should net you just about anything you're after.

A word of warning, and an odd one at that: on the clamping screws that adjust the extension of the rear rack (pictured in your last image, they've got black knobs and extend through the lower rack and go into clamping plates), be very careful about how tightly you crank these down. I've seen versions of this camera with steel shafts off the knobs going into aluminum plates, and some with aluminum knobs going into steel plates, and some with aluminum into aluminum or steel into steel. Seems to be whichever they had available at the time. Forceful cranking or, as I learned the hard way, taking a cold camera out to a warm yard and letting it be in the sun is a recipe for binding the threads and snapping off a shaft.

Beyond that, you could not ask for a more heavy-duty camera.