arca swiss users-help/suggestions--extension bracket

[Raymond Bleesz]

my arca swiss 85mm extension bracket( a small unit which supports the rail and t o which one mounts onto a tripod head) had small strips of teflon running the le ngth of the bracket to take up any slack and to allow the rail to smoothly slide into it, has lost its adhension and i have been substituting various types of t ape which has been unsatisfactory. has any one run across this same problem and do you have suggestions for either obtaining the same type of teflon tape?? or other suggestions thank you

[Masayoshi Hayashi]

The strip is available from the Chicago office for free. I got one last week but it jammes when I insert the telescopic rail on the 30cm bracket. Does anyone know how to put the tape on the rail successfully?

[Steve Pfaff]

I have used automobile "pin-striping" tape with good success. It comes in a number of different widths and colors (including black) and is available at Auto Supply stores. It's much better than the original tape, which is too soft and is easily destroyed, as you probably already know. I sometimes have had to use a double thickness of the spriping tape to get the correct amount of "grab". Even using it double, one roll will do an 85mm extension bracket many, many times. (Blue looks especially nice)

[J.T.]

The tape really is not needed. The new Arca cameras do not have it. You can remo ve the tape and send the bracket to the repair facility in Chicago. They will ra ise the silver plunger to compensate for the missing tape(approx. 1mm). There is no charge for the conversion. Any questions call Diane at 773-248-2513.

[mike rosenlof]

As just mentioned, the tape is not really needed. Mine munged up the first time I used the camera in the cold. Peel it off, and you can adjust the locks yourself with the right size (metric) allen wrench.

If I recall correctly, there was one hex nut to loosen from the side near where the levers flip out, and one from the bottom to actually adjust, then lock the side back down.

It's been a while since I did this, it took five minutes, and has not needed fiddling sine that time.

[mike rosenlof]

(Remembered one more thing)

Before figuring out the adjustment, I shimmed the extension bracket bed with a sheet of drawing paper - probably about 30 pound with holes cutout for the little lock thingies. That worked too, but seemed to have a limited expectancy.

[Steve Pfaff]

Mike- Thanks for the tip. Even though the harder tape I was using was better, no tape is better still. Since you didnt remember exactly what you did, Ill put in what I did. The plunger that tightens the rails rides up and down on a screw that comes up through the bottom of the extension bracket (turns out this is not a cam at all-I was surprised), the levers that one uses to tighten and loosen the rails are tightened to the plungers with a 2mm Allen screw. If you loosen the 2mm screw and rotate the lever on the plunger, you can set exactly the range of the vertical travel of the plunger on the screw; thereby determining where it gets tight or loose. I was able to set the tension to just the amount I wanted. Thanks again.

[Masayoshi Hayashi]

What a good solution! I'm going to try it on mine too. Thanks everyone.