Graflex Super Graphic problem

[Thom Bennett]

Somehow, the young man I am mentoring detached the sliding release arms of the Super Graphic graflok back and, for the life of me, I can't figure out how to get them back on. I'm talking about mechanism that releases the back from the camera not the sliding locks that hold a roll film back on. If someone could send me a photo of the backside of the Super Graphic graflok back that might give me some clues about putting the release arms back on. I thought the Super Graphic was indestructible but, leave it to an impatient 18 year old to disabuse that notion.

[Jim Andrada]

I'm looking at mine right now, but I don't know what you mean by the "sliding release arms"- do you have a photo??? Do you mean the back that has the ground glass in it and the flip open viewing shade that you would remove to expose the graflock sliders that are under it? It has two lock arms that you depress and slide off - it just slides back on but it has to be turned the right way around ie so the film holder would be inserted from the right side of the camera.

[Thom Bennett]

204805 I see where the release arms go but cannot get them under the long tension arms. Cannot figure out how they came out.

[B.S.Kumar]

I expect this is what you mean. It happened to me also, though it was the Toyo version.

https://i.postimg.cc/4y7CxHSJ/Toyo-Super-Graphic-01s.jpg

The latches on the back were separated from the back - they have to be re-inserted behind the leaf springs so that the back can be attached to the camera. The springs are very strong, and must be lifted using a nylon string under them.

Kumar

[Thom Bennett]

Ah! Nylon string. Brilliant. I'll give that a try.

[BrianShaw]

Ahhh, been there; done that... but a long time ago. The arms pull out of the spring if pulled back too far. I remember disassembling the back to repair. I seem to recall that springs are held in by pins.

[Alan Gales]

A buddy of mine and his wife had a booth at an antique mall. He put a Super Speed Graphic up for sale there and an impatient customer did the same thing to his camera. The fellow said that he knew cameras and it was broken. My buddy said it wasn't easy but he got it back together and ended up keeping the camera.

Impatience and photography don't go together very well. :)

[BrianShaw]

... or brute force.

[Thom Bennett]

I got the sliding arms back in. Took the ground glass out and used a flat head screwdriver to lift the end of the springs high enough to slide the arms back in place and gently let the springs back down. LOTS of tension on those springs. Good old American build quality.

[Jim Andrada]

Glad you got it figured out. I've never had that happen - yet! On the other hand I don't usually let other folks mess with my cameras. I can break enough stuff by myself. Anyhow, glad to know the secret. I've been talking to a local high school about doing a class on LF/Film photography and now I'll be watching for this kind of problem. I always thought the Super was practically indestructible. Now I know better.