speed graphic kalart question...hot to put back?

[mcdoogla]

I'm in the process of putting back together a speed graphic that I picked up and resuscitated (well, almost!). I have a question about the bar that comes from the kalart rangefinder, that goes from the shaft that comes out of the RF into the speed body to the sliding assembly. How do I put it back? I tried bu the RF was way out of alignment, not starting or ending in nearly the right place? Does it matter where I start it, (ie, where the lens is racked when I place the bar against the stop and tighten the top. The kalart was set and accurate before..)

I checked graflex.org but that seems to only cover realigning already-assembled Kalarts.

Help!

doug

[Glenn Thoreson]

You have to have, or make, a small wrench that will fit the flats on the shaft. It wants to be only about an inch long. Rack the bed rails all the way to the rear, and lock the focus. With your tiny wrench, turn the shaft counter clockwise, all the way to the rear, and hold it there. Do not force it! Now, this is the fun part. :D While holding the shaft to the rearward position, place the lever in the forward position, against the bracket on the focus rail, and hold it there while you tighten the set screw, without poking a hole in the bellows. For this, it helps to have six inch long fingers. Anyhoo, that's the starting point for adjustment. Instructions for adjusting are at graflex.org. Extremely fiddly process sometimes but with patience, you can do it.

[Paul Ewins]

I've done this a couple of times and it would be best to allow yourself a few hours of trial and error to refit the bar and then reallign the rangefinder. A sunny weekend afternoon would be best, probably after one drink so that you are relaxed but still capable of concentration. (A sunny day is best because it makes it a lot easier to check focus and look at the dim rangefinder spots)

You need to start with everything aligned at infinity. If you still have the distance scale attached, move the bed until the scale is lined up at infinity. As Glenn suggests, the bed should be all the way back or nearly so. At this point you should check the image on the GG to make sure that the lens is, in fact, at infinity. If it isn't you need to loosen the front standard and move it until you are at infinity and then move the folding stops on the rails to suit.

Now follow Glenn's advice, but also make a visual check through the rangefinder to make sure it is indicating correct focus at infinity. Once you have got to that point the rest of the RF allignment involves trial and error adjustments of the front and rear levers to zero in on the precise setting.

I'm getting better at it, but it still takes me at least an hour of fiddling and checking, fiddling and checking to get it set up. At that point I usually have everything from 3 feet to infinity bang on.

[mcdoogla]

Thanks guys! I think I figured out how to do it by following your advice, and I got it reasonably close. But now I just need the time to do it right!