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Robbie Bedell
21-Mar-2011, 16:13
For reasons I won't go into, I took my 100-year-old speed graphic apart. The focal plane shutter works but is deteriorating and needs to be replaced. I have the option of trying to find a new shutter curtain and fixing it myself or taking the shutter mechinism out altogether and just going with lenses with shutters. I don't think I will ever use the focal plane shutter. So If I take the mechinism out wil lthe camera work kind of like a crown or will there be problems I cannot forsee? Or, is the curtain not that difficult to replace? I can't imagine where I could even find a new shutter curtain and wonder if this old shutter would even be the same size as a more 'modern' speed. Mine was made in 1910. Thank you for any suggestions...Robbie Bedell (ps: I never get anywhere with graflex.org)

http://robbiebedell.photoshelter.com

picker77
21-Mar-2011, 16:26
For reasons I won't go into, I took my 100-year-old speed graphic apart. The focal plane shutter works but is deteriorating and needs to be replaced. I have the option of trying to find a new shutter curtain and fixing it myself or taking the shutter mechinism out altogether and just going with lenses with shutters. I don't think I will ever use the focal plane shutter. So If I take the mechinism out wil lthe camera work kind of like a crown or will there be problems I cannot forsee? Or, is the curtain not that difficult to replace? I can't imagine where I could even find a new shutter curtain and wonder if this old shutter would even be the same size as a more 'modern' speed. Mine was made in 1910. Thank you for any suggestions...Robbie Bedell (ps: I never get anywhere with graflex.org)

http://robbiebedell.photoshelter.com

Robbie, I'm not shilling for these people because I know nothing about them--but take a look at Item #140522331505 on the famous auction place. Their Speed Graphic shutter CLA prices seem reasonable to me, but I've never had them do any work so don't know anything about the quality or turnaround time. Maybe worth contacting them and maybe asking for a customer reference or two.

Armyphotog
21-Mar-2011, 17:14
I just sent my Speed to Fred Lustig for an estimate. It was a train wreck I bought from a liar on e-bay. It has both lens and focal plane sutter problems. Don't know why I bid on it. I always used a Crown at the newspaper and in the Army. My only experience with a Speed back in their heyday was a bad one.

Wayne Crider
21-Mar-2011, 18:57
Well the Speeds in good working condition are popular enough to sell, mainly because you can use cheap barrel lenses and the old Petzval's. As the above poster noted Fred Lustig is the man for repairs as he bought all the old stock that I believe Midwest bought from Graflex(?). Anyways, you might ring him up and get a quote. If your handy there have been a few threads here on curtain material, so you can look those up in a search.
Personally, why not leave the mechanism in, just in case you sell or trade up. The camera is worth more with it then without cause you never know if a buyer can repair it himself.

rjmeyer314
22-Mar-2011, 10:59
If you want to use a leaf shutter on the lens there is a position for the shutter curtain with just a full-size hole at the focal plane/film. There's no need to take the curtain out.

Robbie Bedell
22-Mar-2011, 12:21
Thank you all...The shutter curtain had to come out. It was coated with an almost paint-like material which was dry and cracking into minscule pirces and no matter how much I vacuuumed inside the camera these bits of paint always found their way to the surface of my film. Today I took the whole curtain out. I just saparated it from the rollers. I did not go into the shutter mechanism. The thing must be six feet long! Now I have to decide if I want to find a new curtain or just put it all back together and use it. I am thinking that might be the way to go....Wayne, this camera does not have alot of resale value. It's 100-years-pld and has led a hard life, but still manages to take some nice photos!

Asher Kelman
13-Aug-2011, 23:10
Thank you all...The shutter curtain had to come out. It was coated with an almost paint-like material which was dry and cracking into minscule pirces and no matter how much I vacuuumed inside the camera these bits of paint always found their way to the surface of my film. Today I took the whole curtain out. I just saparated it from the rollers. I did not go into the shutter mechanism. The thing must be six feet long! Now I have to decide if I want to find a new curtain or just put it all back together and use it. I am thinking that might be the way to go....Wayne, this camera does not have alot of resale value. It's 100-years-pld and has led a hard life, but still manages to take some nice photos!
Well, Robbie,

How did the saga end? Did you send it to Fred Lustig for repair? I'm wondering what's the turnaround?

Asher

tom thomas
14-Aug-2011, 15:20
There is a pacemaker 45 cloth shutter on E*ay at the moment. Listing 170681910150 for anyone who may need one. A couple 23 models as well for Speeds.

Tom

Wayne Crider
14-Aug-2011, 16:54
Thank you all...The shutter curtain had to come out. It was coated with an almost paint-like material which was dry and cracking into minscule pirces and no matter how much I vacuuumed inside the camera these bits of paint always found their way to the surface of my film. Today I took the whole curtain out. I just saparated it from the rollers. I did not go into the shutter mechanism. The thing must be six feet long! Now I have to decide if I want to find a new curtain or just put it all back together and use it. I am thinking that might be the way to go....Wayne, this camera does not have alot of resale value. It's 100-years-pld and has led a hard life, but still manages to take some nice photos!

Yeah I hear you on the age thing. The thing is, you can take and strip that camera down and refinish it and even buy parts for it on Ebay, so effectively, you could improve the condition of it. That's my next project with a Crown I have and was just thinking about when I'm gonna start that. I'm getting the itch to shoot some paper.

Robbie Bedell
14-Aug-2011, 19:39
Well, the old 4x5 speed graphic is on the shelf for the moment. I've decided to leave it shutterless for now. I sent my lens (135 uncoated Tessar in an old dial-set Compur) to Paul Ebel. In the meantime I found an extremely nice Century Graphic 2x3 with a 103mm Trioptar which is now my larger format hand-held camera. I got very lucky and bought this camera on the auction for less than $100 with a rollback and groundglass. The camera has hardly been used. The Trioptar is like new and so far so good. I have more film to shoot before I make any judgements...Thanks for asking!! Robbie

http://robbiebedell.photoshelter.com