Camera restoration - finding parts

[Scott Holt]

I just acquired a Meridian 45B which I plan to clean and restore. Some of the repairs might require replacing some parts, however. For example, some of the front standard locks are not as tight as they should be. In addition, the back adjustments don't always lock down tight. All this was expected - the camera was advertised as "for parts or repair".

Also, the right hand tilt guide is no longer secured... the screw that held it in place sheered off and will have to be drilled out. I think a competent machine shop should be able to do this repair. The other things I think can be handled simply by replacing some of the worn parts. The pieces I'm looking at seem fairly standard so I think I can find replacements (even if they don't have the original look).

I know where to find the parts (Small Parts, Berg, etc), but I have no idea what their standard name is - that is, the name by which I could find them in a supliers catalog.

The specific things I'm looking for are the locking knobs for the front standard tilt and rise, and the locking mechanism for the back movements (a kind of ball, pin and knob mechanism).

If I know the standard names, I think I can take the measurements and order the right replacement.

Is there a good guide to small machine parts that talks about specifications, application, etc? Is there a decent guide to restoring old cameras that might cover such things?

I'm not as interested in making this a perfect restoration as I am in making the camera solid and usable.

[John Kasaian]

Scott,

www.graflex.org has a write up on the meridian that might be worth looking at, as well as links to sites that support graflex cameras. Those links might be helpful in locating meridian parts as well. Good Luck!

[Ed Pierce]

Scott: Give Richard Ritter a call. Here's a link to his web site, you'll find his phone number there. I bet he can help you. http://www.lg4mat.net/

[Ernest Purdum]

You might find something helpful at http://www.mcmaster.com.

[Michael S. Briggs]

I suggest browsing the paper catalogs of some of these suppliers. I usually buy from Reid Tool Supply (http://www.reidtool.com/). Their catalog typically has a picture of the item, then a table showing the dimensions of each size version of the item. You can flip through the catalog until you find a picture that looks like the item you want, then you can check whether they have a version with the dimensions that you need.

[Hening Bettermann]

Hi!
Would anybody know of a source for lensboard clips/sliders? (Now that Aletta Photo has vanished). I want to build/have built an adapter lensboard for the 6x9 Arca to accept Baby Graflex boards.
Thank you! Hening.