R.B Cycle Graphic question: How do I R. the B.?

[Vincent Pidone]

Short version: How do I R. the B.?

Long version:

I bought a lovely 5x7 R.B Cycle Graphic, but don't know how to release the back to get it to rotate.

There is a little widget on the side of the case that is surely the answer, but I don't know how it works.

There is no evidence of wear on the part to guide me, and gentle probing with a screwdriver suggests that the brass that I can see behind it does not easily move.

I gather that several of you have owned these.

I have done casual due diligence here and elsewhere, and short of reading everything ever written in posts here there and everywhere, I don't see the answer, so I throw myself on your mercy for help.

[Jon Shiu]

Been several years since I have seen one, I am guessing the back is spring loaded and you move it upwards a bit to remove it?

edit: I think my camera was a ROC Premo, so different camera.

Jon

[Tracy Storer]

Iirc, you have to push the little button forward, which disengages the pin that keeps the back oriented. The "movement" of rotating the back can be stiff. Note that the back revolves in place like a turntable rather than coming off like most newer cameras.
A photo of the button might help jog my memory a little more.

[Tracy Storer]

Also, make sure the bellows is extended, if any pleats are buggered up inside the camera, it can foul the rotating movement. (won't do the bellows much good either )

[Jim C.]

If it's the exposed widget on the right side of the camera that's probably the catch that
releases the rotating back, that seems to be what the Graflex catalog says.
There might also be hidden buttons underneath the leather
to release the back off the camera like the ones on my Century Grand.

[Jim Jones]

Jim C. is right. Slide the pin forward to release the back, and backward to lock the back. It's a bit stiff on mine. Also, the back has to be carefully aligned with the body before the pin can lock it in position.

[Vincent Pidone]

OK, I got the idea.

How do you do it?

I'm starting to think that something is missing here.

I can see the pin going into the back.

I know that moving the pin toward the front of the camera will release the back, but I cannot see how to move the pin.

[Vincent Pidone]

Sorry if that seems abrupt, I wasn't sure I would get the picture right in the post.

Thank you all for your input.

In the top picture in the previous post you can see the pin going into the back.

I would assume that some knob or whatever is missing except that the condition of the leather and the original finish on that metal part show no wear indicators that would hint that something was there and wore out or broke off.

There is no evidence of a hidden button, the thing is right out in the open.

You can't see anything inside the camera either.

The two wood screws make it clear that the round black recessed disc does not itself slide forward to release the back (not that I didn't try).

This camera was the basic chassis for the Cirkut camera, so maybe someone with one of those can help me out.

Mr. Galli?

The funny thing is that I was thinking to use this to do multiple plate panoramas before I found out that it was related to the Cirkut.

Thanks again.

[Jim C.]

Looks like you're missing the button head on that catch.
This is the catch for the gg door on my Century.



Once you remove the recessed bezel, you should have access
to the spring and pin, you could replace the missing head with a
round headed nail of the right diameter,clipped to the right length.

[Vincent Pidone]

Thanks, that's the answer I need.

What threw me off is that there is no evidence of a former button wearing on the black painted brass plate on my camera.

Now all I gotta do is fix it.