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

[John Koehrer]

Be interesting to see Jim Jones' lock with the plate removed

Does the pin engaged in the back appear to be the same size as the visible part or is does it telescope into it? It would seem odd that there wouldn't be a metal tube to hold the locking pin. A drop of penetrating oil from a needle tip oiler would let you apply a controlled quantity to the shaft/tube if it does telescope.

A small hole drilled into the brass would allow the use of a tool to manipulate the visible portion. A problem if it is telescoping tubes is if you drill into/through it you may create a burr between the pieces creating another obstacle.

[Vincent Pidone]

Does the pin engaged in the back appear to be the same size as the visible part or is does it telescope into it?

It would seem odd that there wouldn't be a metal tube to hold the locking pin.

A small hole drilled into the brass would allow the use of a tool to manipulate the visible portion.

A problem if it is telescoping tubes is if you drill into/through it you may create a burr between the pieces creating another obstacle.

John, You're right on several counts.

I know what you mean about the internal burrs in telescoping tubing. I could be creating a lock that would be difficult to undo later.
I suspect that the pin has at least a "skirt" on the end to keep the spring centered on the locking pin.

My guess is that at the time this was made, installing a brass sleeve for the pin to slide in would have been considered "overbuilding."

It is indeed possible that I'm trying to move the sleeve that the locking pin slides in, but I expect that I would see a slot in the sleeve for the button to protrude from (kind of like one of those "bolt action" antique door locks). No slot is visible, so I assume that the simplest way this could have been designed is with a single brass pin sliding in a hole in the wooden body.

Depending on when my patience gives out I've been thinking about drilling a hole that would allow me a better purchase on the pin.

In the mean time I have carefully enlarged the hole around the pin hoping to find the original hole (no luck).

I have succeeded in scarring up the pin in my attempts to move it with tweezers.

I conclude, based on my inability to rotate or slide the pin that it is actually (accidentally) glued in the hole.

I'm reposting this picture:

The "sparkle" on the mahogany is glue. I suspect rabbit skin glue or some hide glue that was used to attach the leather covering.

There is no good reason (other than the workman being pushed to produce faster) for there to be any sign of glue under the metal part that I removed, yet that whole area is covered with a thin layer of it. That may be binding the pin. Again, the removed metal cover part had no sign of wear on the finish to indicate that a button had originally been there.

This, of course, does nothing to explain why the button that moved the pin in the first place is missing or how the pin rotated in the slot, etc.

[Jim C.]

The "sparkle" on the mahogany is glue. I suspect rabbit skin glue or some hide glue that was used to attach the leather covering.

There is no good reason (other than the workman being pushed to produce faster) for there to be any sign of glue under the metal part that I removed, yet that whole area is covered with a thin layer of it. That may be binding the pin. Again, the removed metal cover part had no sign of wear on the finish to indicate that a button had originally been there.

This, of course, does nothing to explain why the button that moved the pin in the first place is missing or how the pin rotated in the slot, etc.

One way to see if it's hide glue or possibly mucilage glue, moisten a paper towel bit with really warm water
and sit it on the hole for a half hour or more, if the sparkly areas feel slimy then it's glued.
I've been removing hide glue ( gelatin actually ) from a Edison cylinder player for the past week that way.
It might even loosen the pin enough to move.

Scarring the pin is no big deal easy enough to polish back out.

Lots of guesses as to why what is there, is there, it's a 100 + year old camera.

[Leonard Robertson]

I just removed the revolving back from my 6 1/2 X 8 1/2 Cycle Graphic. The pin which engages the hole in the revolving back is 1/8 inch diameter solid brass and it sticks out of the rear face of the camera body 3/32 inch. I can't tell if the "handle" pin that you are missing is threaded into the 1/8" dia. pin, or pressed in. I see no sign of a sleeve inside the hole in the body. Drilling a small hole or grinding an indentation to give you a spot to grab the pin with a tool seems the best idea.

Len