Graphex #3 Shutter Question

[rjbuzzclick]

Hello,

I have just finished a complete disassembly, clean, and rebuild, of a Graphex #3 shutter with the help of the Graflex Repair Manual. The shutter now works wonderfully except for one remaining issue:

Normally, the end of the main lever is supposed to hit the blade lever to open the shutter blades, and this is what happens when the synchronizer is set to any position (F-X, red-M, black-M) except "off". The problem arises with the flash synchronizer set to "off". The main lever just skims the blade lever, and the blades barely open at all. This happens on all speeds. Speeds are otherwise correct with all synchronizer settings.

If I trip the shutter with the synchronizer set to "off", while holding the cocking lever, and slowly let the shutter release, the main lever contacts the blade lever just fine.

It seems that with the synchronizer set to "off" the main lever moves too fast and it doesn't drop quick enough from the release lever to fully hit the blade lever. With the synchronizer engaged, there is just enough extra drag on the main lever for it to drop and hit the blade lever fully.

Has anybody ever run into this and found a solution? Obviously, the easiest solution, which I'll do for now, is to just leave the synchronizer on the "F-X" setting and use the shutter normally.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

[Michael Cienfuegos]

Check with "Shutterfinger" on APUG. He is the primary resource for anything Graflex.

m

[rjbuzzclick]

Will do, thanks.

[rjbuzzclick]

Just to follow up and finish out the thread...

I had a chance to open the shutter back up and I've found the problem. It's with the zero lever. With the synchronizer in the "off" position, the lower tang of the zero lever rides over a stud on the main lever. This is causing enough drag so that the main lever doesn't hit the blade lever hard enough to fully open the blades. With the synchronizer set to "F-X", that same stud on the main lever rides in the slot of the zero lever, not under the tang. The zero lever moves with the stud on the main lever so it doesn't add any resistance. There seems to be a fine middle ground where the lower tang can ride over the stud, but also fully catch on it when on the "F-X" setting.

In the "black-M" and "red-M" settings on the synchronizer, the zero lever lower tang again rides over the stud on the main lever, but in this case, the main lever is held just long enough by the synchronizer delay that the slight extra resistance doesn't effect anything. Which is why I wasn't having problems in both "M" setting.