Need Help With a Repair of my Ebony

[Robert Kalman]

Suddenly one of the focusing gear tracks on my 8x10 Ebony is binding up. Even with the locking knob loose it's hard to turn the focusing knob, and when I do a grinding sound is produced. I seem to recall reading that the gear tracks should be given a single drop of oil, but I'm not sure if I'm remembering accurately. At any rate, I could use some advice on how to free up the gears so that they turn smoothly.

Thanks!

[Keith Pitman]

Have you checked to see if the focusing mechanism is just out of alignment? Have you rolled it off the end of the racks? Try this: roll the front or rear standard off the rack (which ever is the problem) then carefully roll it back onto the rack making sure both sides engage at the same time. Report back.

[R.K]

The problem may be caused not by the gear rack itself, but the wood. The thing is that the ebony wood from what the camera made happens to be very sensitive to the humid. I'm using Ebony about 7th years already and the thirst few years I kip it simply in the camera bag in my basement all year round. The basement occupied and air conditioned by the way. But at some point I start feeling that when the photography season just starting mean spring/summer and during these humid months of the year, when i go outside locally, I almost like cant focusing the camera because it required a lot of force to rotate the geared focusing mechanism and I was afraid to break it. The greasing rack and pinion mechanism and even wooden tracks didn't help. Interesting that when I during the summer for example traveling from NY to Colorado or other place with less humidity, after a day or two in the new climate zone even if the camera was seating in the bag and not taken out situation changing, and camera start moving absolutely free. So I bout the large chip cooler from the Walmart and place all of cameras and lenses inside that cooler. In the middle of the cooler I place open plastic can about 8" diameter and in that can I place a can with that DumpReed dehumidifying staff. The Home Depot sell it. From that time the camera moving free at any time of the year. All year round the camera in the closed cooler and I take it out only when planing to use it. After use back in the cooler. The outer bigger plastic can needed for keeping some distance in between equipment and DumpReed chemical staff. The DumpReed soaking all humid on it self, so the area around the chemical should be always free of valuable equipment's in order them not to be in the zone with high humidity level. One can of Dump Reed good for a two years or more, depends how often you open the cooler during the high humid time of the year. I usually taking camera out every weekends during spring, summer, September and early October. So before you start doing some replacement and adjustments try to dry your Ebony first, it may help.

[Robert Kalman]

Thanks, Keith,

I rolled it off the rack as you suggested. By doing so, I was able to pinpoint in the middle set of knobs exactly where the mechanism was binding. (It wasn't an alignment issue). I directed just the smallest touch of powdered graphite to the spot and the gear started behaving smoothly. Thanks for your help, it sent me in the right direction!

[Robert Kalman]

RK,

Many thanks for your thoughtful response. I thought the wood might have been at play, too. In the end, however, the gear just needed a touch of powdered graphite.