Thanks for the input. Will I be able to replace the felt on both sides with weatherstripping tape? Has anyone done that? All info helps. Thanks!
Thanks for the input. Will I be able to replace the felt on both sides with weatherstripping tape? Has anyone done that? All info helps. Thanks!
I have five or six of them and they are all pretty beat up. One had a light leak when I first got it that I traced to the felt on the end being bent over. Easy fix. I also make sure the septums are straight and that the film fits very snugly in them. I have two types of septums. One type has a spring type tab at the end to hold the film in and the other doesn't. I prefer the non spring type septums. They can be easily adjusted for fit. Keep them clean and you shouldn't have any problems.
One thing to mention too is you need to put the darkslide back in before you make your exposure. I had a friend that was having problems (can't remember what) and when I saw him using the Grafmatic, he treated it like a DD and let the darkslide hang out. Putting it back in puts it behind your film and presses it into place and blocks light from hitting the end of other sheets.
Because of the way Grafmatics hold film, they are better for long exposures too. No chance the film will move if the septums are adjusted correctly.
I took a pair of pliers to all the counters on mine. Those things were annoying.
Nice. Thanks. I haven’t given up on them by any means. I got some “White Lightning” liquid wax lubricant from a very high end bike shop. Had trouble finding “Pedro’s Ice Wax 2.0”According to the mechanics at the bike shop only the hipsters are waxing their chains. Newer and better formulas are available. I also got some weatherstripping tape. The next step is to pull them open, clean them, lubricate them, and check the septum’s. Hey if this lubricant doesn’t work, there’s always Lemon Pledge!
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Steve K
I pulled both of mine apart, as the tests revealed light leaks. One of them now works well. Cleaned them and lubricated them with a wax based bike chain formula similar to Ice Wax. The light trap on the other one needs to be replaced. I have read that others have used velvet from craft stores. Anyone who has done this care to offer a little guidance on this repair? I am not really sold on the benefits of these over trusted film holders, though. I need to play with them some more.
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