Also had the knob problem. A non photographer friend of mine (actually an auto restorer) looked at them and attributed it to aging plastic. Told me it was a common problem that he had to deal with on restoring '50s and '60 cars, even on some of the high end models he had worked on. To be original he would epoxy the parts back together. Also told me not a solution for the knobs on my Linhofs since the knobs were constantly used and intern constantly stressed. Not a problem with the automotive plastic parts that he had epoxied together since they weren't constantly stressed. Still think I have some Linhof knobs salvaged from Linhofs that were to far gone to be restored. Actually this was one of the reasons I switched to Sinar Normas.
99% of my old Linhof knobs have aged very well. No Bakelite disease. Old Bakelite tube radios age worse from the internal heat.
The knob problem is people let the very heavy cameras fall over when they dismount the camera and put it on the floor. The knobs crack and shafts bend. When I find better parts, I upgrade. However my newest 5X7 Kardan Color is NOS in a Linhof case. A very heavy and nice fitted case. A wonderful example nobody wanted on eBay. It was a bargain and the seller was happy I got it. Me too!
I now dismantle the old 8X10 Linhof piece by piece and pack it very carefully for storage.
They are strong yet delicate flowers.
Tin Can
You obviously have not used the Linhof Heavy Duty Pro tripod. Military uses for it include satellite dish support! Museums use it for fidulously heavy IR video cameras for mapping what is under the visible surface of old paintings. For them it is essential that while elevating the camera their is no horizontal movement and while panning there is no vertical movement.
Quest at use to test the tripod by putting their 8" scope on it while the tripod was on a concrete pad and then dropping weighs up to 300 lbs. next to it and see if there was any movement of the image. There wasn't.
I just obtained a Linhof Heavy duty pro, the grey version. It was stored for a long time and has that awful smell. I took some degreasant used for my car project and sprayed it all over the tripod and then hosed it down. Some grease-like substance washed out along with all trace of the awful smell. The rack for the column looks like brass, does it need grease? The legs expand only when I brace my legs between two tripod legs. It does hold the Kardan TL like a rock when attached to the drop-in 90mm attachment piece. What is recommended for lubricating the legs, or should I leave them as-is. I am also building a refractor telescope, so this tripod will be great for this too!
A good light lube for the metal parts/tubes is silicone spray... Penetrates well and is dry to the touch when dry...
Note that most of the aerosols contain acetone, so stay well away from plastic parts & painted surfaces... But works well on sliding metal surfaces, and locks will still lock well after light use... Spray on a rag, and wipe it on...
Steve K
Yes, call Bob Watkins.
I have several of these excellent tripods but have not washed or cleaned them.
Mine work fine as it.
I recently scored a Linhof HD Pro tripod with geared center column, and then a Majestic 1200 geared head, BOTH in really nice condition thru eBay - and am really impressed by how sturdy and useable this combination will be with my 4x5 Master Technika and Technikarden 45S cameras. This set-up will be perfect for my planned table-top or still life photography (in my basement), but is probably too heavy for most to consider taking any distance from the car when doing field work. 'Impressive combination...
Last edited by JMO; 2-Mar-2017 at 19:02.
... JMOwens (Mt. Pleasant, Wisc. USA)
"If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all." ...Michelangelo
I'd advise getting a soft tripod carrying case that has a wide strap. With tripod cases's strap over my shoulder and camera equipment in a backpack, I have easily (well not exactly easily but very doable) walked a distance of several football fields away from my car. Also have corresponded with another photographer who carries his Linhof HD tripod in a modified and very stripped down wheeled golf bag carrying cart, with a "U" shaped top for the tripod to ride inside of, bottom "shelf" to support the tripod and three bungee cords to hold the whole thing together. While back bought another Linhof HD tripod with no center column but just a top plate to mount my Quester telescope on. Quester recommended using sed HD tripod to mount their telescope on, and they really knew what they were talking about. Was out one very windy night on a hill in northern NH (minimal, I mean very minimal light pollution if at all) observing the Universe with the combo, and honestly the images I viewed through the eyepiece were dead solid.
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