Graflex Clamp Lever? How to remove a clamp?

thegreatgalling said:

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Just recieved a Graflex Flash cell only to find my lever was reversed some how when it was last skrewed on. I am afraid to be rough with it, but its resisting being turned. How exactly do I unskrew the clamp lever?

You pull it up gently untill it is sticking straight up. Then unscrew one half turn and clamp it back down.

Only prob is depending on how much it has been tightened and loosened over time you may not be able to unscrew one half turn and still have it clamp tight... OR you might tighten one half turn and clamp it down and it BREAKS.

LOL! I responded with a question in your PM that you answered here! We are all out of whack today GG!

Hrrmm... that is odd. I know I have seen people talk about doing what you are asking. I know I have seen threads on it here. But I have never done it. And I do know they are pretty easy to break. Let me do some searching for ya. Someone like sporak serafino or howard would know for sure. I do know it's possible. And I do know to tell you to stop what you are doing till someone who has done it can answer. Cause the side opposite the lever is anchored in there. It might not simply unscrew.

Yeah, I was just searching through old threads as well. (probedroid was talking about flipping it from up to down, not removing and moving from one side to the other in the thread you pointed out though.)

LMK as I too would like to know. I am always on the lookout for more Flashguns and parts. I'm sure I will come across this problem one day.



Hope you get it worked out.

parfaitelumiere said:

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Ok,it's what I was thinking,just follow the "tutorial" by e mail.
I think the poblem comes from when they put the metal sheet,they replaced the lever on the wrong side.
Wow the flash is just pristine!

Awesome. Thanks for helping out Parfaitelumiere!

I just was thinking about the metal sheet...
Can be removed just by pulling lever and sliding it,you will have to remove it for the "tutorial"

The clamp open:


Then press it to close:



Turn the lever,if it doesnt turn,play with it to let it turn,or press the clamp stronger,the rectangualr base of lever must be entirely visible:



Then screw the lever off:



Then you have 5 loose pieces of metal:

Hello everyone,

That is the original piece which should have stayed on the Speed Graphic Camera. Just open the clamp-lever and slide it over that metal part there's only one way to get it removed. Push the clamp towards the right regarding your last picture okay? Besides that's what the clamp was made for in the first place

MIND YOU ALWAYS USE NO FORCE WHEN TOUCHING YOUR CLAMP PARTS!!! BE VERY VERY CAREFULL OR YOUR CLAMP-LEVER WILL BREAK!!!!

There's a little trick for getting the top part out to get the red button on either the screen-used or production side seen from the graflex clamp sometimes there's a tiny screw in place which has to be unscrewed and removed first, after that you might hear a brass piece fall inside the graflex body, not to worry because now you will be able to get the top body part off. Now here's the rest of the recipe :

1. Just open the lever, no screwing it needed
2. Push the top body a little towards the clamp
3. Now twist the top body ... it can go only one way to open, try carefully which way, until the rectangular hole is fully open
4. Pull the top body all the way out the clamp
5. Then put the body 180º back so that your knob is on the correct side that you want
6. Push the top body back in
7. Twist it back into the clamp until the rectangular hole is fully closed
8. Finally pull away just a little from the clamp for a tight fit

I just looked at your graflex in that ebay auction and you need to put the clamp-lever on the G-side of the word Graflex. DO NOT try to screw it out with the clamp attached to the body. Take both body parts out ONLY NOW can you loosen the screw and keep screwing it all out of the sidebar. Now take that clamp-lever + squarelike tab thingy + sidebar and switch it to the opposite side of which you now have taken out that sidebar with the screwthread and placed taht on the other side and screw the clamp lever back in until it almost sticks out a bit. The clamp lever should point downwards now. If not screw it a little back until it does. The lever-screw should NOT stick out of the sidebar! Do you copy?

DO NOT USE FORCE WHEN SCREWING THE CLAMP-LEVER!!! SO MANY HAVE BROKEN IT IN THE PROCESS TO FIT THE BUBBLES OR OTHERWISE!!! BE CAREFULL, OK!!

By emitter are we talking the BUNNY-EARS? Yes those can be very loose on graflex flashguns. One of mine was. I just had my silversmith hammer down the rivet that is holding it in place for a more secure fit, now it's rather tight and doesn't move at all only when I touch it. AGAIN THIS SHOULD BE DONE WITH GREAT CARE! If you do not want to do that ... a little superglue can also make it stop from being too loose but then it will never move again and you have altered the flashgun forever although I doubt anyone will ever want to use it for making photographs after it has been transformed into Luke's ANH screen-used lightsaber MUAHAHAHAHAHA!

-Chaim

Very good Joe ... but you are not a Jedi ... yet!!!

Good visual tutorial Patrice and a very exquisite rusty Obi-Wan ANH Clamp as well!!!

-Chaim