Lubing/Stretching the 4x5 back opening?

I recently bought a really mint Ebony 4x5. I forgot the model number but it's one of the nicest folding models.

Here is my question:

 

Is there any way to lube, or stretch, or relax, or adjust, the tension of the Ebony back, when you go to load a

Fuji Quickload holder into it, or, even worse, the Fuji 4x5 polaroid holder?

 

I can just remember, in the old days, when I'd buy an old worn-out Deardorff, the back was so fried, and so

relaxed, that you could very easily slide the holder into the camera back. It's like the older cameras were

actually more usable than a brand new camera.

 

I just notice, most every time I slide the Quickload holder into place, it's really a chore to get the Ebony to

really "open up" and receive the holder. It's like I want squirt some WD40 onto those wood rails that receive the

holder, to get it to slide easier.

 

Anyone have a trick, or a workaround?

WD40 is definitely not the way to do it. If you want to try something no-harmful, put some wax on the wood. All it will need is the thinnest coad you can manage of something like Butcher's wax to see if this will work--more than a molecule thick will just mess things up.

I'd say that the back springs might be a little too strong for their own good. Perhaps you could stack two or three film holders on top of each other and leave them in there overnight. That should relax the springs a bit and get you closer to the "feel" you are after.

You can use some furniture wax/polish on the wood surfaces and some armor-all on the film holders. Or install a bail.

 

Jon

I would try waxing the wood, but would exercise caution using other types of lubricants. I have an SV45U2 and don't really mind the stiff springs. I guess I have gotten used to the way it feels. I also have a Deardorff 8X10 and sliding a holder in it is silky smooth.

I agree with the others that very, very little wax sounds good and not enough to hold dust or grit. No Armor All IMHO.

 

My Ebony 45SU is tight so I firmly hold the camera back on the left side to insert the Quickload holder. Giving the Quickload holder a slight twist / wiggle to get it started works well, and also as it gets almost all the way in it helps seat the holder flat and completely in.

I had the holder click onto place once after taking a shot, and the shot may have been off, so giving the holder the little wiggle and looking to see if it was flat and in all the way corrected that once and for all.

I like having stiff springs so things can't move easily during a shot.

 

You may know all this but I'm throwing it out just incase.

 

Good Luck! You'll love the Ebony camera.

I would use a product called "Waxlit" on the sliding surfaces. I have some for use in my woodworking shop to coat the fences of my router table and table saw so wood being machined can slide easier. It is commonly used as a "releasing agent" in wood working, i.e. you coat the regions you don't want any oozing glue to stick to. I also use it to lubricate old wooden drawers which slide on wooden rails. If I had your situation this would be the first product I would reach for (or some paste wax). IMHO I would avoid "stretching the spring" as it just doesn't seem sensible - it's tight so you don't get any light leaking in among other things. Definitely don't use ArmorAll or WD-40 - that will screw up your very expensive camera! Here's a link for the Waxlit:

 

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&cat=1,43415,43440&p=32092