Suring up a Korona 7x17....

[benjamin_lineberry]

I have a Korona 7x17 that I've done some work to. I replaced the

original bellows with new western bellows, and I've replace all of

the original corroded screws with new brass screws.

I've been using the camera for about three years now, and still find

it to be quit wobbly.

Has anyone found a good fix for this camera? I don't care if it's

pretty, just rigid.

 

Ben

[c_p_goerz]

Use larger screws than the ones you replaced them with and get a Brubaker wind stabilizer kit.

 

 

CP Goerz

[User_503771]

If it's anything like the Korona 8x10, you might have some success adding some washers under the tightening knobs, wherever they'll fit.

 

Also, if wood has worn out some, you could use washers there too. Or if the washers are too thick, try getting some 1/32" veneer. Art supply stores sometimes have this, in mahogany or cherry. Or even balsa. Or you could just use paper; card stock works well. You can also use this under the straight gear racks in the bed. But be careful if you remove these: sometimes the fit is so tight they break when you try to get them out.

 

If it's wobbly at the base of the standard, where it "rides" in the grooves at the sides of the bed, check and see if that metal is bent.

 

If flat metal pieces are bent, it can work out well to remove them from the camera and hammer them flat again on an anvil. If you don't have an anvil, you can get big vises at Home Depot that have nice flat hammering surfaces on them; these big vises weigh a lot, and might be cheaper than an anvil and easier to find. You'd be surprised how precisely flat you can get a piece of metal worked this way. I try always to hammer on the "inside" of the metal to prevent marring the finish on the outside/visible side. But if you're careful with your hammer angle, this shouldn't be much of a problem.

 

Incidentally, if the metal hangs up in the grooves of the wood, after cleaning out the grooves, put some candle wax in them. You can shave some wax off the candle with a sharp knife and jam it around in there with a wooden toothpick. Smear some on the metal while you're at it. Then work the camera to smear it around in the grooves. Automobile wax can work well for this too. Either kind lubricates the grooves and makes for a smoother-working camera.

 

Hope this helps.

[benjamin_lineberry]

Thanks Guys.

 

Maybe I'm just expecting too much from the old girl. I can get incredibly sharp images, even if it's a little breezy, with a 1/4 sec and slower. I guess I'm just used to the rigidity of an all-metal 4x5, and would like the same from my 7x17.

 

I'm going to try swapping out the old screws for slightly larger (and a little longer) screws, as well as add some washers to the rear standard where it screws into the frame. I looked at Brubaker's wind doohicky, and am not certain that I want to put that kind of stress on the front standard.

 

Thanks again,

 

Ben

[david_du_busc]

I'm with you Ben, but this ain't no Sinar P. I've done some work to rigidify my Korona 7x17. When you start to consider the number of points where wood meets wood or metal in a device that was made 75 or more years ago, these connecting points start to add up and compound the shake. Those little wooden supports are inadequate, in my opinion. I replaced mine with a pair of extruded metal channels about 28" long. The fitting is pretty basic... two screws properly spaced and tensioned. The ends of the beds should be secured to the channel. This is particularly important if you are using a lot of bellows draw. You might also consider a short set when you're shooting only with the front bed.

If you have a later model with metal in the bed track, you're probably better off, but the tolerances between the bed track and the standard mating piece are well... intolerable. The front standard seems inherently unstable. A support like the Brubaker grabs the top of the front standard and takes out much of the slop. Once again, the more bellows draw, the more important this is.

I guess you could say there's a matrix of weight, time and rigidity find a combination that meets your standards.

[rob_tucher]

Ah, but it can be a Sinar. Mine was hopelessly wobbly and worn so I took it off the bed and adapted it to my Sinar C. Now I have a very rigid Sinar T 7x17 that I can switch back to 8x10, 5x7, or 4x5. I kept my Korona 7x17 that was in better shape as is for posterity.