I recently purchased a Graflex 4×5 Anniversary Speed Graphic. Upon receiving it, my first impression, as described here, is overall very positive. Now that I’ve completed the initial external inspection, it was time to get a closer look.

Mostly disassembled with the bellows removed.

I used cotton swabs and Q-Tips with rubbing alcohol to wipe down and clean up the main parts. As you can see, it had been a while since it was last cleaned.

With the Graflock back removed and the rear focal plane shutter in the ‘T’ position. More on this in a future post, but the ‘T’ position is the ‘open’ position and is required for ground glass focusing and taking pictures with a front lens shutter.

Focal Plane Shutter – Right Side

Focal Plane Shutter – Left Side

As mentioned in a previous post, the bellows needed to be repaired or replaced. I found new bellows on eBay so these will be put aside for now and may get a makeover in the future.

Replacing the bellows. I used Dap – Rapid Fuse glue to attach the bellows to the rear wood frame. Deciding on an adhesive wasn’t necessarily an easy decision given the abundance of options, each with their advantages and disadvantages. I landed on the Dap – Rapid Fuse not only because of it’s bonding strength, but more importantly, the 30 seconds of time before the glue sets is required given the tight space and unwieldy movement of the bellows when trying to line them up with the frame. As a result, I attached one side and held it in place for about a minute and then let it sit for 3-5 minutes before starting the next side. I took my time and remained very patient. You really get one shot, so definitely don’t rush through it.

A look inside the new bellows. They are nice and clean on the inside and line up well with the rear focal plane.

A look at the outside with the new bellows. They really do look nice on both the inside and out. They complete the camera well and make it pop. Time to get some film in this old guy and verify the lens, shutter and film holder.