Took the plunge and bought a used Crown 4x5 - very new to this format. Whats the best cleaning solutions to use for this camera reagarding the bellows, the housing and geared tracks? I would like to clean this up thoroughly as it appears to have been stored for a while. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I"m a fan of windex, rags and lots of Q tips and toothbrush.

Pledge works well for shining up the bellows and the leather for that matter.

For the leather covering, neatsfoot oil and lanolin works well. You can get it at:

http://nt.bnt.com/talas/menu.html?category=127

Neatsfoot, lanolin, D&L hand cleaner, lexol all work great On the leather handle of a Pacemaker, but the covering and bellows are by products of dinosaurs rather than cows

Quote:

On 2005-10-14 11:35, Les wrote: Neatsfoot, lanolin, D&L hand cleaner, lexol all work great On the leather handle of a Pacemaker, but the covering and bellows are by products of dinosaurs rather than cows

...except for the early Pacemakers, which were indeed covered with cows.

I generally wipe the synthetic covering down with a damp paper towel, maybe with a touch of cleaner such as windex or 409 if the camera is really grotty. Then I dry it off carefully with an old towel. If it looks good I leave it alone.

for the bellows, after brushing off any dirt that is loose, I just wipe it down with the damp towel while reaching inside to support it. If after cleaning it still looks uneven the pledge would be used. The Pledge is also the ticket if the bellows seems to want to stick to itself when the camera is unfolded.

For the bright metal parts, I use a citrus based cleaner (Goo Gone)to wipe everything down. That generally cuts off most of the haze and dirt. I have never seen this kind of cleaner harm paint. If there are stubborn stains or old dried greas to be dealt with, I use denatured alcohol but you have to keep that away from the paint as it will damage it. Again wipe everything down with a soft towel. to finish the job.

With respect for other views.....I have used Neatsfoot oil on every camera I own, and every camera that I have repaired...on body/bellows/hoods/painted hardware for 25 years...have never had any problems, and have the cameras in my collection that I have had for 25 years, to prove my point! Neatsfoot cleans and keeps the "letherette?"
pliable and supple...I have a 1910 Chautaqua that looks like new....yep..you guessed it..NEATSFOOT ON EVERYTHING!!
This covering on our Graphic cameras is man made(I believe),to thin to be real leather?
Have a nice day........Bert

...and another little tip:always carry with you in the camera bag a tiny tool kit in case of emergencies.You never know when you might need it..perhaps never!.

A couple things will help with cleaning up an old Graphic camera.
A couple of hobby paint brushes will help dislodge dust in the back corners, and a small stiff bristled one will assist in getting the goo out of the focussing rails.
Some soft cloth rags for wiping excess cleaners etc...
My favorites after many cleanings are WD-40 for metal parts and original lemon Pledge for everything else. A small amount of metal polish may be helpful if seeking to brighten up things that are tarnished like the front standard lock etc... Some dissassenbly may be required, and be sure to remove lens board and focussing panel if Graflok backed before spraying things on camera.
With a Graflok, a bit of lube on the springs and arm pivot points may very helpful also.
If cleaning belows, put hand inside for support.
After cleaning bellows, let air dry for a while and dust off before leaving closed.
Have fun...
Stephen