I have a special attachment to this camera.  When I purchased it (not inexpensively), the lens board could not be pulled from the case onto the front track.  No amount of finessing helped.  The collector who sold the camera explained that this was a recent problem.  For years the camera was just fine.  And then one day...

I took a gamble buying this camera.  I would be unhappy with myself if I could not make a repair.  After hours of study and partial disassembly I found I would need to remove eight screws that are virtually hidden from view.  They were located on the sides of the upright posts holding the lens board.  There was only about an inch of clearance between the screw heads and the inside of the casing.  I made a custom set of offset screwdrivers by grinding tips into three small hex wrenches.  Each wrench could be used to turn a screw 120 degrees.  There was little room to manipulate the screwdrivers with my fingers.  To compound the problem, it was difficult to press the tip of a screwdriver into a screw slot sufficiently for a proper grip.  Once I managed to draw the screw heads out a short distance, the wrenches no longer fit in the space.  I slowly worked the screws out the rest of the way with my finger tips.  This took around four hours, but eventually all the screws were removed.  After overcoming a few more challenges I was able to release the front board from the case.  Then I could finally pull the lens board free.

I found what we had suspected.  One screw, located under a track guide had loosened over time, just enough so that its protruding head bumped into the track preventing the lens board from moving further.  I was relieved!  Reassembly went smoothly and now the camera is working as it should.

Closed Camera

Maker's Nameplate

Back of Camera

After composing and focusing the subject on the ground glass, the ground glass panel is removed and a plate holder is slid in its place.