My Shen Hoa was second-hand, but is in mint condition and clearly has beeen looked after and probably had very little use. When I gave it a run-through before taking it out I noticed that it emmited a squeaking sound when I turned the focus knob; almost as though there was a mouse trapped inside the bellows...So I applied a small amount of grease to the metal focussing racks, and racked the focus in and out a few times. Result - no more squeaking, but there was still a slight rubbing sound, though nothing alarming and the focus felt very smooth, precise and even. As a precaution I rubbed a candle on the moving parts of the wooden frame to lubricate things. It was then that I noticed that the wooden frame parts with the tongues, that slide in the side grooves, both had their grain orientated to minimise expansion that could cause the tongues to stick in the grooves. A thoughtful touch!
One slight problem. A screw, holding moving aluminium parts on the front standard, had worked slightly loose. I loosened it and applied a smear of grease to the nylon washer then tightened it up. This part moves every time you fold the camera up or down. So far it has remain tight.
The camera has a focussing scale on the top edge of the base. Very useful. And a scale on the rising/falling front; also useful. It also has a spirit level, but it is on the top of the camera so you can't see it when the camera is at a height where the focussing screen is at eye-level. A small problem...
So far I have not used the swings or cross slides but I have tried them out and they seem to move freely enough.
I will let you have my final judgement when I have been using the camera on a freezing cold day in January, on top of the North York Moors.
Alan