That is spectacular! I am in awe.
At that weight it should be an absolute delight to use in the field - here's hoping!
Thanks so much for sharing your progress with us.
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That is spectacular! I am in awe.
At that weight it should be an absolute delight to use in the field - here's hoping!
Thanks so much for sharing your progress with us.
Thanks, Oren!
For anyone interested in doing a similar build:
Hardware from McMaster-Carr I actually used in the final build: clockwise, from lower left
1. 92741A140 Brass Flanged Knurled-Head Thumb Nut 10-32 Thread Size
2. 93813A317 Brass Low-Profile Binding Barrel and Screw, 8-32 Thread Size for ¼-3/8” Material Thickness
3. 92815A111 Low-Profile Thumb Nut Black-Oxide Steel 10-32 Thread Size
4. 98001A125 Low-Profile Narrow-Base Weld Nut 10-32 Thread Size
5. 90611A600 Screw-Mount Nut with Three Projections, Steel ¼”-20 Thread Size
6. 95475A505 Low-Strength Steel Threaded Stud Zinc Plated, 10-32 Thread 1” Long, Fully Threaded
7. 94445A400 Steel Right-Angle Weld Stud 10-32
8. 1603A23 Surface-Mount Hinge Bright Brass, Nonremovable Pin, 1” High, 1” Wide
Not shown:
1. 2317A15 Brass Feeler Thickness Gauge 10’ Length, .025” Thick
2. 2317A16 Brass Feeler Thickness Gauge 10’ Length, .032” Thick
I used a 10" table saw to rip the 3" wide mahogany boards, a 10" mitre saw to cut wood pieces to length, an 8.5 amp fixed base router to route the slots and to recess the weld studs and nut, and a 1/2 electric drill for pilot holes.
Handheld tools included straight tin snips, small metal file, Xacto knife and mini-mitre box, and a couple of mini screwdrivers.
Light testing the camera revealed three light leaks: one was a gap between the bellows fabric and the front bellows frame. This was easily remedied with a toothpick and contact cement.
The second was a gap in the black adhesive felt I put into the lensboard frame. I trimmed the section of felt that was causing the problem and inserted a new section.
The third leak was around the baffle end of an empty film holder. The .032 brass spring, even with the leaf overlay, was not strong enough to counter the spring inside the film holder baffle. After some thought, including junking these springs entirely and pulling a vintage spring from a parts camera, I decided to try increasing the tension by removing the spring and leaf, drilling a new screw hole closer to the pin and also moving the leaf closer to the pin.
Pics showing springs and leaf after installing a third screw and moving the leaf closer to the gg pin.
Post-repair flashlight tests showed no more leaks on the camera.
Next step: test drive!
Some hardware close-ups:
Base closer clip
Top of camera
Close-up of handle bracket and spring back clip
Shot of rear bracket attached to outside of rear rail bracket support and inside of rear frame.
Very well done hardware!
Did you make or buy the leather handle?
I only ask as you made almost everything except possibly the screws!
Thanks, Randy! I made the leather handle. Bought a blank, black belt strip from Tandy Leather in Denver.
I used to go to a shoe repair shop in Boulder for custom cut leather handles for replacements for vintage cameras. I would take them the old, often-broken-in-two handle, and ask them to make a replacement. This worked well for a few years, then the prices got higher and the quality got lower, and I thought maybe I could do as well on my own.
I went to the Tandy retail store, found the belt blanks, and learned I could trace the pattern I wanted on the inside and just cut the leather with a utility knife or Xacto blade. Easy.
Great job indeed, all came out very well!
Thanks for sharing all the different steps and your knowledge on building this beauty
Michael, I don't know how I missed your post. Bravo dude! The precut craft wood is the way to go when you do not have all of the tools in a shop. You can laminate pieces and it actually makes them stronger. I'm reading this thread now and will take it to the end. I love the bellows idea and will use that one for the Ebony type camera build so thank you. It looks awesome and congratulations! BTW I'm building my version of an Ebony 8x10. I had the pleasure of building the 8x10 back for my friends camera as it was missing. I was so impresses with Hiromi's design I decided to build one for myself. It is coming along. Keep it up and if I can help in any way drop me a line.
Thanks Ron! Thanks Jim!
Michael, the camera was well thought out. Purpose built. To simplify the build for its purpose makes things a bit easier. It is always one step forward and one step back. One has to think backwards most of the time. It is hard to keep it all together for some of us. I know it is for me. A beautiful job and I'm sure I will refer to your post for tips during my current build.