I received a replacement bellows from China and they seem very nice. Unfortunately, I cannot get the bellows and the frames to mate. I cannot get the original screws to catch the inner part of the frame. They are too short. I searched You Tube to see if there were any instructions - no luck. So, can anyone help me out here? My frustration level is getting critical. Thanks.
Get longer screws?
That is my initial plan of action, but want to be confident that I am installing them correctly. The last thing I need is another bellows with light leaks.
Been a long time, but give me a chance to remember... I maintained a fleet of these (and Cambos) at a school, and had to do several bellows repairs...
The screws were barely long enough to thread, and even if there was a strip of photo tape for repair between, it was hard or sometimes impossible to use the old screws... I had to go to a model railroad store at least once to find slightly longer screws (which worked)...
First, check the thickness of the old bellows vs the new ones... Is there a difference??? And check if the bellows mounting face on the old one would fold/crease when pressed into the standard, so the new ones might need to be pressed in by using a very small C-clamp while installing... (and check the screws at least threaded to the entire hole depth...)
If the screws just don't thread, plan on getting longer screws... And be aware that the retaining strip these screw to can strip the threads easily, so go easy... The good news is if they strip, the next size screws tend to tap themselves, so that will solve the problem, if you pre-screw the holes before you mount the bellows...
And start on the sides, and do the corner areas last...
It should go on there somehow...
Good Luck!!!
Steve K
They are probably metric screws. You can find what you need on the McMaster-Carr website. They have just about everything you might want in the way of fasteners.
m
Michael Cienfuegos
I installed a bellows on a Toyo a few months ago - it took hours! As mentioned above, the screws would not reach and tighten, especially the ones near the corners.
I used a needle nose vise grip near each hole, tightening and locking it in place and then inserted the screw; it worked. (I put some gaffer's tape on the tips to protect the bellows and the frame).
If I were to do it again, I would get longer screws as suggested by Steve.
I have ordered 6mm screws - originals are 4mm - so I'm hoping that will make the job a lot easier. Related question - what adhesive did you use? I have Lock Tight contact cement which is like a very strong rubber cement.
For the benefit of all - can you post a link or SKU for the screws you ordered (or the size/pitch)Originally Posted by jmontague
Here is where I found what I hope will be the answer: http://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/150467033263.
My local high-end model railroad and hobby shop did not have the size I need, so eBay was the answer (I hope). I will let you know if they work after they arrive.
You don't need to cement them down... (Less messy/easier to get apart if needed...)
This might sound crazy, but a good gasket material for bellows or between stages, etc is an open cell (light) polyurethane foam (grey or black) tape or air conditioner filter sheet... You can see through them, but will seal well after being compressed... (From your home store...) This is very minimal thickness and compresses well without much force and fills small gaps well and is light tight...
On your screws, try to get stainless steel or steel, as these will tap themselves better if the brass retainers strip... And pay attention to the head style size, so the head will fit in the hole, too... If you strip a hole, no problem just lightly silicone grease a screw and apply superglue or epoxy where stripped and thread the screw in when semi-set, and screw out when set... This will form good threads...
I have gotten the screws from the train store... A hot tip I had gotten from a model railroad guy was that the very tiny metric screws have about the same pitch as the tiny SAE screws, and the diameters are close enough to swap them...
Good Luck!!!
Steve K
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