8x10 monorail conversion - bad idea?

[joshwool]

I found an old Grover 8x10 that someone discarded a number of years ago, it's in excellent shape, but is missing the monorail and tripod mount. I've been looking for replacement parts for as long as I've had it, with no luck. So my thought is to either construct a mono rail out of 8020 t slotted aluminum and appropriate linear bearings and fasteners/plates etc or fabricating a wooden field camera style base with a slider of some sort for the front standard to pull focus . I'm not so worried about how it looks, more that it works and I can use it for wet plate work. Getting parts machined is out of my price range.
Before I go too far down the rabbit hole on this, anyone have any insight to what might be the most practical/cost efficient way to bring this camera back to life? Or things to be weary of?
Thanks
J.

[Dugan]

Maybe post a WTB ad on this site for the parts you need...
Or for a junker 8x10 B&J Commercial View or Rembrandt you can salvage the rails from...I "think" some parts would interchange.

[joshwool]

Maybe post a WTB ad on this site for the parts you need...
Or for a junker 8x10 B&J Commercial View or Rembrandt you can salvage the rails from...I "think" some parts would interchange.

I've done both with very little luck. Time to think outside the box.

[Dugan]

I get it.
The fixer-upper guys here are dwindling, many just buy a new Chamonix or get a Canham/ Ebony/Deardorff/Arca-Swiss/whatever.

[joshwool]

I get it.
The fixer-upper guys here are dwindling, many just buy a new Chamonix or get a Canham/ Ebony/Deardorff/Arca-Swiss/whatever.

I like dyi, and hate seeing things go to the scrap pile if they don't have to. Plus, it makes for a good story!

[Tin Can]

I like my only NEW cam

Intrepid 8X10 latest model

I am still looking for the perfect box

It needs 12.5 X 12.5 X 5"

I like the magnetic back, very strong, but easy to use

and love the perfect dims of the SINAR size lens board, which is often used with a Linhof adapter

[rfesk]

I like dyi, and hate seeing things go to the scrap pile if they don't have to. Plus, it makes for a good story!

Ditto for me. I am in the process of making a lightweight 4x5 monorail patterned after a Gowland Pocket View from parts from 4 cameras at last count.

[Havoc]

I like dyi, and hate seeing things go to the scrap pile if they don't have to. Plus, it makes for a good story!

Can't agree more. If you have all the essential parts and it is "only" the rail and tripod mount then I would also try to re-use as much as I could to make it into a working camera. I looked at some pictures and it looks like it is a standard hex bar of aluminium with a rack machined in. Try to find an amateur model engineer near you and show/explain him/her this. Chances are they can make something usable for you. And I also see photos of such a camera without the rack and pinion for moving the standards, that is even simpler.

The tripod mount would have to be a complete build but even that, if you can start from something like an old tripod head it isn't impossible.

[joshwool]

Can't agree more. If you have all the essential parts and it is "only" the rail and tripod mount then I would also try to re-use as much as I could to make it into a working camera. I looked at some pictures and it looks like it is a standard hex bar of aluminium with a rack machined in. Try to find an amateur model engineer near you and show/explain him/her this. Chances are they can make something usable for you. And I also see photos of such a camera without the rack and pinion for moving the standards, that is even simpler.

The tripod mount would have to be a complete build but even that, if you can start from something like an old tripod head it isn't impossible.

I still need to sketch out the plan, but the basic ideas is a 30" length of 1" or 25mm t rail. The front standard mounted on a linear bearing with brake for rough focus and the rear standard mounted on a second linear bearing attached to some sort of lead screw or gearing for fine focus. Two 2x1" 3 hole plates attach to the bottom of the rail with bolts to mount a tripod block/cheese plate to attach a swiss arca quick release plate, that are tapped to 3/8th-16 thread. Still deciding on if I need the bearing on the front standard. But total build would be under $200 and I really like the idea of it being modular.

[warpath]

If you give up on it and want to sell, let me know. I was looking for a grover without the rails to make a diy frankencamera out of haha. And I think recently I saw on ebay a b&j tailboard setup without the standards. At quick glance I thought it was for a 4x5, but might want to check it out and ask the seller. Might work for 8x10 and I think it was being offered for cheap. good luck