Building a plate holder

[MadJake]

I'm restoring/adapting a LF studio camera to a wetplate sliding bed camera. Unfortunately it didn't come with a plate holder or GG back. What methods have you guys who've built cameras used for making light traps? Also I'd quite like to use the same material for the darkslide as modern film holders use. Does anyone know what its called and/or any European suppliers?

Thanks,

John.

[Steven Tribe]

Dear Mad Jake.

I think you need to describe your intentions/ideas a bit more. My first reaction is to suggest that you install a slightly raised band velvet all the way round on the back of the camera. This could be on a new thin frame if you don't want to damage the original back. Then you wouldn't have worry about all the various ground glass carriers or any film/plate holders. They would just have to have a flush surface facing the camera. Book type holders would be ideal. To be honest, I have zero experience with wet plate!

[vinny]

Bill Schwab makes/sells them and they look quite nice. collodionist.com

[Andrew Plume]

I'm restoring/adapting a LF studio camera to a wetplate sliding bed camera. Unfortunately it didn't come with a plate holder or GG back. What methods have you guys who've built cameras used for making light traps? Also I'd quite like to use the same material for the darkslide as modern film holders use. Does anyone know what its called and/or any European suppliers?

Thanks,

John.

hi John, best of luck with this project

my (gut) feelings are 1) to get in touch with the good folks @ Bostick & Sullivan to see if they can give you any leads and/or 2) have a look at the Silverprint web site to see if their 'links' section can take you further

andrew

[goamules]

There are 3 or 4 people that can make a wetplate back for you. Search this forum and you'll find the links.

[Jason_1622]

Where's a good primer/tutorial on the wet plate process? I understand the basics, and I figured I would "eventually" try it out. However, I want to know more of what's involved, so I am better prepared when I take that big step...

[MadJake]

Thanks for your replies.

@ Steven, the light trap I'm wanting different ideas on is the part either side of the dark slide, so as you remove the dark slide the holder remains light tight. The dark slide being the part you pull out to expose. It's the material modern ones are made of I want to source preferably in the UK or Europe. On the camera I have both the gg and plate holder slot into light tight grooves on the camera, so I'm lucky in that respect as I won't need to alter or damage the camera.

@ Vinny, the holders Bill makes are designed for modern LF cameras rather than the old studio camera I want to use. Additionally they are 8x10 which isn't the size I want.

@ Andrew, B&S and silverprint are more chemical suppliers rather than raw material suppliers.

@ Garrett, the cost is too much and there is shipping too. Where I work there are skilled woodworkers who can do the work cheaply, (and I can keep my eye on them and the progress!).

@ Jason, try Kerik, www.kerik.com or Bill Schwab, www.collodionist.com in the USA or me www.johnbrewerphotography.com in the UK.

I've looked at Otto's book and don't like the light trap. Does anyone have further ideas? This is the type of camera I have http://nysa.cx/img/science_museum_20...dio_camera.jpg

Thanks,

John.

[BarryS]

One nice idea I've seen for a light trap is Andrew Moxom's light trap on the back he built for his Chamonix 4x5. It's a routed channel in the holder with a metal tube held in place against a strip of velvet by two simple piano wire springs. Some good photos available here.

[MadJake]

Thanks Barry, (and of course Andrew), just what I was after!

J.