Restoring old wooden camer

[cyrus]

So in looking over my old process camera that I'm going to use as a plate camera, it looks like I should

1- Replace the rear standard entirely, and get a new back for it: I think this won't be too hard - basically need a square frame, with dove tail joints, using the same hardware, to which I will attach a back. This should result in signficant weight reduction in the camera since the existing rear standard has a metal housing and some sort of mechanism involving gears and handles.

2- Replace the bellows - custom made, not by me

3- Strip the shellac/paint on it and refinish - I can start on this now but not quite sure how - I got some orange paint stripper and a scraper to start.

4- If I can, find a way to move the standards on ball-bearings rather than relying on friction. I'll just have to find the bearings that can slide under the standards and roll along the existing brass rail beneath the camera.

Any hints and suggestiosn welcome
This is what the camera looks like now
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=84109

[TheDeardorffGuy]

A long time ago I did one of these conversions for a customer. I used a Century 11x14 back. I too thought it would be neat to add roller bearings but instead used teflon strips that I dadoed into the bed and rear standard. Very smooth. See wwwmcmaster.com. The biggest obstacle was the tripod mount. I made a sliding plate that mounted in teflon tracks that were dadoed in the side of the base rails. This way I could adjust the CG as the back and front was moved around. Then he wanted it to use as a horizontal enlarger. And I had a Aristo custom built a light that snapped on to a neg holder that clipped on the camera like the back.

So in looking over my old process camera that I'm going to use as a plate camera, it looks like I should

1- Replace the rear standard entirely, and get a new back for it: I think this won't be too hard - basically need a square frame, with dove tail joints, using the same hardware, to which I will attach a back. This should result in signficant weight reduction in the camera since the existing rear standard has a metal housing and some sort of mechanism involving gears and handles.

2- Replace the bellows - custom made, not by me

3- Strip the shellac/paint on it and refinish - I can start on this now but not quite sure how - I got some orange paint stripper and a scraper to start.

4- If I can, find a way to move the standards on ball-bearings rather than relying on friction. I'll just have to find the bearings that can slide under the standards and roll along the existing brass rail beneath the camera.

Any hints and suggestiosn welcome
This is what the camera looks like now
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=84109

[Drew Bedo]

I would hesitate to modify these old cameras more than necessary. They are becoming more rare with each day. I kook on posesion of my Kodak 2-D as more of a stewerdship than traditional owenership. A restoration with an ad-on plate back would leave the camera nearly "as-built" and maintain the camera as an historic artifact for future "owner".

If you want a functioning plate xcamera, consider this option: http://starcameracompany.com/adaptations.html

Another option for custom work is: http://www.lg4mat.net/

Let us know whatever you do . . .and show us the result—then share some images!