Crap crap crap, the bellows on my Tech Master leaks.
So, small leaks and visible in a flashlight test when bellows are fully extended.
Does this mean replacement is mandatory? Or are small leaks tolerable?
...Vick
Crap crap crap, the bellows on my Tech Master leaks.
So, small leaks and visible in a flashlight test when bellows are fully extended.
Does this mean replacement is mandatory? Or are small leaks tolerable?
...Vick
Try some of the liquid electrical tape? It is flexible and might just do the trick. You can find it at hardware stores in the electrical isles.
I haven't tried it myself, but it is one option.
Two things about patching.... Be careful that if you patch (inside or outside the bellows) that you use a substance that dries but remains pliable. The worst thing you can do to shorten the life of the bellows even more would be some pigmented liquid that does not completely dry. If you do, when you close the bellows and leave it closed for a time, the patch liquid will stick together and possibly do more damage as it pulls apart next time you open the camera.Originally Posted by Vick Ko
I got away for a couple of years with another trick. I usually use a drop cloth for focus. I use velcro strips to mount the front of the cloth to the top and both sides of the back frame of the camera. What I did, after focusing was to drape the dark cloth forward over the camera and up against the front standard and down the sides, covering the top and sides of the bellows. The door shielded the bottom. This worked quite well for me until I came up with a bellow solution. It's a kludge solution, but I got the shots.
Bellows? Or bowels?
I'm confused!
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
Get a new bellows. It's so expensive and so much work to take pictures with a LF camera. Why risk losing a whole shoot because of a bad bellows?
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
Shoot with the drop cloth draped for a period and make some photos... If you love using it, then fix it. Most of the time those pinholes won't ever be exposed unless you use longer lenses or do close ups.
I'm with Peter. A new bellows won't be cheap but neither is film, and your time. Just do it right.
Yes, replace the bellows. I'd had my Technika checked by an expert so I thought everything was OK. All my long exposures were ruined while on a trip ...
Perfection is a moving target.
I used that "liquid electrical tape" on a Agfa Record Bellows and it did work but I still have problems with stickiness. The bellows is pushed in very tight of course on a 6x9 folder, so it might not be a big problem on a larger bellows. Be real careful of applying it in very thin layers and do multiple applications after each has dried thoroughly, if needed. It's a temporary solution before you get a new bellows.
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