large Format Bellows

[calibre61]

If there is anyone out there that needs bellows for their large format cameras i can strongly recommend Custom Bellows Ltd over in England, i have used them numerous times and found them to be excellent quality, they were previously called Camera Bellows as far as i know its is the same company but on a smaller scale after they were closed down and restarted

[Len Middleton]

Welcome to the asylum...

You might want to use the search function (e.g. search "custom bellows"), as there have been a few threads regarding bellows making. If we keep the comments together it makes it easier for someone to search for threads with the information in it rather than it being in multiple threads.

I do agree with your recommendation, as I used them to make bellows for my Korona Panoramic View 8x20 camera, including mounting it on the bellow frames. Great work, done on timely basis, and well priced.

Would also suggest that you take a look at the home page if you have not already done so as there is a large amount of information.

Enjoy your time here.

[Jac@stafford.net]

If there is anyone out there that needs bellows for their large format cameras i can strongly recommend Custom Bellows Ltd over in England,[...]

How odd. Your business is manufacturing bellows.

[vinny]

let me guess, you're from England and make bellows?
I'd be happy with Custom Bellows if I was representing them too.

[DennisD]

.....and the answer is.... (from the other thread):

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?109431-deardorf-company&p=1091280#post1093203
and scroll down to post #29, second post from page bottom.


I manufacture bellows....

[Cletus]

What an odd coincidence.

[Roger Thoms]

Yeah, hate stuff like this, is Custom Bellows that hard up for business that the have to resort to this. The Chinese bellows for my Eastman 2D are looking better and better. Maybe the OP can fill us in on exactly what is going on here.

Roger

[Pete Watkins]

I ain't a shareholder but I had Custom Bellows make me a set of red bellows for my 1926/7 Ansco and I can highly recommend the company. The bellows are superb and the service was the same. The supposition that they might be "hard up for buisness" is what it says, just a pathetic supposition. They don't just work for photographers, they have a secure foot in the door of industry in this country.
Go to China and try returning them if there is a problem.................
Pete.

[Roger Thoms]

Pete, your right I'm making "suppositions" I really shouldn't be making. I really hope that Custom Bellow has nothing to do with this as they have always had such a good reputation.

Roger

[BrianShaw]

"calibre61 has not made any friends yet "

Seems true from the discussion so far and I hope this changes, but no matter... welcome to the forum! :)

[Cletus]

I'm starting to wonder whether "calibre61" is just trolling for some attention here and doing a bit of potentially damaging name-dropping.

I've not personally used Camera Bellows ( though I almost did, once) and I know they have a solid reputation as professional outfit, inside and outside the photo industry. I can't believe they would deign, or ever waste their time engaging in something like this and I highly doubt this suspicious user is affiliated with them in any way.

Does anyone know if Barry Cochran actually claims Camera Bellows as a vital supplier to his "Deardorff" debacle? I would rather doubt that, too.

[calibre61]

First of all I would like to apologise for misleading people on this forum, my main aim on previous posts was to make people aware of the practices of a certain company. Ok I have posted it in the wrong place, maybe a little strong at times but that is down to frustration at trying to get answers from them
Regarding this line of enquiries I can only apologise for a "moment of madness" it was a ridiculous thing to do ( not a good idea posting when you get in from the pub) but that is no excuse I know, I did not realise it would upset some people and I can only apologise for that. I have only just joined this site and obviously have a lot to learn on protocol, and yes I have learned
Sincerest apologies to those I have upset and thank you to those with positive feedback

[zelph]

Who made the kid leather bellows for Wisner cameras?

[calibre61]

Ron used to make his own bellows in-house

[Tracy Storer]

Welcome to the Forum Calibre61 !

[zelph]

Are you sure it was in house? I know he raided some of his jobbers cameras because his bellows maker was not able to get some done for him. Had the impression it was a guy outside his company doing it.

If it was in house, do you know who it was and if he is around with the capability of making leather bellows now?

[csxcnj]

First of all I would like to apologise for misleading people on this forum, my main aim on previous posts was to make people aware of the practices of a certain company. Ok I have posted it in the wrong place, maybe a little strong at times but that is down to frustration at trying to get answers from them
Regarding this line of enquiries I can only apologise for a "moment of madness" it was a ridiculous thing to do ( not a good idea posting when you get in from the pub) but that is no excuse I know, I did not realise it would upset some people and I can only apologise for that. I have only just joined this site and obviously have a lot to learn on protocol, and yes I have learned
Sincerest apologies to those I have upset and thank you to those with positive feedback

So are you now saying that you do not manufacture bellows for Deardorff, that you just made it up???

[calibre61]

I always thought he made his own bellows, if he did get his bellows made out then it was by ....... From what I have heard is from a guy who made them in his garage but unfortunately had to give it up due to ill health. Leather is available but not in thickness's that suit bellows it is too thick made for book binding. That's why Wisner bellows were so thick, I can get leather from Japan but it is so expensive per sq foot it would cost more than the camera was worth, sorry I cannot be more helpful maybe the Chinese bellows company can do it ...I don't know

[calibre61]

No I do make bellows for Deardorff and any other camera that needs them, the apology was for pretending to be a customer.....Like I said a moment of stupidity
.......lesson learned

[ramon]

Calibre61, welcome to the forum and thank you for your comments.

The thinnest leather I was able to obtain (in Spain) had between 0.5mm and 0.7mm of thickness. And not in big pieces (from small animals). So was ok for small bellows (medium format or 4x5") but maybe not good for 8x10" and larger.

What thickness is normally used for leather in 8x10"?

BTW, I have meet and industrial bellows maker in Taiwan. I asked them to make some photographic bellows and they made two samples for me. But the material they used is very stiff. I proposed them to use some umbrella fabric (nylon / plastic ?) but they cannot adapt easily that material into their current process.

[calibre61]

Thank you Ramon
The leather I used to get was 7 thousand of an inch thick ( don't know what that is metric) the material we use is specially made for us to a specific thickness, it's ok getting thin material off the shelf but it still has to be light tight to be of any use.
Thicker material may be ok for extending the camera but if you need to use movements on the front standard it makes it almost impossible, with the Toyo bellows being of one piece of material if you get a crack or a hole it becomes useless, you need material on the inside as well as an outer material to give you extra insurance against holes
Hope this helps
Calibre

[Jac@stafford.net]

The leather I used to get was 7 thousand of an inch thick ( don't know what that is metric)

Seven thou of an inch (0.178mm) is so thin that I can hardly believe it is not transparent.
I have used 0.016" (0.4mm) (1/64") but not for bellows.

You must be using two layers, perhaps of different material, no?

[calibre61]

Hi Jack
We use an internal material as a lining and the leather for the outside for extra insurance, yes the leather is very thin we used to be able to get it from uk suppliers but they all went out of business and is only available from Japan at extortionate prices.....totally out of the question, the leather was pigskin a much tougher leather that would stand the thinning process. Really miss using it as it made superb bellows, all the original Gandolfi bellows were made with it, if you ever get your hands on one you will see how thin it used to be

[Jac@stafford.net]

"only available from Japan at extortionate prices"

I'm sure that is true. Did you know that they have contests to find who can slice the very thinnest wood veneer? Amazing stuff, and it has profitable outcomes.

(BTW, it really is Jac, as in Jacques :))

[calibre61]

Apologies Jac
I wish they could do that with leather, I have used snakeskin on a bellows......absolute nightmare to use but looked cool !!
Thick and scaly, always looking for something different......any ideas??

[Tracy Storer]

Re: Wisners "in-house bellows making". He used to have an employee, (Steve, who I met on some of my many visits), who made all bellows for cameras up to 8x10 and maybe a bit bigger, but the Ultra-large bellows originally came from Universal Bellows (red-synthetic covers) until Universal closed. When that happened he bought cover material from Universal and commenced making his own ULF bellows. At some point Steve left the company and Ron or some other employees continued bellows making at the Marion factory.

I have ordered many bellows from Custom Bellows (and their previous incarnation before that) and can only offer high praise for the product and service.

[Brassai]

The thinnest leather I was able to obtain .... not in big pieces (from small animals). So was ok for small bellows (medium format or 4x5")


I have a 4x5 that will be needing a new bellows. I also have a neighbor with a very annoying chiuaua dog. I think there's a way you could solve two problems for me at the same time..........

[calibre61]

The bellows are no problem, but your neighbour will only cover 6x9. Do you have a neighbour with a Labrador ???