New Lightweight 14x17 Camera is finished!

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I decided to start a separate thread for this. I started building this camera in late June of this year and finished two days ago. So it was about 5 months of off and on building. Most of the important metal parts came from Chamonix and several I fabricated myself. I decided to go with 6x6 lens boards as I'm using this as a field camera and wanted to reduce weight. The camera I have now which is way overbuilt for this format weights 32 pounds. This one weights 20 pounds 6 ounces. The wood is some aged Walnut I've been saving for many years and was about 80 years old when I got it. The extension is about 35 inches. My lenses go from a wide angle of 14 inches to my 30 inch Artar so I'm covered I feel. This is the nicest camera I've built to date. I'm very happy with this build. Thanks fo following this. To those who are contemplating building a camera I say go for it. It is very rewarding.

[Louis Pacilla]

You never cease to amaze me brother Jim. That's a beauty for sure congratulations my friend.

"This is the nicest camera I've built to date." you
I'm not as sure,,,, all your cameras have been works of art. me

[Jim Fitzgerald]

My brother Louis, so kind of you to say. I've been building many special presentation cases for a client and I've been working on this part time. The great thing is all this work has honed my skills and brought them to another level. I'm so excited about the weight of this, only 3 1/2 lbs heavier than my 8x20.

[David Karp]

Congratulations Jim. It is beautiful.

[Vaughn]

What?! No picture of the bottom??!! Just kidding. Looks great -- hope to see it in the redwoods one day!

[Jim Fitzgerald]

What?! No picture of the bottom??!! Just kidding. Looks great -- hope to see it in the redwoods one day!

Yep, I forgot that one and the one at full extension. I'll put it on the tripod and do a test once the rain stops! Then I'll show the bottom as it is cool too. Redwoods will be a trip real soon.

[Sal Santamaura]

Location: Vancouver Washington


...once the rain stops...
It stops? :)

[Old_Dick]

Wonderful work, very impressive.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Sal, the rain is suppose to stop later today and we will get some sun all weekend and next week! Thanks to all for the nice comments.

[Mark Sampson]

Beautiful. To quote Alexander Calder, "Fine tools contribute to find work."

[Hugo Zhang]

Jim,

It is such a beautiful camera and you will put Chamonix out of business. :)

Congratulations!

Thanks.
Hugo

[aaronnate]

mighty nice

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Jim,

It is such a beautiful camera and you will put Chamonix out of business. :)

Congratulations!
Thanks my friend but I don’t think so!
Thanks.
Hugo

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Here is the camera at full extension.

[John Layton]

Jim...what a thing of (functional) beauty! Kudos on keeping the weight down...it appears from the photos that no amount of sturdiness/functionality has been sacrificed. Has me inspired to dust off my tools and try another build or two!

Question...any issues with getting individual parts from Chamonix?

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Jim...what a thing of (functional) beauty! Kudos on keeping the weight down...it appears from the photos that no amount of sturdiness/functionality has been sacrificed. Has me inspired to dust off my tools and try another build or two!

Question...any issues with getting individual parts from Chamonix?

John, thanks.

[Tim V]

I really wish I had of learnt the skills you obviously have from my father when was around to teach me. I'm in awe. I've been lusting after a Chamonix 11x14" camera, but I would love to be able to build one myself like you have.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Tim, the first camera I built was my 8x20 with nothing but some hand tools. I sourced parts from cameras or parts off of E-bay. When I built my 11x14 I found an old Deardorff back that someone was selling and built the camera around that. In building cameras you start with the film holder and the back and work forward. Bellows I have made for me. It can be done. I just look at pictures, a lot of them. Chamonix/Phillips design works great for me.

[Paul Ron]

very impressive wood work in that camera. It really is a work of art in itself.

congratulations on a fine job.

[chassis]

Well done Jim, the camera looks great. Let's see some images!

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to run some test film through the camera on Tuesday or Wednesday. I have family in town until then so my focus is there at the moment. I'll post results when I can.

[Curtis Nelson]

Simply beautiful! Do you mind sharing your secret for bellows making? What material do you use?

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Curtis no secret on the bellows! I order them from Custom Bellows in England. They are the best I feel.

[Jwheeler331]

Excellent work. Great looking camera.

[Tim V]

Hi Jim,

Reviving this old thread to ask about the focus rails you used. Are they 9mm linear T sliding rails with Drylin gliders?

Wish I could get hold of those Chamonix metal parts, that would make my build easier!

T


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[Jim Fitzgerald]

Tim I purchased them from E-bay. They are from a company called Motion Constrained .

New Hiwin MGN7H Linear Guides MGN Series Linear Bearings / 25mm to 595mm Long is the item.

Hope this helps. You building the 11x14? I have another camera on the workshop bench right now and it is a beauty. I'll start a thread once I'm farther along.

[Tim V]

Thanks Jim!

I was wondering how 'tight' the bearings are, i.e. if there was any slop in them, hence why I assumed you might have used a Drylin type plastic carriage. Great if these work!
And just to check, you are using the 7mm width rails? I was wondering if they'd be strong enough, but again great to hear you've had good success with them.

At this stage I'm just planning a camera. I have zero building skills unfortunately, but I have a fully featured workshop at work plus an awesome technician who can help guide me. I'm thinking I'll either make a 11x14" or 10x12" camera, although leaning to the later. That way I can save quite a bit of weight, even carrying an 8x10" reducing back.

I'm intrigued by your new camera, please post pics! I actually have a lot of questions, especially with regard to how you designed your focusing system and lock. I have ideas but not sure about some parts (again, my lack of building knowledge catches me out here...)

Thanks again!

Tim

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Tim, the bearings are tight. They are the same ones that Chamonix uses. I basically copied their design. Yes, the 7mm ones are what I used. The rail is the length of the extension. I think it is about 18 or 19". You use four of the guides for the rails and the rails are screwed into the extension platform. You do not really need to do this as you could just do a tongue and groove and eliminate all of this bearing and rail stuff. It is expensive. About 250-300 for the set. The lead screw can be sourced from E-bay as well. You just need the left threaded one.

The new camera is another 8x10. I had the honor of working on a Mahogany Ebony. I built a new 8x10 back for my friends camera. I fell in love with the design so I took measurements and decided to pay homage to Hiromi and build a Walnut Ebony camera. There is a lot of metal fabrication on it and it is getting there. I'll start a thread when I'm done.

Here is my friends camera and the back I built.

[Tim V]

Wow, awesome job!

My problem is that no one near has any camera I can copy as such, so I can only work off photos on internet plus aspects of my early production Gibellini camera-which is a somewhat problematic early design that was subsequently refined. In any event I’m yet to see really good photos and diagrams of how others have problem solved certain things. Part of the fun, I guess...

The other problem is I live in New Zealand so sources for hardware save for eBay are problematic, as not everyone ships to NZ and even if they do it’s often cost prohibitive. Some stuff can be found here, but usually at great cost.

I’m jealous of your access to the good hardware you’ve used on your cameras. I’m trying to think of ways I can get things like the front standard and rear arms built in aluminium for sub astronomical prices. The other thing is the hinges for folding the rear standard. Along with to focusing rod and bearings / mounts for that, that’s my next thing to research...

Thanks again and feel free to post or message tips and tricks!

Tim




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[Tim V]

Case in point: for me to order in the rails and blocks you used off eBay, it costs $201USD to ship to New Zealand!!!

Back to drawing board...



The other problem is I live in New Zealand so sources for hardware save for eBay are problematic, as not everyone ships to NZ and even if they do it’s often cost prohibitive. Some stuff can be found here, but usually at great cost.




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[Jim Jones]

Jim -- Jon Grepstad has published information on several approaches to building LF cameras that may be applicable to your distance from parts suppliers: https://jongrepstad.com/building-a-large-format-camera/camera-builders/.

[Tin Can]

Great link Jim!

I found this very interesting. I don't like rectangles...

http://www.jamieyoungphoto.com/Homemade%20cameras%201.html



Jim -- Jon Grepstad has published information on several approaches to building LF cameras that may be applicable to your distance from parts suppliers: https://jongrepstad.com/building-a-large-format-camera/camera-builders/.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Case in point: for me to order in the rails and blocks you used off eBay, it costs $201USD to ship to New Zealand!!!

Back to drawing board...

The price to pay for living in such a beautiful place.




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[Tim V]

You might be right, Jim but as with everywhere these days, all is no perfect here. I love my home but a lot needs to be done to protect our environment; despite the green image, it’s only our relative youth and marketing that gives NZ this reputation. Our rivers have become some of the most polluted and native species are dying off at an alarming rate...

But back to cameras... I think I’ve come up with a good idea / design for the focusing bed but need to think about how to install a focusing rod-I’m not sure how to attach it. Did you use bearings? How did you attach it at the front end of the camera?

[Jim Jones]

The Noba camera https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?125508-NOBA-Cameras used a V-belt drive for focusing. I've seen one of these, but didn't play with it. A shaft with flexible wire anchored to it might also work. As the shaft turns, the wire pulls the lens forward or backward.

[Tim V]

Thanks again, guys.

Just wondering where people get their flat springs from for the ground glass back? Not sure how to search for this stuff / how to phrase it. Any links to something on ebay would be great!

THanks again,

Tim

[Lachlan 717]

Windscreen wiper arms.

Go to a wrecker.


Thanks again, guys.

Just wondering where people get their flat springs from for the ground glass back? Not sure how to search for this stuff / how to phrase it. Any links to something on ebay would be great!

THanks again,

Tim

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Thanks again, guys.

Just wondering where people get their flat springs from for the ground glass back? Not sure how to search for this stuff / how to phrase it. Any links to something on ebay would be great!

THanks again,

Tim

Tim, most of my hardware I get from McMaster Carr here in the USA. Look for .31 x 1/2 wide stainless steel. It comes in a roll of about 3 meters.

[Tim V]

Thanks!

[Tim V]

PS: Any chance you could post a few more photos of your camera? I'm really interested in how you dealt with the tripod mount (did you simply use an inset nut? Did you reinforce it in anyway?) and how you created the light trap between the bellows and back. I ask because my points of reference are really narrow and think while my Gibellini might be a good starting point, there might be different solutions.

Thanks again, I've been really inspired by your projects.

T

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Tim, give me some time. I'll post images when I get home later.

[Tim V]

Thanks, Jim! I look forward to it!



Tim, give me some time. I'll post images when I get home later.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Tim, the tripod mounts are done with T nuts which I use one 1/4-20" and two 3/8-16". You need to drill a hole from the top of the board that is the bottom of the camera. This hole is the diameter of the T nut. You drill the hole just deep enough so the nut portion with the threads meets the bottom of the camera bed. In the picture it is the metal. I use T-nuts with three holes in them so I can screw it to the wood. Having it face this way allows the nut to be pulled down when you tighten the camera. You will have a hole on top showing the T-nut. You can plug it or even veneer the top if you wish. The light trap for the back is two fold. The pictures will show a 7/8" wide piece that fits inside the back box that is recessed about 1/4" to 3/8" and the bellows attaches to the front of this. The back with the ground glass has the same thing on the inside. It is designed to fit tight to the edges of the back box and up against the bellows frame creating a good seal. Good joinery and tight tolerances are a must to keep the back light tight. I hope my explanation makes sense and the images are helpful.

[Tim V]

Thanks again, Jim! Gives me some great ideas!