head braces

[Serge J-F. Levy]

Hey there. I am looking to see if anyone knows where I can find a posing head brace. I heard there was someone named Tim Merritt that still makes them, but I can't find him on google. I am referring to the braces used to hold a models head for a long exposure.

Thanks for any assistance.

-Serge

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Tim Merritte (http://www.micalampshade.com/) doesn't make them any longer, and in any case his braces were expensive and poorly built; mine broke a week after it was delivered, and required quite a bit of machine work to make it functional.

There is somebody making them now, but I can't recall his name. Joe Smigiel bought a prototype of his stand, so he may chime in.

If not, ask at: http://www.collodion.com/forum/default.asp

[Jim Jones]

Since I have basic woodworking tools, the only time I really needed one I improvised it. The column was a length of 1x2 with a small V of two pieces of 1x2 attached to the top. It was clamped to whatever the model sat on. A free-standing head clamp like was used in the early days of photography would have to be heavier and stiffer. Something like a microphone stand weighed down with weights used for weight-lifting might be a good start.

[PBrooks]

for a cheap...... you could use a big A clamp on a light stand.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Hmm, I guess I wrote my "defamatory remark" almost exactly three years ago. Funny how things are rediscovered. Anyhow, I did buy a head clamp from Tim Merritte, and I still have it. It did break shortly after I purchased it; the screw which allows the top part to be adjusted broke off in the base and had to be drilled out and then replaced. In any case I still use the head clamp, so thanks Tim.

[Ron Bose]

I explored getting one, but they were basically made for the collodion guys doing civil war re-enactments. They were in the hundreds of dollars range.

I would make one up myself if I felt I needed one ...

[PBrooks]

sorry that spammer threw this thread back up and I didn't pay attention to the post dates.

[Joe Smigiel]

Mankei Ho out of Hong Kong sells brass head braces for $410.30 plus shipping.


http://www.mkhowetplate.com/e_index.html (http://www.mkhowetplate.com/e_index.html)

[big_ben_blue]

sorry that spammer threw this thread back up and I didn't pay attention to the post dates.

Hey, sometimes that can be a good thing, bringing back otherwise buried and lost information.

As to headbrace solutions; I got one custom made by a local blacksmith artisan, completely hand forged including the stand. Insanly heavy though; but definitely looks unique, and wasn't expensive either.