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Steven Shepard
10-Apr-2007, 18:53
Does anyone know where to get that oh, so thin rubber or leather that is used on the outside of a bellows?

Ron Marshall
10-Apr-2007, 18:58
Here is a link to a bellows resource page:

http://my.net-link.net/~jsmigiel/bellows.html

Ben Hopson
10-Apr-2007, 19:47
http://porters.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PCS&Product_Code=221125&Product_Count=&Category_Code

This is the blackout material sold by Porters Camera.

AnselAdamsX
11-Apr-2007, 18:15
Has anyone tried book cloth?
If not I guess I will be the first:eek:

It's paper backed fabric and 11 mil thick. It is almost opaque as is. If you hold it up directly against a 100 watt lamp some light comes through. I think with a thin coat of black fabric paint or something similar it would be completely opaque. A 40" x 36" piece was $12-$14 plus shipping.

Chris

Paul Fitzgerald
11-Apr-2007, 18:47
Chris,
"Has anyone tried book cloth?
If not I guess I will be the first "

From where??? Black or red gets to be limiting after a while.

Thank you.

big_ben_blue
11-Apr-2007, 20:16
Book cloth sounds like an interesting proposition - I wouldn't mind giving it a try too - from where can one order it?
As a sidenote, I found another potentially interesting material - a blackout fabric which actually is BLACK (now that's almost a first). On top of that, the material is very soft and flexible without a visible coating. It's from a manufacturer called Alendel (about 25-30$ per meter).

Geert
11-Apr-2007, 23:22
Has anyone tried book cloth?
If not I guess I will be the first:eek:

It's paper backed fabric and 11 mil thick. It is almost opaque as is. If you hold it up directly against a 100 watt lamp some light comes through. I think with a thin coat of black fabric paint or something similar it would be completely opaque. A 40" x 36" piece was $12-$14 plus shipping.

Chris

Yes, I did, so you're not the first.

I tried 2 combinations:

- black book-cloth on the inside combined with imitation leather book-cloth on the outside: not opaque enough for use as a bellows
- book-cloth on the ouside combined with the rubberized liner from a changing bag on the inside: works fine.

Greeings,
G

AnselAdamsX
12-Apr-2007, 18:14
I bought mine from TalasOnline.com:
http://apps.webcreate.com/ecom/catalog/product_specific.cfm?ClientID=15&ProductID=23957
mainly because they also had a leather skife knife that I wanted to thin down some leather for another camera repair.

Otherwise I would have tried: http://www.dickblick.com/zz128/45/

Chris,
"Has anyone tried book cloth?
If not I guess I will be the first "

From where??? Black or red gets to be limiting after a while.

Thank you.

Randy H
13-Apr-2007, 05:11
Has anyone by chance tried the "Bonded Leather" from Talas?
http://apps.webcreate.com/ecom/catalog/product_listing.cfm?ClientID=15&CategoryFullID=173
They have a pretty extensive line of materials, and also... they carry the "hinge tape" for the dark-slide repair. I have had the page bookmarked for a long time, debating on using the bonded leather for camera cover and/or bellows, but just hadn't yet.

AAX.. did you use the bookcloth on a camera? Work ok?

AnselAdamsX
13-Apr-2007, 10:14
It's one of many projects in process and it will be my first bellows. I coated some pieces with different kinds of paints/inks last night to see what would make it completely opaque. I can't see through it now when I hold it up to a 100 watt light. Going to try a timed exposure with my nikon digital to see if it still holds up. Then I have to see how these coatings fare when creased. I don't want any contamination of the film by stuff coming off. I may also look for some black sheet material to glue to it instead of paint. I plan on keeping the fabric on the outside and just coat the inside to make it light proof. I'm trying black fabric paint, testors flat black enamel spray paint, and an acrylic ink.

Chris

Has anyone by chance tried the "Bonded Leather" from Talas?
http://apps.webcreate.com/ecom/catalog/product_listing.cfm?ClientID=15&CategoryFullID=173
They have a pretty extensive line of materials, and also... they carry the "hinge tape" for the dark-slide repair. I have had the page bookmarked for a long time, debating on using the bonded leather for camera cover and/or bellows, but just hadn't yet.

AAX.. did you use the bookcloth on a camera? Work ok?

Paul Fitzgerald
13-Apr-2007, 18:18
Hi all,

Thanks for the links people, damn interesting. Real damn interesting. Now to check out heating Tite-Bond's Hide Glue to see how it will work for bellows ribs, I don't like the smell of contact cement.

I did try a fabric called 'Sun-brella', for yatch awnings, nice for a SpeedGraphic body cover but too stiff for bellows.

The hunt continues.

jmcd
13-Apr-2007, 20:41
Paul,

If you use Franklin Titebond, make sure it is fresh according to the fresh-by date on the bottle. If it is fresh, it is great and strong. Past the fresh date, the added urea, which keeps it liquid at room temp, will keep it from drying strong.

You could also mix up your own hide glue, so that it would set at any speed you choose.

Hide glue is my favorite wood glue.