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ditkoofseppala
8-Aug-2007, 13:51
If whether you flip your frommitzes on your film holders or not is regarded as a topic of rivetting interest, then I guess this one will pass muster, too: could I please get some suggestions about the best way of repairing old bellows with pinholes, worn corners, and/or minor tears? I've heard a lot about tape; but not WHICH tape is likely to stand up to this kind of use, and how in 'ell you manage to apply the tape neatly to the corners, etc. Seems to me there should be some kind of rubberoid gorp that could be applied carefully and worked into pinholes, especially at the corners -- something like black silicon caulking? But I don't want to *suggest* methods, I want to *hear* them from those who have a LOT of experience with older cameras of various sorts.

I suspect methods might differ depending on whether you're dealing with ancient leather, or some of the occult materials used by Linhof and other manufacturers. I have, for example, a Linhof Kardan Super Color ST whose bellows, though still light-tight, have developed a sort of craquelure on the outside finish; obviously these bellows aren't leather, I don't know WHAT the material is, and whatever Linhof used to make 'em black didn't hold up. Then I have a cute little old Kodak Master View 4x5 whose leather bellows just has a lot of wear and some pinholes. Advice, oh ye venerable users and restorers of field and view cameras? :)

Turner Reich
8-Aug-2007, 18:19
To make a short story long, buy a new one and save a lot of time and anxiety.

Ron Marshall
8-Aug-2007, 19:37
Bostick and Sullivan sell a repair kit.

Scroll down, a few good bellows repair links:

http://home.online.no/~gjon/camerabuilders.htm

Glenn Thoreson
8-Aug-2007, 20:14
For little corner pinholes, I use black liquid electrical tape. A drop applied with a toothpick, and no one's the wiser. For tears, gaffer's tape will get you by. Actually, it's not hard to fold material into the corners. I have acouple of bellows that I have completely reinforced te corners with thin material, until I can afford new ones. They're big and expensive.

al olson
9-Aug-2007, 06:49
I had three cameras with pinholes (actually they were cracks in the corners) and one tear in the bellows. I tried the Bostick & Sullivan repair kit.

The instructions said to put on several coats to seal the pinholes and that it would cure in about two weeks. I did that. I put on as many as six coats, but most of the pinholes were still not sealed.

However, after 2 months, the bellows were still tacky and if I folded them, they would stick together. After all of that aggravation and lack of camera use, I gave up and bought three new sets of bellows.

Perhaps someone who has gone through this experience can explain to me what I was doing wrong?

Brook Martin
9-Aug-2007, 07:28
Every bellows I currently own has enough holes to wreck film if used as is. I just wrap the whole affair in a really big really dark darkcloth. Works like a charm. I use those orange spring clamps found at any hardware store to keep everything in place. If bellows sag results from too much weight on the bellows from the cloth, I find a few sticks to put over the standards to keep the darkcloth off the bellows.

Jim Noel
9-Aug-2007, 08:01
Artists black acrylic does a very nice job on pinholes, and even corners. Apply a coat, let it dry and apply more. Repeat until no light leaks. The acrylic stays pliable.

The acrylic can also be used as a glue to put strips of lightweight black fabric along tears.

Saying all this, I still prefer to replace bellows with more than one or two pinholes.

Jim Jones
9-Aug-2007, 08:34
I agree with Jim Noel. At least it works well on fabric lined bellows. Work artist's black liquid acrylic paint well into the liner with an old toothbrush to avoid building up thickness. It dries completely in a few hours or less.

Glenn Thoreson
9-Aug-2007, 12:05
The advice about using the dark cloth is advice well given. You can get by with an amazing number of pinholes by simply draping the camera. It helps with old, slightly leaky holders, too.

ditkoofseppala
9-Aug-2007, 19:06
Would those who advocate shortcircuiting the problem by replacing the bellows with a new set, mind suggesting links to some sources of new bellows? The only such link I could find here on the forums was defunct (www.flexproducts.com).

Glenn Thoreson
9-Aug-2007, 20:36
I don't have a link, but Western Bellows in California is good. The one in the UK is supposed to be the best. Is it Camera Bellows?

Bob Gentile
10-Aug-2007, 09:03
I don't think Western Bellows has a website, but the phone number I have for them is (909) 980-0606. Camera Bellows in the U.K. does have a website (http://www.camerabellows.com/). Can't say whether they're the "best," but they certainly have a good reputation.

There is also Turner Bellows (http://www.turnerbellows.com/) in Rochester, NY. And fellow in Hawaii, Mark Kapono (http://www2.hawaii.edu/~mkapono/bellows.htm), makes bellows, too. I'm sure there are others.

Scott --
10-Aug-2007, 09:18
Just a caveat re: Mark Kapono: He's apparently either fallen off the planet, or is working through a tremendous backlog. I'm waiting on a bellows from him now for going on three months, when the original T/A estimate was 8-12 days. What's worse, no one I'm aware of (and there are several of us in the same boat) have been able to raise him for at least six weeks, phone or email.

Mark seemed like an awful nice, courteous guy, and the complete lack of communication and contact is acharacteristic, based on earlier dealings. However, anyone wanting bellows from him should be ready for a wait. And should only offer up, say, half the money up front. Lesson hard-learned. :(

If you do contact him and get a reply, please let me know about it... :rolleyes:

Bob Gentile
10-Aug-2007, 11:02
"... Just a caveat re: Mark Kapono... no one I'm aware of (and there are several of us in the same boat) have been able to raise him for at least six weeks, phone or email..."

OUCH! Thanks for the heads up.

Jim Noel
11-Aug-2007, 08:40
Mark must be ill or some other problem. He made my bellows in good time and always replied quickly to e-mails. I am sure he is an older man. Being one myself, you never know what to expect.

Scott --
11-Aug-2007, 12:13
I'd heard he was a grad student (or almost-grad student) at U of HI.

I hope his health is well.