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View Full Version : Your favorite LF camera machinists and repair services



Asher Kelman
23-Sep-2011, 13:34
There are some references to repair and machining services here but I'd like to know those that people rely on. I have an English wooden sled type camera with a worm drive that would be nice to have rebuilt as well as source for building gadgets that I think of.

I use S.K. Grimes for lens mounting and machining. They are reputable, reliable and accurate. In fact so much so that there's always and 8 week or so waiting list.

Still, for some jobs, it would be great to have a variety of alternate sources, especially if the lead time happens to be less when I need something for a job.

I heard there's one, for example, in Culver City Ca, but couldn't locate it.

Thanks,

Asher

Mark Woods
23-Sep-2011, 13:48
I'd contact Clairmont Camera in North Hollywood. They use to do the maintenance on my motion picture camera. They also build a lot of rigs for their own use. They may or may not do outside work for others. Most motion camera rental houses have a relationship with a fine machinist or shop. Clairmont is large enough to keep a really quality in house facility busy.

Good luck.

false_Aesthetic
23-Sep-2011, 17:51
Asher, you might be thinking of Steve's Camera on Sepulveda Blvd in Culver City. We use them frequently for fixing cameras students break. For what we use them for, they're great. I have no idea how they'd compare to Grimes though. There has to be some awesome machine shops + such in the LA area though. I can't imagine that film industry could exist w/out em. Lemme ask one of my friends, he's a DP, I'll get back to you with his answer.

false_Aesthetic
23-Sep-2011, 21:37
Mel Pierce in Hollywood was the response I got.

Asher Kelman
23-Sep-2011, 22:50
Thanks Mark and False_Aesthetic, (I'd love to know your flesh and blood name, LOL!

I'll check out your great suggestions. I do have some simple thing like drilling lens boards and a fast turn around would be so helpful. Still, none of them advertise the machinist skills of SK Grimes, but for making lens boards, a 10 day turnaround would be marvelous.

Asher

cdholden
24-Sep-2011, 07:09
Richard Ritter (forum member here, also lg4mat.net) just bored out a handful of Sinar boards and fit flanges to them for a very reasonable price. There was also a trade involved, so I'll leave it to you to inquire about pricing for your needs.

Henry Ambrose (forum member here) has also offered to do similar work for me. He is local, so my preference would be to support a local craftsman. I was sending things to Richard anyway, so it was just convenient for me to ship the lensboards along with the other.

Fleming Machine & Welding Shop in Knoxville, TN has bored out some lensboards for me in the past. While they are not camera savvy, if you define the work to be done, they can perform the work to your spec within very tight tolerances. I would not hesitate to ask them to do custom machine work, but with a clearly defined scope of work. They were even, as a walk-in, willing to work me into getting my lensboards fit to flanges while I waited. They were hard pressed to quote me on the job, but were willing to work it T&M (time and material). They milled 2 boards in about 20 minutes, so the cost was reasonable. I still had to mount the flanges. They just bored out the center hole.

E. von Hoegh
24-Sep-2011, 07:11
E. von Hoegh.

Meaning, I do it myself.

IanG
24-Sep-2011, 07:42
E. von Hoegh.

Meaning, I do it myself.


Agree, I do much of my own work and there's plenty of specialist craftsmen around locally who can do the jobs I can't do myself.

A local carpenters shop made a missing front standard, a forum member missing brass parts for one rstotation

Small wood repairs, refinishing etc I do myself, and I french polish rather than lacquer, I restore shutters, make new curtains, also new bellows, focus screens etc.

In the past I had access to a good machine shop, precision enginners, and they could make just about anything. They disappeared when the parent company closed a few years ago and I need to find a new facility soon.

Ian

Asher Kelman
25-Sep-2011, 16:32
Agree, I do much of my own work and there's plenty of specialist craftsmen around locally who can do the jobs I can't do myself.

Let's give them credit where we can!


A local carpenters shop made a missing front standard, a forum member missing brass parts for one restoration.

I'm especially thrilled to see old cameras put to good use again. Often the missing movements, if any, will not limit creativity as much as we think. Even the limited ones had at lest rise and shift.


Small wood repairs, refinishing etc I do myself, and I french polish rather than lacquer, I restore shutters, make new curtains, also new bellows, focus screens etc.

The roller blind shutters are most interesting to me to repair. I always wonder if one should also try to replace the spring too. I've collected a bunch of Thornton shutters I'd love to restore.

Asher

Leigh
25-Sep-2011, 16:44
I am a machinist, with a large well-equipped machine shop.

I get my stuff from SK Grimes. They do excellent work at a reasonable price.

It's not worth my time to set up the equipment for a one-off.

- Leigh

jnantz
25-Sep-2011, 18:00
zacks camera repair in prov ri has both a lathe
and the interest on working on older equipment

Asher Kelman
25-Sep-2011, 21:39
zacks camera repair in prov ri has both a lathe
and the interest on working on older equipment

Thanks,

Jnanian,

It's good to hear about capable people, especially if some specialize in certain capabilities like rebuilding cloth shutters or wooden parts. Even lathe work where waiting time is short, might be an advantage for simple things. The more sources the merrier.

Asher

lbenac
29-Jan-2014, 18:47
I just wanted to recommend Charles Monday. He just worked on a Supermatic shutter for my 203/7.7 and documented all the work and problems with pictures, test results and explanation.
Excellent experience and I will use him again for other Supermatic shutters.

Cheers,

Luc

neil poulsen
29-Jan-2014, 23:19
Local can be very good. We have a fine-art metal worker where I live, who always does a great job on projects that I've requested.

Pete Watkins
30-Jan-2014, 02:13
Asher,
Ian Grant, who is a forum member, is superb with Thornton Pickard shutters.
Pete.

Paul Ewins
30-Jan-2014, 04:20
The roller blind shutters are most interesting to me to repair. I always wonder if one should also try to replace the spring too. I've collected a bunch of Thornton shutters I'd love to restore.

Asher

If you are interested in trying it yourself, I wrote up a step by step tutorial years ago --> http://www.paulewins.com/old_site/resources/tp_shutter.htm
It's hardly the last word on TP Shutter repair but hopefully it will give you an idea of the process.

evan clarke
30-Jan-2014, 05:55
I am a machinist, with a large well-equipped machine shop.

I get my stuff from SK Grimes. They do excellent work at a reasonable price.

It's not worth my time to set up the equipment for a one-off.

- Leigh

I am too, same answer. I can make more momey doing what I do than I can save.

Jody_S
30-Jan-2014, 21:00
Quote Originally Posted by Leigh View Post
I am a machinist, with a large well-equipped machine shop.

I get my stuff from SK Grimes. They do excellent work at a reasonable price.

It's not worth my time to set up the equipment for a one-off.

- Leigh

I am too, same answer. I can make more money doing what I do than I can save.

I'm a bad machinist with no training and crappy tools. I do my own work. I don't know why, I guess I enjoy doing it.

c.d.ewen
30-Jan-2014, 21:48
I'm a bad machinist with no training and crappy tools. I do my own work. I don't know why, I guess I enjoy doing it.

Same. I consider it therapy, or perhaps atonement. After years of working with my head, it feels good to work with my hands.
Of course, being retired, I much enjoy the penny-pinching aspect. too. :)

Charley

Drew Bedo
31-Jan-2014, 09:48
I use Mike Hakeem at Professional Camera Repair in Houston (1440 Richmond Ave,) While not a full service machineist, Mike does great work on lenses and shutters. They also service Graflex gear and are great at servicing vintage leicas and also work on DSLRs.

They host a camera collectors group there on the sexond Saturday of each month at 10AM come by for coffee and carbs too.

Jim Andrada
3-Feb-2014, 19:47
I'm not a machinist, but if it's made out of wood I can (and do) do it myself.

Bruce Schultz
4-Feb-2014, 17:27
3L Machine Shop
Larry Linville
37635 River Drive
Lebanon, OR 97355-8900
(541)258-6602

Len Middleton
8-Feb-2014, 08:48
For those in South West Ontario / GTA:

Roger Burrough
CAMTECH Photographic Services Limited
588 Concession Street
Hamilton, Ontario L8V 1B1
+1 (905) 389-8545
www.camtechphoto.com

mikebarger
8-Feb-2014, 10:33
Richard Ritter sums it up