Repairing bag bellows; vacation coming up-help needed!

6 months after buying my (used) Wisner 4x5, I finally had reason to put my bag bellows to use. Up until then, I had only shot with 120mm-180mm lenses.

The first time it was not too sunny, and 1 out of 4 frames showed stray light. I assumed I had done something wrong while loading the quickload.

The second time, it was a very sunny day in Central Park and both frames were damaged. One was damaged beyond repair, and one my wife was able to repair in Photoshop.

Again I initially assumed I did something wrong or perhaps had a faulty film holder. Then I took the bag bellows into a dark room, and to my amazement there were areas in the leather that the flashlight would shine right through.

Given how hard it is to find used Wisner components, and how long it would take Wisner to supply a new bag bellows (not to mention the cost), this could easily ruin my upcoming vacation where I was planning to use my 90mm lens extensively.

My options as I see them are:

(1) Don't use the 90mm. Not a good option!
(2) Use the 90mm with the regular bellows. No movements at all! Not a happy option.
(3) Find a used bag bellows that doesn't leak. Not likekly in two weeks. Plus, the thing is fragile and could be on the vege of wearing away.
(4) Get help from Jon Wisner. Not very responsive.

OR:

(5) Fix the thing myself.

But I have no idea how. Are there any ways to patch a leather bag bellow without making it worse? Anything that can be sprayed on the leather to make it light tight?

(Btw, I also checked the normal bellows, and it appears to have a few tiny pin holes; they haven't affected the pictures in any way I can see, probably because of luck. Are those kinds of bellows repairable?)

One thing you might do to save your trip, is once your set up, hang your dark cloth over the bellows before pulling the dark slide, I know I have done this on a couple of cameras I have owned in the past, and it worked just fine to keep light out, just remember to pull the dark slide after you have draped them, and remember to replace the slide before you take the dark cloth off the bellows.

Dave

Another temperary fix would be to get a tube of black silocon caulking compound & use it as the glue to add a small piece of dark cloth (liner) over the affected areas.

Bostick & Sullivan sells a patch kit.

Stay away from silicone of any sort -- nothing else will ever adhere to that area.

I have had very good luck brushing on a vinyl encapsulating compound made for sealing electrical connections in marine environments. Liquid 'Lectric Tape is one brand, West Marine sells their own brand. Small pinholes can be sealed just by brushing on the compound; it adheres well and stays flexible. Larger holes can be patched using a small patch and using this vinyl compound as both an adhesive for the patch and as sealant as before.

Bob, I am glad you added that information . . . I should add that I have not tried to repair a bellows as of yet so that method isn't proven by experience. But if you try it use a thin layer of adhesive & use a jar or can & a rubber band to stretch the material while drying . . . the dark cloth is more of covering so the areas don't become stuck together after the repair. Kind of like repairing the tube of a bicycle tire.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by John Schneider

Stay away from silicone of any sort -- nothing else will ever adhere to that area.

I have had very good luck brushing on a vinyl encapsulating compound made for sealing electrical connections in marine environments. Liquid 'Lectric Tape is one brand, West Marine sells their own brand. Small pinholes can be sealed just by brushing on the compound; it adheres well and stays flexible. Larger holes can be patched using a small patch and using this vinyl compound as both an adhesive for the patch and as sealant as before.

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Do you brush this on the inside or outside?

Having previously owned a Wisner 4x5 bag bellows - it was an early one but very well made with no problems - You may want to invert the bellows in order to work on the inside.

If I remember correctly you should be able to pass the front mounting flange through the rear flange & pull through to reverse the bag for internal access.

It may be possible that the stitching has degraded & it could be a simple issue of re-stitching or having a shoe repair place do it for you.

Another possible solution would be to dye the leather black both inside & out if the leather is thinned out in areas.

Lasly - could ask a leatherworker/shoe repair person about making a new bag bellows for you - either mounting to the frames as original or perhaps outside of the original bellows with appropriate adhesive for pliability.


Good Luck.

There is no way to really patch a bellows. Patch the existing holes and more will invariably occur. Where have you tried to find a bellows? You appear to be in NYC. Have you tried Photo Gizzmo? Photo Habitat, Foto Care, Lens & Repro? All in Manhattan? Midwest Photo? Keeble & Shuchat? PhotoMark? The View Camera Store? Glazers?

Or just look on the web? Any of these, as well as several others, could have a wa bellows in stock. New or perhaps used.

If there is a cloth backing behind the leather, on the inside of the bag bellows, then there is one repair that can work very well for years. That is by using screenprinting ink, like used to make images on T-shirts. I have done several very old bellows on medium format folder cameras that way, the oldest repaired four years ago and still blocking light effectively.

This would not work if there is only leather. The cloth backing holds the screenprinting ink in place. You would need a brush to apply it. Then curing is by setting the bellows in directly sunlight for many hours, until dry inside. After that you end up with a flexible repair that blocks light. Hopefully that could work for you.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

There is no cloth backing; it is only a thin piece of leather. On the inside, it's not even dark--I was wondering how well that controls light that normally bouncing around in there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gordon Moat

If there is a cloth backing behind the leather, on the inside of the bag bellows, then there is one repair that can work very well for years. That is by using screenprinting ink, like used to make images on T-shirts. I have done several very old bellows on medium format folder cameras that way, the oldest repaired four years ago and still blocking light effectively.

This would not work if there is only leather. The cloth backing holds the screenprinting ink in place. You would need a brush to apply it. Then curing is by setting the bellows in directly sunlight for many hours, until dry inside. After that you end up with a flexible repair that blocks light. Hopefully that could work for you.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

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Your bellows light leak looks like it is becoming a common fact for the owners of Wisner bag bellows I have replace 3 this year. Take 3 to 5 weeks.

To save your trip go to a fabric store and get curtain black out cloth. Use this to wrap around your bellows when using, clip together at the bottom. I would stay away from putting the focusing cloth over the camera. It can act as a sail and do more damage then good.

Richard Ritter
www.finefocusworkshops.com

I've repaired cloth lined bellows by scrubbing black liquid artist's acrylic paint into the pinholes with an old soft toothbrush. If the leather in yours is no longer opaque, following this with an overall very thin application of the same paint might help.

I often attach the dark cloth to the front standard for additional darkening of camera, bellows, and film holder, but Richard Ritter's warning sounds wise.

I'll give that a try; along with with orienting the worn-out leather towards the bottom so it doesn' catch direct sunlight.

Richard, when you replace a bellows, does you mean replacing all of the leather?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RichardRitter

Your bellows light leak looks like it is becoming a common fact for the owners of Wisner bag bellows I have replace 3 this year. Take 3 to 5 weeks.

To save your trip go to a fabric store and get curtain black out cloth. Use this to wrap around your bellows when using, clip together at the bottom. I would stay away from putting the focusing cloth over the camera. It can act as a sail and do more damage then good.

Richard Ritter
www.finefocusworkshops.com

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The Bostick and Sullivan patch kit isn't bad stuff for a temporary fix. If you've got thin spots and maybe some tiny pinholes, you could paint the whole thing, 2-3 coats inside and out, and it should carry you until you can find find a replacement or have time to have a new one made.

yes the leather is replaced.
If you go about it in the right way one can wreck a leather bellows in a month. At the time in history when leather was used it was the best there was. Now a days there is much better materiales around that hold up better and longer.