The large format bug has really got me now and I would like to venture into ULF. Without going too big, I am thinking about building a 11x14 camera (never built one before) based on the design below. I would really appreciate help on the overall design of the camera and the questions below before I start building the camera.

Draft Design:




Questions:
  1. Does this design seem appropriate? I know this is a loaded question but I have never built a camera before and I am looking for if I should attempt this or scratch it all together and start with a different design.
  2. Is 3/8" Baltic Birch Plywood strong enough for framing the front and the rear standards?
  3. Does anyone know a good play to get ball bearing rails? Actually, the question should be what rails should I use to support the base for the front standard?
  4. I would like to use ball screw based focusing (similar to chamonix) but I can't seem to find these anywhere. Does anyone know what these are called and where I can find one?
  5. Based on my CAD drawing, I should be able to get about 940mm bellows extension. Is this OK for 11x14 or will it be a problem for portraits with "normal" lens?
  6. Does anyone know a good place for bellows? I saw a few on ebay but they seem to be from China and I would prefer to get them from someone in US.


Thanks, Pali