Moulded carbon fibre folding field 4x5

[barnacle]

Here's a link to a googledrive which contains .dxf files. I'm no expert with this system, but as far as I can tell you can either use google's viewer just by clicking, or download and use the cad program of your choice; they were drawn with Librecad on Linux.

https://drive.google.com/folderview?...U0&usp=sharing

As you will see, they are far from complete; they're sufficient to let me see what I'm doing but generally only one side is shown for attachments and the attachment details are less than clear. I'll knock up a general view at some stage to show how things fit together, but you'll have to use your imagination for a while

Note also that details like corner radii are not all shown yet, and expect changes also as I start moulding and discover problems I haven't come up with yet. There are a few pieces around the front standard which are not shown in detail.

Neil

[Jim C.]

Interesting project, beware of your radiuses especially if you're using carbon fiber ( CF )cloth
you may consider filleting the radius with a gel coat if you don't want the CF weave as
your final finish. CF is strong but more layers will be needed for it to be rigid which will add
weight, consider alternating layers of CF and Kevlar. Vacuum bagging is a must if you plan on it
to be light weight, hardware is going to be most of the weight, unless you go titanium !

Do your research, CF and epoxy resin is on the expensive side so waiting for issues
to crop up after you mold is going to cost you $$$.

[jeroldharter]

What about the Layton?

http://www.wsrphoto.com/lfblog04.html

[AuditorOne]

Nice camera but I get the sense the OP intends to build his own, not buy one. He is trying to get comments and suggestions on his design.

[Jac@stafford.net]

I see no virtue in making a camera which which is deluded to design via CAD without considering all the difficulties in bringing it from a CRT fantasy to manufacturing reality.

[barnacle]

Be reassured folks: this is *intended* to be a learning project. I fully expect to cast most parts two or three times to resolve issues, and possibly more. AuditorOne is quite correct.

The main thing I seek in the project is *fun*. A nice, unique, and ideally working camera at the end of it is a bonus!

Neil

[Jac@stafford.net]

Be reassured folks: this is *intended* to be a learning project. I fully expect to cast most parts two or three times to resolve issues, and possibly more.

Sorry for my earlier incoherent post. I wish you the best of luck, and fun!

[Fr. Mark]

I will be interested to see more. Wood is a wonderful material, strong for weight and fairly easily machined and relatively inexpensive, but I sometimes like to think about what camera designs could be with aerospace materials/unconventional composite materials. ditto also for brass fittings. Some of the things being done in the kit kayak/sailboat world with v. thin plywood or wood strips overlaid with carbon fiber/kevlar/fiberglass/epoxy are incredible: light and strong---and relatively water resistant, too, they are intended to be boats. The fiber/epoxy is most of the strength and it avoids vacuum bagging or even, in some cases, molds or sacrificial forms by stitching the plywood together with pieces of wire or staples which may or may not be removed after the form is stabilized with the inside or outside layer of epoxy/glass.

[A_Tabor]

Be careful with your fibre weaves and finish, as not all carbon fibre is actually light tight. A previous project I've worked on had some issues with that, and one of first resins they were using would actually allow light to be channeled, almost like fibre optics, through the weave at the 'right' angle even when it generally looked fully opaque to the naked eye.

If you really want to push your design challenge, then I would suggest also accounting for your handling and fabrication process, and think about how you could handle different parts with robotics and have things register in their correct positions reliably.

Good luck with your project. A large format camera does have a lot to offer as a teaching tool for fabrication.

[barnacle]

Jac - thanks.

A_Tabor - yes, I'm expecting to need to paint the interior parts - though as much to kill reflections as anything else.

Fr Mark - the boat I learned to sail in - a Mirror Dinghy - was mainly plywood, sewn together with copper wire and the seams waterproofed with fiberglass tape and resin. But that was a long time ago...

I have sourced a decent vacuum pump... time to start ordering some materials.

Neil