anyone tried carbon fiber?

[stevelmx5]

I haven't used carbon fibre sheet but I build my Chroma's from 2/3/5mm laminated acrylic (Perspex) and they are both strong and comparatively light (1500g).

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...chnical-camera

http://chroma.camera/

As much as I'd like to build a carbon version, it would be a one off due to the much higher cost.

[LabRat]

Wow, never tought of getting this much out of that question. Ok, so from what I understand of it is that layering carbon fiber isn't that simple if you want to get the lowest weight/strength ratio. Vacuum bags etc are above my competence.

Delrin or ABS are options, but then I'd have to mill from a solid block. And from my experience with Delrin, it isn't that stiff if you go thin. And if you want it stiff, then it won't weight much less than alu. Glueing isn't easy (understatement) so you would have to make a rather complicated shape in one go. Never worked ABS but I fear it wouldn't be much different. And both are translucent, the black delrin specially made for bearings, not what is sought here. Peek might be another ption, but then alu would be cheaper and easier.

Delrin is soft and buttery... If you made a small block that had a screw hole through it and tightened the screw securely until it stopped, you could later turn the screw some more turns, and again later, and at some point you can see some expansion of the material around the pressure area...

The best materials to use for thin use have some reinforcement internally to hold forces from expansion/contraction/bending/warping etc... Plastics with fiber internal reinforcement are good, metals have uniform hardness/stiffness, but carefully selected woods have long grains and a good weight to strength ratio (but should be cross-grained bonded in layers to counteract warpage) and proper dried and sealed... Easy to cut thin stuff by hand on a kitchen table during some overnight session with simple hand tools too...

If they were longer, one could design/build a strong, stable back/FS/RS/bed using popsicle sticks if implemented correctly/well, but there are many other choices of woods too... ;-)

Steve K

[Jac@stafford.net]

Delrin is soft and buttery... If you made a small block that had a screw hole through it and tightened the screw securely until it stopped, you could later turn the screw some more turns, and again later, and at some point you can see some expansion of the material around the pressure area...

I believe you, Steve. That's a compelling, almost frightening description. My latest build uses mostly Delrin, and is drilled/tapped for sixteen fasteners of various sizes, none of them under great stress. I am watching carefully for problems. Aw, sh*t, it has been a great material - so far.

Thanks

[LabRat]

I believe you, Steve. That's a compelling, almost frightening description. My latest build uses mostly Delrin, and is drilled/tapped for sixteen fasteners of various sizes, none of them under great stress. I am watching carefully for problems. Aw, sh*t, it has been a great material - so far.

Thanks

Don't stop what you are doing Jac, but here's a tip... Don't fully torque your fasteners until the very end, and snug/tighten them once at the last minute during final assy... The good news is that that the soft material will tend to grab & hold the fasteners preventing slippage later... DON'T KEEP OVERTIGHTNING OR YOU WILL BE SAD!!! Torque only once...

I have some delrin components used inside of the studio microphones we build at work and I had to develop the feel/torque when tightening down, but is OK for the long term use...

Good luck on your build!!!!

Steve K

[Jac@stafford.net]

Thanks, Steve. I do use an inch-pound torque meter. Care and time will inform us.

[LabRat]

Thanks, Steve. I do use an inch-pound torque meter. Care and time will inform us.

Just turn the screws until they stop tight, and don't try it again later... :-)

Steve K

[Jac@stafford.net]

Just turn the screws until they stop tight, and don't try it again later... :-)

Steve K

I learned as a kid that a fastener over-tightened is a fastener already half-broken.

[robyz1984]

I'm always on the lookout for lighter gear, doesn't have to be smaller. A wooden 4x5 field camera would be lighter then the Wista. But I'm not a woodworker and I'm not a diehard traditionalist. And I'm in a country that isn't renowned for its fine weather. As carbon is used extensively for tripods these days that made me wonder if it would be possible to make something like the Wista but in carbon fiber. The raw materials are not that hard to get. On the other hand I never worked with it. So any feedback is interesting.

Hi Havoc, if you can wait until the end of summer, i'm creating a prototipe of 8x10 camera with micrometric movements and most of the components is in carbon fiber, the weight is about 3.4kg. Isn't a folding, is similar at Sinar F.

Also the chassis is new nothing to do with fidelity, Fidelity weight 650gr my new chassis about 300gr.

If you like it i keep you updated on progess.

Bye

Roberto

[Carsten Wolff]

I learned as a kid that a fastener over-tightened is a fastener already half-broken.

...Reminds me of a Northern-German quote: "After firm comes loose" :-) .
Anyway, I've made lovely, very light camera parts from balsa-ply and quite enjoyed even making my own ply. ....Most suited for the larger, flat, screw-less surfaces, such as standard-faces, lensboards, etc and can be trimmed with hard-, or soft-wood. Thin, two-part epoxy makes the surface pretty tough, but then you'd lose part of the weight advantage again; so I just seal and finish the ply with a bit of varnish or filler/paint. For "travel" cameras in particular, acrylic GG can also save surprising amounts of weight. Other weight-saving and simplification measures can add up: I e.g. made a 6x17cm/5x7" interchangeable GG and back holder from ply and aluminium; and using small turn-tabs saved me from a need to source springs, or bails.

[LabRat]

...Reminds me of a Northern-German quote: "After firm comes loose" :-) .
Anyway, I've made lovely, very light camera parts from balsa-ply and quite enjoyed even making my own ply. ....Most suited for the larger, flat, screw-less surfaces, such as standard-faces, lensboards, etc and can be trimmed with hard-, or soft-wood. Thin, two-part epoxy makes the surface pretty tough, but then you'd lose part of the weight advantage again; so I just seal and finish the ply with a bit of varnish or filler/paint. For "travel" cameras in particular, acrylic GG can also save surprising amounts of weight. Other weight-saving and simplification measures can add up: I e.g. made a 6x17cm/5x7" interchangeable GG and back holder from ply and aluminium; and using small turn-tabs saved me from a need to source springs, or bails.

Yes true, and works...

Balsa is light, more expensive, and hard to cut clean/straight, but I prefer basswood... Slightly harder/stiffer, sands smoother, and coating it with super thin coating of cyanoacrylate (superglue), it hardens/seals/stiffens it well...

But cross-grain different layers, as it is quite stiff in one direction, but bends in the other easily, so the two layers counteract the bending very well...

Great for lensboards!!!

Steve K