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Thread: New Lightweight 14x17 Camera is finished!

  1. #21
    LF/ULF Carbon Printer Jim Fitzgerald's Avatar
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    Re: New Lightweight 14x17 Camera is finished!

    Thanks everyone. I'm going to run some test film through the camera on Tuesday or Wednesday. I have family in town until then so my focus is there at the moment. I'll post results when I can.

  2. #22

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    Re: New Lightweight 14x17 Camera is finished!

    Simply beautiful! Do you mind sharing your secret for bellows making? What material do you use?

  3. #23
    LF/ULF Carbon Printer Jim Fitzgerald's Avatar
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    Re: New Lightweight 14x17 Camera is finished!

    Curtis no secret on the bellows! I order them from Custom Bellows in England. They are the best I feel.

  4. #24

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    Re: New Lightweight 14x17 Camera is finished!

    Excellent work. Great looking camera.

  5. #25

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    Re: New Lightweight 14x17 Camera is finished!

    Hi Jim,

    Reviving this old thread to ask about the focus rails you used. Are they 9mm linear T sliding rails with Drylin gliders?

    Wish I could get hold of those Chamonix metal parts, that would make my build easier!

    T


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  6. #26
    LF/ULF Carbon Printer Jim Fitzgerald's Avatar
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    Re: New Lightweight 14x17 Camera is finished!

    Tim I purchased them from E-bay. They are from a company called Motion Constrained .

    New Hiwin MGN7H Linear Guides MGN Series Linear Bearings / 25mm to 595mm Long is the item.

    Hope this helps. You building the 11x14? I have another camera on the workshop bench right now and it is a beauty. I'll start a thread once I'm farther along.

  7. #27

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    Re: New Lightweight 14x17 Camera is finished!

    Thanks Jim!

    I was wondering how 'tight' the bearings are, i.e. if there was any slop in them, hence why I assumed you might have used a Drylin type plastic carriage. Great if these work!
    And just to check, you are using the 7mm width rails? I was wondering if they'd be strong enough, but again great to hear you've had good success with them.

    At this stage I'm just planning a camera. I have zero building skills unfortunately, but I have a fully featured workshop at work plus an awesome technician who can help guide me. I'm thinking I'll either make a 11x14" or 10x12" camera, although leaning to the later. That way I can save quite a bit of weight, even carrying an 8x10" reducing back.

    I'm intrigued by your new camera, please post pics! I actually have a lot of questions, especially with regard to how you designed your focusing system and lock. I have ideas but not sure about some parts (again, my lack of building knowledge catches me out here...)

    Thanks again!

    Tim

  8. #28
    LF/ULF Carbon Printer Jim Fitzgerald's Avatar
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    Re: New Lightweight 14x17 Camera is finished!

    Tim, the bearings are tight. They are the same ones that Chamonix uses. I basically copied their design. Yes, the 7mm ones are what I used. The rail is the length of the extension. I think it is about 18 or 19". You use four of the guides for the rails and the rails are screwed into the extension platform. You do not really need to do this as you could just do a tongue and groove and eliminate all of this bearing and rail stuff. It is expensive. About 250-300 for the set. The lead screw can be sourced from E-bay as well. You just need the left threaded one.

    The new camera is another 8x10. I had the honor of working on a Mahogany Ebony. I built a new 8x10 back for my friends camera. I fell in love with the design so I took measurements and decided to pay homage to Hiromi and build a Walnut Ebony camera. There is a lot of metal fabrication on it and it is getting there. I'll start a thread when I'm done.

    Here is my friends camera and the back I built.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails fullsizeoutput_3e9b.jpg   fullsizeoutput_3e93.jpg   fullsizeoutput_3da6.jpg  

  9. #29

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    Re: New Lightweight 14x17 Camera is finished!

    Wow, awesome job!

    My problem is that no one near has any camera I can copy as such, so I can only work off photos on internet plus aspects of my early production Gibellini camera-which is a somewhat problematic early design that was subsequently refined. In any event I’m yet to see really good photos and diagrams of how others have problem solved certain things. Part of the fun, I guess...

    The other problem is I live in New Zealand so sources for hardware save for eBay are problematic, as not everyone ships to NZ and even if they do it’s often cost prohibitive. Some stuff can be found here, but usually at great cost.

    I’m jealous of your access to the good hardware you’ve used on your cameras. I’m trying to think of ways I can get things like the front standard and rear arms built in aluminium for sub astronomical prices. The other thing is the hinges for folding the rear standard. Along with to focusing rod and bearings / mounts for that, that’s my next thing to research...

    Thanks again and feel free to post or message tips and tricks!

    Tim




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  10. #30

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    Re: New Lightweight 14x17 Camera is finished!

    Case in point: for me to order in the rails and blocks you used off eBay, it costs $201USD to ship to New Zealand!!!

    Back to drawing board...

    Quote Originally Posted by Tim V View Post
    The other problem is I live in New Zealand so sources for hardware save for eBay are problematic, as not everyone ships to NZ and even if they do it’s often cost prohibitive. Some stuff can be found here, but usually at great cost.



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