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Thread: Rebuilding a Deardorff 11x14 Studio Stand

  1. #131

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    Re: Rebuilding a Deardorff 11x14 Studio Stand

    That's beautiful felt. I have asked a friend to, ask his wife, if he can come over and help me with the chains. He a licensed Mechanical Engineer, but he's the son of a fellow who worked for 50 years as a mechanic for the National Guard, so he's a whiz at everything mechanical. This is the worse part of this for me. I drove 20 miles to a nearby town to see a friend who is self isolating, out of concern for his health. We had a 20 minute conversation from 50 feet apart. Very nice visit!

  2. #132

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    Re: Rebuilding a Deardorff 11x14 Studio Stand

    I have my stand back together. I think my chains are 1 or two links off. One side chain is slack the other side taut. I don't know how to adjust the rollers. I think I have the chains routed correctly, but I put them back as I found so???

    I'm exhausted. I would really like to know the actual weight of those lead cylinders! That's one thing my friend and I straightened those so those are going up and down nicely.

    I'm going to take a nap! Maybe dream about going all digital

  3. #133
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Rebuilding a Deardorff 11x14 Studio Stand

    I did the opposite.

    I put the same type felt with OE adhesive from McMaster on only the camera touch down points and painted the table.

    Then used one OE bolt and one store bought to clamp the camera down, so I can turn it upside down.

    If I do ever remove the camera, it will slide on most surfaces.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jason Greenberg Motamedi View Post
    Having a bit of time on my hands, I replaced the felt on the stand. "Craft" felt, which is a synthetic and wool blend, seemed too thin and loose for this so I found high-quality 100% wool felt locally (pre-virus) for about $30 a yard. I found a grey-brown felt, but green pool table felt might also be good.

    I first removed the camera, turned the platform 180 degrees so the mechanism was on top, lowered the platform as far as I could (worried about what might happen to the counterweights after removing the platform) and used the brakes to lock the height in place. I unscrewed the platform (four bolts and 12 screws) and pulled it off.

    I then removed the trim on the side of the platform (18 screws and a few trim nails). For the most part, the felt just peeled off. It had been glued in a few places. The platform itself was 3/4" plywood that looked like subflooring. I don't think mine was original, since it had calculations that had nothing to do with the stand penciled on it. I removed a few random bolts from the platform which looked like someone had bolted something to to the underside of the platform. I was tempted to replace the wood and trim with new, but didn't want to leave the house for an unnecessary trip to the lumber yard.

    Anyhow, after scraping, filling in holes, and sanding I repainted the bottom of platform and trim (I used a gloss black enamel I had sitting around). Replacing the felt was pretty easy. I lined up one side, put in a few staples and then with some help stretched tight to the other sides and stapled. Once I was happy with the tightness I reattached the trim (with 18 new, shiny, and surprisingly expensive brass screws), and then used a sharp surgeon's scalpel with to trim the felt. The platform went back on pretty easily.

    I still have to replace my cables...

    Tin Can

  4. #134
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Rebuilding a Deardorff 11x14 Studio Stand

    I leveled the table with camera using only the cable and weights first, then locked that position.

    Fed the chains down through the maze and evenly tensioned at the top with turnbuckles. After that I let the loose chain flop, moved the table and camera up and down to stretch chain a bit, then cut the bottom chain to length and loosely attached permanently.

    The chain should not be load bearing, it only needs to move a balanced load.

    My mistake was crossing cable and chain on one side and now need to switch cable and chain at that top sooner or later...

    Quote Originally Posted by Duolab123 View Post
    I have my stand back together. I think my chains are 1 or two links off. One side chain is slack the other side taut. I don't know how to adjust the rollers. I think I have the chains routed correctly, but I put them back as I found so???

    I'm exhausted. I would really like to know the actual weight of those lead cylinders! That's one thing my friend and I straightened those so those are going up and down nicely.

    I'm going to take a nap! Maybe dream about going all digital
    Tin Can

  5. #135

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    Re: Rebuilding a Deardorff 11x14 Studio Stand

    Quote Originally Posted by Tin Can View Post
    I leveled the table with camera using only the cable and weights first, then locked that position.

    Fed the chains down through the maze and evenly tensioned at the top with turnbuckles. After that I let the loose chain flop, moved the table and camera up and down to stretch chain a bit, then cut the bottom chain to length and loosely attached permanently.

    The chain should not be load bearing, it only needs to move a balanced load.

    My mistake was crossing cable and chain on one side and now need to switch cable and chain at that top sooner or later...
    OK. This makes sense. I am going to disconnect the chains or a chain. I'm still not sure of the routing, I'm doing what the fellow did before me.. Clearly the chains are fighting each other. If I can get the camera so it moves smoothly then I can introduce the chains. Thanks for the info. Any more advice or a photo of your chain routing would be appreciated.
    I took my nap with my little cat Gus. I will attack it again tomorrow!

  6. #136

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    Re: Rebuilding a Deardorff 11x14 Studio Stand

    Thanks Randy, once I got it into my head that the chains aren't lifting anything, I went to work adjusting the rollers. Now it's going up and down like the counterweighted windows in the 1900 AD house that I grew up in. I was always excited when one of the ropes broke, after a time my Dad would let me replace the ropes.

    This camera and stand are so beautiful it almost brings me to tears. Pictures to follow!

    Best Mike

  7. #137
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Rebuilding a Deardorff 11x14 Studio Stand

    I have done the chains twice as I moved mine twice

    This a sit down job, get comfy in a chair, meditate and visualize

    Get both chains back out, make sure there are no kinks

    Pictures are almost impossible

    Make sure the cables and weights are secure and lock position somehow. Rotate table out of the way, I think vertical is best. Your fingers are in danger if anything moves. Triple check!

    Attach one chain at top and let all chain hang loose and evenly across floor

    Now feel the 2 idler sprockets which must rotate AND slide laterally smoothly, thin oil is fine, IF needed

    Pick up chain bottom draping it carefully to the upper slot and onto the top idler pulley

    The idlers must slide to allow the chain to feed onto the side of the big stationary gear, but not on the teeth, next to the teeth. then inch the chain around fixed gear and under to the lower pulley, after all chain is now fed, lift the chain onto the fixed gear teeth, by sliding both gears! kinda fussy trick.

    If any link is kinked, start over

    No need to attach bottom end of either chain until both sides are done

    and no tension on bottom chains at all, they should flop a bit

    Adjust top of chains to an even very low tension, not tight, it will self tighten when the locks are undone.


    The camera should be on table to balance the load
    Test by unlocking the slide locks and gently lift


    Bolt the camera onto table, both ends 3/8-16 Tightly!
    Tin Can

  8. #138

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    Re: Rebuilding a Deardorff 11x14 Studio Stand

    I'm going ok now. I put my chains on before I put the table back on the poles. I was obsessed about having the same number of links above the gear. On one side I simply removed the big casting from the big ring gear. That was easy peazy. The other side required my ultra long nose Snap On needle nose pliers that were gifted to me and 3 screwdrivers, a hemostat, my wife freaking out etc.

    Thanks for the help. I got out a slightly out dated box of Tri-X. Going to get started.

    This thing has a ground plastic screen with a Fresnel lens. At first I was wondering what the heck, but it's pretty slick.

    If I want 11x14 I'm going to need to make an adapter for my Folmer and Schwing back. I think I will leave that to the next generation :-)

  9. #139

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    Re: Rebuilding a Deardorff 11x14 Studio Stand

    This morning at about 1:30 am, I found the pictures I took of the chain routing. The good news is I get to take the chains off again, I routed them behind the idler gears. I thought this was crazy, but I some how convinced myself it was right.

    It works pretty well the way it is, but I'm not leaving it screwed up.
    Mike

  10. #140

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    Re: Rebuilding a Deardorff 11x14 Studio Stand

    Update #?? The stand is working perfectly fine the way it is. Like Tin Can describes, I only need 2 fingers to turn the crank to raise and lower the unit. If it ain't broke leave it alone and make pictures!

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