Wooden film holder arcing

[Oslolens]

Two of my 8x10" Kodak film holders have an arc on each side of the centre.

I have bought quite some film holders, with most faults: extremely dirty, tape missing, cracked folder, cracked frame, corroded aluminium, hard-to-move dark slide, broken dark slide, dark slides letting IR through, missing light trap etc, but I have not seen this until yesterday: two 8x10" Kodak film holders arcing so much i doubt they will be light tight in the camera due to not seated, the other one worse than on picture!

Any suggestions for this, other than sell it on ebay as " I don't know what this is"

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[John Layton]

Some of my plastic holders do this very slightly...but the spring pressure from the film back is more than enough to straighten this curvature and all is well (and light-tight). But your mileage may vary on this...so you should probably test them.

[Tin Can]

Stop buying junk

[Mark Sampson]

Those wooden film holders are at least 75 years old and may be well over 100, so it's not surprising that they would warp. Many of the holders we see for sale nowadays were used hard for decades, and they show it. Add in a few decades of neglect in a dusty attic- and there you are.
I'd test those holders with paper, not film, in daylight, and wouldn't expect them to work.
Tin Can's advice is good. But if you're not buying in person, sometimes difficult to follow.
I'd return those warped holders (if possible) or use them for picture frames.

[xkaes]

Since they are wood, just place each between two damp (NOT WET) towels and place a few heavy books on top. They will flatten out in a day or two. Then place them for a couple of more days between two DRY towels with the books on top again.

[Jim Noel]

I have never had this problem with wooden holders, but frequently with plastic ones.
The only good solution I know is to 1st - use a large enough dark cloth. Mine for 8x10 is 5x7 feet. Then always leave it on the camera except when removing holders from their light tight container. I lift them out under the cloth, and transfer them and cloth to the camera. After the cloth is spread appropriately over the camera, the holder is inserted and dark slide removed. After exposure, the action is reversed. Never a light leak this way.

[profvandegraf]

Maybe a tennis racket press would help?

[Sal Santamaura]

Stop buying junk

https://www.chamonixviewcamera.com/a...es/filmholders

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...lm_Holder.html

[Oslolens]

https://www.chamonixviewcamera.com/a...es/filmholders

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...lm_Holder.html

That is $375 after 25% VAT + $49 shipping from B&H, so a no-go, but thanks!

I will try the wet-towel-tricks!

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[Tin Can]

Don't sell junk either

However

Some GG Springs are very strong, others very weak

I have a Made in England Kodak 5X7 Detective Camera

Like new, it has 2 very strong leaf springs on both sides

So strong I removed and saved the top leafs

Still plenty strong

I bet that camera can force any DDS light tight