Bellows attachment frame

[peter brooks]

I'm going to attach the bellows to a very simple 5x7 camera (that I am making) using two metal rectangular frames, screwed down.

(I was going to use individual metal strips but rectangular frames would seem to be much easier).

Anyone who has done this - what metal (steel, aluminium?) and what thickness have you found to work well?

(I don't want to spend time cutting and filing just to find it doesn't work...)

Many thanks for any advice!

[Tin Can]

Wood works even in my hands

I made wood Frames 16X16" 1"X 1/4" sticks

Used a router to make 1/2 laps, glued and painted matt black

Sent the 6 frames to Rochester NY, Turner Bellows, with sample bellows

They made exact copies with same cloth as Deardorff 11X14 Studio, about 10 years ago.

No glue, small nails just as 1929 OE

[peter brooks]

Thanks Randy, if the bellows were bigger then I'd be tempted to use wood I think - but the pleats are 10mm, with 2mm between them... to fit between the pleats the frame width will probably have to be about 8mm.

(Sorry about the metric, I always preferred imperial, I use both but used metric this time... Very rough translation - that's just over 3/8", just under 1/8" and just under 3/8" )

[Tin Can]

Many in USA easily use SAE, Metric, even Whitworth and BS

However this American stockist, says BUY them now

https://www.samstagsales.com/whitworth_table.htm

I have what I need

[Havoc]

I would use brass but it may be expensive to buy a sheet large enough and then only use a small outside border of it. If you get hard brass it will be rigid enough for the purpose but still easy to work. And it will not rust. Alu sheet will need to be thicker or need more fasteners. And alu can be a pain to work. Thin inox might be an option but then just have it laser cut it can be hard on hobby tooling.

Thickness will depend on your design if it is something you are making yourself. It will have to fit between the pleads of the bellows when closed. (If I understand the correct placement of it) Something like 1mm hard brass would be stiff enough in the 8mm dimension but it will be wobbly as a frame before it is screwed down. Could easily bend perpendicular to the long dimension.

[LabRat]

You can use thin hardwood, just place a screw every inch or so, and add a rubber foam gasket between bellows and inside standard to fill the thin possible gaps between...

Steve K

[peter brooks]

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice, some good suggestions there.

This thread was a bit slow getting going... in the meantime I've ordered some 2mm alumin(i)um and etching primer, and will see how I get on with all of that. I'll report back!