5x8 Camera Build

[Michael Roberts]

I worked this morning to install the rear frame braces and rivets. I found I had set the plywood pieces of the anchors a little bit lower this time, so I had to use the tin snips to trim away some of the flange on the inside rivet. After that, they fit perfectly and the braces fold up nicely with room to spare.

Next up was the pin and retaining clip to secure the camera in the closed position. I cut and filed a 1 3/4" piece of the .032 brass feeler gauge, drilled 3/32 holes for screws into the frame and a 1/8" hole to fit over the pin. Then I cold worked the clip (i.e., beat on it with a hammer) and used craft pliers to bend up the end. I cut the pin 3/8'' long and taped the 5/64" drill bit at 1/4" to drill into the front and center of the camera base. I taped the retaining clip into place over the pin and drilled 1/16th pilot holes for two 1/4" #2 round head brass screws.

So much for the easy stuff. I sweated over routing out the inside of the rail for the front standard knobs. First, I let the front standard rest on the rail and noted where the knobs came to rest. Then I taped off the rail one inch before and after dead center of the knob to route out between my marks.

I had picked up a new Dremel Plunge Router Kit a few weeks prior. I thought this would be the perfect tool for this small job, so I watched some videos and perused the manual. Neither explained the fine points of the secondary plunge adjustment, so I used the brute force approach and just reset the plunge feature to do a series of four 1/8" cuts between the taped-off beginning and end marks. The trickiest part was getting just the right material to set up a fence to guide the router in a straight line along the inside of the rail. A router table would probably be the best too to use here, but I made do with what I had. I used a piece of scrap as a practice piece and a bit of measurement plus trial and error to get a fence to allow me to shave 3/16" off the inside of the rail on both sides. There was a small bit of tear out, but not too bad. I hand sanded both cuts.

Below, you can see my setup for routing, and the results.

[Michael Roberts]

These pics show how the front standard now fits comfortably inside the rail.

[Michael Roberts]

Voila! The camera now closes!

[Michael Roberts]

For some reason, I found it hard to stop snapping photos of this (almost) finished camera...so bear with me.

[Michael Roberts]

I've still got a few items on my punch list--finish coat the wooden spring anchors, the rear frame bracket anchors as well as the new little pieces I added to the back of the base, and the inside of the rail that I routed.

I also want to add some gaffers tape around the rear bellows frame and paint that area with flat black paint.

Then it's to the darkroom for flashlight tests and finally, out for a field test!

[OKAROB]

Michael, this is such great documentation on how to build a field camera! Thank you for the excellent instructions and detailed photographs. I also appreciate houw you sourced all the pieces. Lots of wonderful ideas. I am bookmarking this thread!
Thanks Robert

[Michael Roberts]

Thanks Robert! I appreciate your feedback, and I'm happy this information has been helpful. I have benefited enormously from my participation in this forum. People here are great about sharing their knowledge and this forum has been an invaluable source of information for me, so I'm glad to be able to share what I've learned (usually after making a bunch of mistakes, but, hey, that's how we learn...or at least I do.)

Cheers,
Michael

[Michael Roberts]

Today, I applied finish coats to the inside of the rail that I routed out, the spring anchors, the hinge support pieces on the rear of the base, and the rear frame anchors. I also sanded down and then reapplied finish coats to the bottom of the rear frame which I accidentally scratched (on the round head screws) when I retracted the rail to check the focus of a wide angle lens. I mixed up two different designs--one requiring a second rail lock for retracting the extension rail (pulling it behind the rear frame) and the second, new and improved design, in which I added a front standard lock-down to the rear of the extension frame. In this build, I inadvertently included both design elements. I'm now correcting this by removing the second (rearward) lock on the keeper rail.

The picture below shows the rail with the newly sanded and finish-coated routed cut-outs to accommodate the front standard knobs.

[Gord Robinson]

Michael you have done an exceptional job on this build. You have done a great job on the woodworking and finishing and the pictures and documentation will be valued by anyone that is doing a similar build. I have enjoyed following this thread on your build and all the issues that you have dealt with.
Great job - Gord

[John Layton]

Wonderful job on this build...resulting in a great camera with a good degree of movements and bellows extensions - all in a package which weighs under 2.5 lbs? Bravo!

My latest (5x7) plywood wonder pales in comparison...with less features/movements, and less extension - and weighs a full pound more!

....but you have inspired me to get out my tools once again!