Michael, you have it in your head and well thought out. Can't wait to see it! Let me know if you run into any unforeseen problems.
Michael, you have it in your head and well thought out. Can't wait to see it! Let me know if you run into any unforeseen problems.
Hi Michael,
Having designed and built my own 8 x 20 that was patterned after my 8 x 10 Kodak 2D, I think I can offer the following suggestions/recommendations:
1 - having the rear rail attached to the base the same way the Kodak rail does presents "challenges" when you are using longer lenses and the camera is on a tripod. Even if you come up with a way to tightly screw the rear rail to the base, it will still sag down under the weight when the camera back is extended. I ended up taking an aluminum channel about 12" long the same height as the base/rear frame and slide it over both frames the help support the rear rail.
2 - You don't need a geared track on the rear rail for focusing. I made mine so the rear frame just slides on top of the rear rail (with a couple of screws to secure it in place) and you just ease it in and out with your fingers. Gear tracks are pretty expensive and in my opinion it is wasted money.
3 - You might consider making your own bellows instead of the high cost of buying one. They aren't all that difficult to make.
4 - As John indicated, your bellows will sag. I have a loop on the top of the bellows and I run an aluminum rod from the rear frame, through the loop, and over the top of the front frame. Works pretty easy.
Wow, Dan, great looking camera! Thanks so much for the suggestions.
So, what movements do you have on yours? Obviously front rise/fall, but what else?
I have played some with making a tapered bellows but haven't found the right materials. I have a quote from Rudy of $375 including shipping. Considering I paid that much 10 years ago for an 8x10 bellows from Custom Bellows, I think this is a good price. Plus I like Rudy's materials better--very light weight and folds very compactly; better than the Turner and Custom bellows I have tried.
I'm not planning to attach the rear rail to the base the same way as the original; I agree that would sag. I'm planning for the rear rail to sit on top of the base. Part of the rail will hang off the end, the other will be clamped tightly to the base. I like your alum channel solution, though; got any pictures?
hhhmmm?
i though you were going to blow it up with explosives.......now THAT gives me an idea.
stay tuned....
My YouTube Channel has many interesting videos on Soft Focus Lenses and Wood Cameras. Check it out.
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The front only has rise/fall. The back has swing and tilt and can also be switched for vertical or horizontal format.
Here are the aluminum braces. Just two aluminum angles bolted together that fit snugly over the base and front/rear rails. I made a short one for front rail only for normal lenses and a longer one when the rear rail also needs to be attached for longer lenses.
so the aluminum braces just slide over the rails?
whoa--how do you switch the back to vertical?
Yes, the braces just slide over the rails.
So - horizontal to vertical - I'll try to explain. Look at the first photo I posted. See the black screw knob on the side of the side post L bracket on the back frame (the top one not the bottom one). If you look real closely at the very top of the L bracket frame, you'll see another hole which is the hole for the knob for the vertical setting. Also, look at the L bracket coming out of the box at the side of the rear base. There is a black knob immediately below the bellows in the top of the middle of the box. That knob loosens the two L brackets and allows them to slide out and in. One L bracket is above the other. You can see the other L bracket on the other side in the opening below the front frame. So - you first unscrew the two knobs on the sides of the L brackets to remove the rear frame of the camera. Then you loosen the knob on the top of the box below the bellows. Then you slide the two L brackets in and tighten the knob on top of the box. Then you rotate the rear of the camera and screw in the knobs on the top of the sides of the L brackets to tighten the camera rear in place and then you are in the Vertical position.
Sounds confusing but it is real simple to adjust.
I was out of town for most of a week to attend the funeral for my wife's grandmother, Juanita Shepard, a dear lady who lived to the age of 95. Time to get caught up with this project now, which seems to be coming together really well except for the parts I need to do....
Before leaving town, I managed to get the metal parts to my local metalsmith, send off an order to Sandy King for two more 12x20 holders, and fabricate a rear bellows frame to send to Rudy in HK along with the original 8x10 2D front bellows frame. These good gentlemen all did their work apace.....
My local metalsmith stretched the rear tilt rod from around 12 to 22.5 inches and made a new "keeper" tab for the front rail. He ground off the inside of the rivet holding the rear brass struts to the wooden rear frame, drilled and tapped the insides of the rivets, then fitted a machine screw. This way, I can reuse the rivets and keep the original clean look.
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