How are Camera Bellows UK bellows holding up over time???

[Robert Opheim]

I have had one of their standard bellows for my Technikardan for somewhere around 20 years. I sent the old bellows in with the frames attached. The replacement bellows still looks new.

[jim_jm]

Got the new bellows back from Camera Bellows UK, less than 3 weeks after I sent in the frames. They installed the bellows on the frames for me and did a perfect job.
Everything fit back together without a hitch and the restoration is complete.

[Daniel Unkefer]

Fastest Speed of All Sinar Norma Pair 240 Symmars 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Keith at Camera Bellows recently made these two Sinar Norma Bellows for my TLR Sinar Norma. They made bellows for Sinar during the Norma era and still have the original patterns. How can you beat that? I have a couple more projects coming up when I receive the original Norma frames

[Ron (Netherlands)]

(...) Camera Bellows recently made these two Sinar Norma Bellows for my TLR Sinar Norma. They made bellows for Sinar during the Norma era and still have the original patterns. (...)

The title of this thread says: How are Camera Bellows UK bellows holding up over time???
So are you saying that the original bellows made by the same manufacturer didn't hold up very well...

[Tin Can]

My ULF Camera Bellows UK, 4 years old, still in shipping box are just fine

I have extended them 4 times to check

Most commercial bellows last very long, if carefully stored separately inside a fold up box like a Cycle Camera

My Sinar/Horsemen bellows are stored out of light in ZipLock

My LEVY/Repro-Art Copy Camera has very thick leather unlike any bellows I have seen, I even tell people to touch them. They are more like armor, that thumps like drum, but fold perfectly

[Daniel Unkefer]

The title of this thread says: How are Camera Bellows UK bellows holding up over time???
So are you saying that the original bellows made by the same manufacturer didn't hold up very well...

Well the bellows I'm looking for are nearly sixty years old. In this thread lots of people have needed replacement bellows. That's not unusual? I do buy tatty bellows for little (for the frames) and have the bellows replaced. My new ones are holding up very well as one would expect. And I do have many original Sinar bellows that are original and in fine shape.

Some of these were worked a hard life and put away wet

[LabRat]

My bellows arrived yesterday, so quickly from consideration to arrival!!! My concern about the compression closed in camera is no issue due to the thinness they can collapse to (old bellows much thicker)... Great quality that seems it should last a very long time...

Next step is making final decisions to install... Old glue on camera is a black rubbery glue from back then which held up great, so wanted something similar... Bought a tube of black Shoe Goo to test first... Want to see if it set-up in a reasonable time, and if it needs to be clamped down for the duration of the set time to the rear metal plate... And of course, the measurement check before removal of old bells (should be fine)...

A few other foto service projects underway right now, so too much to think about, so trying to get everything in a line...

But I love the new bellows, and thank everyone who goaded me toward them... Thanks!!!

Steve K

[sharktooth]

I wouldn't use Shoe Goo. That's nasty stuff that really smells, and could potentially damage the bellows. Why not use a good quality contact cement? Contact cement seems to be the preferred choice that I've read about, and used with success.

Even better, why not contact Camera Bellows to see what they recommend.

[Tin Can]

https://www.largeformatphotography.i...=1#post1014305

[LabRat]

I wouldn't use Shoe Goo. That's nasty stuff that really smells, and could potentially damage the bellows. Why not use a good quality contact cement? Contact cement seems to be the preferred choice that I've read about, and used with success.

Even better, why not contact Camera Bellows to see what they recommend.

I did use it once for a Beseler enlarger bellows to metal restoration 10 or 12 years ago (I think), and it worked well after letting it sit on the metal for 4 hours, then attaching... But that was then, and this is now, so I have to test again before installation... Says it is safe on vinyl, but good point... I remember consistency was similar to old cement, but need to test again...

Camera Bellows recommends a British product, not availible in USA, so have to test different cements...

I don't want to use contact cements, as there is little to no "wiggle" room after inital contact... On the other end of the scale, silicone can take days or week to dry, and a lot can happen before that...

Testing, testing, testing...

Thanks!!!

Steve K