[pure-silver] Re: Replacement bellows for full plate camera
- From: "Richard Knoppow" <dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2009 13:23:49 -0800
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ole Tjugen" <ole@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 10:52 AM
Subject: [pure-silver] Re: Replacement bellows for full
plate camera
Camerabellows were closed down recently, it seems the
owners wanted money
more than business.
BUT: The key personnell have bought all the machinery and
patterns and
materials, and restarted the business as Custom Bellows!
http://www.custombellows.co.uk/
They already have the patterns for all "common" cameras
(they have made all
Linhof original bellows for the past 50 years); with
non-standard things
they prefer having the original bellows to work from.
Their prices are very
reasonable.
--
Ole Tjugen
Its good to know these people are still in business,
they had the reputation of building the best bellows and
being reasonable. They were also the only bellows maker who
would work in genuine leather.
Turner bellows also has a very good reputation. I don't
know if Western Bellows is still operating, it was
essentially a one-man operation.
Bellows makers usually want the original bellows with
the frames if possible. The bellows must be fitted to the
frames. Probably even broken frames will do although new
ones will have to be made.
Modern bellows are usually made of synthetic material.
They can look just as good as leather bellows and have a
much longer life.
The usual construction for a camera bellows is to use
three layers. The outer layer is leather or a synthetic, the
inner layer is rubberized cloth with the rubber layer facing
the center of the sandwich. Modern bellows use synthetic
rubber or plastic coating on this layer. The center is made
of stiffeners. In traditional bellows these are heavy paper
of the sort known as Manilla. Modern construction uses
synthetic material. The stiffeners are cut to shape for the
particular bellows and the inner and outer coverings cut.
The stiffeners are then cemented to one layer spaced with
string or rods which are later removed. Then the other layer
is cemented in place and the bellows fitted to the frames,
then the seam is cemented.
Leather tends to dry out and to rot. Leather dressings
in general don't do much and once leather begins to rot
nothing can be done to save it. Bellows that develop pin
holes will continue to develop more and must be replaced.
While leather is the authentic material for many bellows
synthetics are better for a practical camera.
Canvas of various sorts was also used for many old
bellows.
I have a list of bellows makers but I think several of
them are no longer in business. I will post it if desired.
--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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