the BELLOWS problem

[darinwc]

I have a handfull of 'project' cameras that need new bellows.
At one point in time I figured i could scout ebay and find suitable replacements from other beaters. But its been years and I havent had much luck. So it looks like I am going to have to buckle down and make the bellows myself.

The construction looks easy enough but I'm having a real hard time figuring out what material to use. I went to a leather supply store (tandy leather) and there was nothing thin enough for a bellows. I went to a fabric store and they had 'blackout" material which was vinyl covered cloth which was supposed to be used as curtain liner, but it only came in white. I will keep looking but I was wondering if anyone else could reccomend something that might be locally available. I dont really want to order something cause im the touchy-feely type.

[Steve Smith]

I have made one set of bellows myself using less than ideal materials - self adhesive black vinyl stuck to black paper. They work o.k. but I have doubts as to their robustness.

I was planning on making another set using the cloth from a changing bag (I have one with a broken zip) but I have just bought a Sinar bellows from ebay for 99p so my next home made camera will be designed around this.


Steve.

[Pinholemaster]

http://www.camerabellows.com/

http://www.nabell.com/marketareas.html

http://www2.hawaii.edu/~mkapono/bellows.htm

http://www.fiberq.com/cam/amopt/aoacme.htm

http://www.gortite.com/bellows/photography.html

To name a few options. Hope this is helpful.

[bliorg]

http://www2.hawaii.edu/~mkapono/bellows.htm

To name a few options. Hope this is helpful.

Word of warning on Mark Kapono - he's MIA. Was very prompt on replying to emails and such, then flat disappeared around June. Left me without a bellows for my Seneca that I'd paid him $180 for.

If anyone's had any contact with him at all since June of this year, I want to hear from you. Please. Pretty please.

[darinwc]

Regarding the suggestions of ordering a bellows: That takes all the fun out of it!
Also it looks like they run $150+ That is more than id be willing to pay.

Question: where do you find contact vinyl?

I went to a big fabric store. They had some vinyl but it was backed by fabric so it was pretty thick. They had some pvc type fabric which looked good but it was stretchy and im not sure it would last. I did get lucky and found they had some leatherette (in black only) which was backed by a fabric but i could peel the fabric off. There was less than a yard of it left so I got it for half price (originally $29 a yard!). But it should be enough for 2 bellows.

However I dont think this is something they usually carry. I will keep looking and see what else i can find.

[resummerfield]

I used the cloth from an old changing bag, and it seemed to work OK. Then I found some darkroom cloth at Porters Camera, that I intend to use for the next bellows.

[smieglitz]

Order Porter's premium nylon blackout fabric for the bellows material. Perhaps the fabric could be used with the dull rubberized layer towards the inside with stiffeners and an outer layer of fabric (of your choice from the fabric store) glued to the shiny nylon surface. I have a lacewood/copper/copper metallic fabric camera under construction and have also thought of using aluminized nylon in concert with the Porter's cloth to construct a bellows for a handmade "silver" monorail.

Here's a link to my square bellows construction page and a pic of my first completed bellows:

[freygr]

Regarding the suggestions of ordering a bellows: That takes all the fun out of it!
Also it looks like they run $150+ That is more than id be willing to pay.

Question: where do you find contact vinyl?

I went to a big fabric store. They had some vinyl but it was backed by fabric so it was pretty thick. They had some pvc type fabric which looked good but it was stretchy and im not sure it would last. I did get lucky and found they had some leatherette (in black only) which was backed by a fabric but i could peel the fabric off. There was less than a yard of it left so I got it for half price (originally $29 a yard!). But it should be enough for 2 bellows.

However I dont think this is something they usually carry. I will keep looking and see what else i can find.

I got my hands on some 6 mil black vinyl, and I use black muslin for the inside and the stiffeners I used cover stock (James coat) but the camera restoration book says to use railroad board (post board or mat board). The sandwich was to stiff for the small bellows which I have to build. The stiffeners thickness depends on the size of the bellow. The smaller bellows are the hardest to make, and there are two styles of folding the bellows and depending on which style of fold you plain to use you need a different size form to build the bellows on.

[nick mulder]

Bellows are a bitch ... I'm glad I made one, but from now on - hell no!

[walter23]

I used the cloth from an old changing bag, and it seemed to work OK. Then I found some darkroom cloth at Porters Camera, that I intend to use for the next bellows.

I ordered some of the premium nylon thin stuff from porters too for an 8x10 project (and later some ULF). It seems suitable, it's quite thin and so the bulk of the bellows will be the cosmetic layer and the ribs. As far as I'm concerned this is a good thing as it allows more flexibility in choosing the rest of the materials.

Oh, and it's very light tight. Better than anything else I've tested so far (I've ordered a lot of samples of PVC and rubberized materials). My test is a canon 580EX speedlight on full power shot through the material straight into my lens from a few inches away (f/4 ISO1600). With the porters cloth I didn't see so much as a wink through the cloth. Very impressive. Even my stock, from-the-factory, perfectly functional shen hao bellows aren't totally light tight with this test - they glow a bit red.

I have yet to build the bellows (need the cosmetic layer, some adhesive, cardboard, and most importantly the time) but I'm confident that it will work very well.