Deardorff Restoration

[georgeg]

Does anyone know of any Deardorff camera restoration in the midwest. A few years back I was told of a guy in Rockford ILL. Can't seem to locate him.
georgeg

[bmac]

is it http://www.deardorffcameras.0catch.com/ ? Indiana I believe.

[mikepry]

George,
Whatever you do DO NOT use the fellow in Indiana! You wouldn't have time to hear all the horror stories. wareaglemtn could pipe in here as well. Richard Ritter who use to be with Fred Pickers Zone VI studios is a really talented guy and could fix you up just fine. He delivers and delivers on time. And as a bonus you won't need a lawyer to get your money or camera back!

Richard Ritter

[bmac]

yikes, I don't know anything about the guy I posted the link about besides that I got some good info off of his site.

[veriwide]

I know that Jack Deardorff is still working with these cameras. Here is his number in Valporiso, IL. #219 464 9748.

[lee]

ask Clay about his experiences with Ken Hough.

lee\c

[WarEaglemtn]

Deardorff restoration depends a lot on how much work has to be done. A refinish or a restoration??? is the basic question. I have been refinishing many lately & have been charging $300 to do so. It takes approximately 30-40 days. Most of the time is in waiting for finishes to cure properly for the next coat & having the time to re-do some when the finish isn't quite right. NO refinishing of one of these classics should take more than 3 months at the longest by anyone unless they are a total Klutz.
Woodworking/refinishing isn't rocket science but does take a 'touch' to get good & consistent results & you have to be willing to re-do some pieces that just don't look right. It comes with the territory.
When I re-do one of the cameras I pull the hardware off & re-fill & strengthen every screw hole. Not doing so is asking for problems later. I prefer to alter the ground glass back to take square boards but can certainly do one without this. It makes it easier to replace ground glass in the future as you only need to get a full ground glass & no longer worry about the cut corners or rounded corners(when you want to see the full image so you don't get those protruding surprises on developing the negs).

I got into this by doing my own & after seeing firsthand some horror stories of "this guy has my camera & I can't get it back" & then, years after it was supposedly finished(& paid for those years ago) the guy gets it back after contacting the State Attorney General...and surprise, the finish is still wet... on the camera that was 'done years ago'.
Refinishing a wood view camera is within the ability of almost anyone who wants to try it. It isn't hard but it does take time & attention to detail. If you aren't a careful worker you can screw it up. Not enough so it can't be repaired by a good worker. It it requires much metal work/machining I have Gary Hurst(who re-does a lot of Wisners to make them work as they should from the factory) machine the metal for me.
If someone is interested, feel free to email or contact me. I can give some pointers, as can most custom woodworkers or machinists. That I have been doing these & photograph with my LF gear is a help... at least to me. I know what they are supposed to do & how they work, from the ground up to the final image. There is a good feeling using equipment that works well, looks good & just feels right... Deardorffs are all that & more.

[Brian Bullen]

[QUOTE=WarEaglemtn]
When I re-do one of the cameras I pull the hardware off & re-fill & strengthen every screw hole. Not doing so is asking for problems later

WarEaglemtn, what are you using to fill the screw holes? I'm refinishing a b&j grover 8x10 and an 11x14 seneca camera city view and have been a little worried that the screws might not be as sturdy as when I took them out.

[Deniz]

hey PhotoBulley, i had a stripped hole on my guitar for the strap latch and all i did was put a couple of matches in the hole and a drop or 2 of superglue then drive the screw in.. it has been holding up great for the last 5 years and i play alot of shows!!

I also use this method on my old camera and has worked great.

[Brian Bullen]

Thanks Deniz, I've used that trick myself a number of times but I was wondering if there was an better method especially for those smaller screws that don't seem to have as nice a grip but still get enough tension/stress to warrant reinforcement.