Walker Cameras for sale?

[QualityCamera]

Have not heard the rumour, and find it highly unlikely for a number of reasons. However any small business owner with good sense would alway be willing to consider serious and qualified offers.

One major problem with Roger's suggestion is the fact that he apparently has a misunderstanding about the way Mike's cameras are made. They are not injection-moulded. They are milled in very much the same way that wooden cameras are. They are simply made of a different sort of material.

[Roger Hicks]

One major problem with Roger's suggestion is the fact that he apparently has a misunderstanding about the way Mike's cameras are made. They are not injection-moulded. They are milled in very much the same way that wooden cameras are. They are simply made of a different sort of material.

No, I'm not the one that's mistaken. The Titan SF is 100% injection moulded. On the 4x5 XL, the front and back standards (all parts) are injection moulded, but the base is machined. The only injection-moulded part on th 5x7 in the front standard which is of course common to the others.

I've only used the SF, hence the partial misapprehension.

Cheers,

R.

[Mark Fisher]

One major problem with Roger's suggestion is the fact that he apparently has a misunderstanding about the way Mike's cameras are made. They are not injection-moulded. They are milled in very much the same way that wooden cameras are. They are simply made of a different sort of material.

Maybe some of his cameras or parts were/are milled from barstock, but I could have sworn that the parts I saw at the last view camera conference were injection molded, structural foam ABS (structural foam is a way to add small air bubbles to the plastic to allow thick sections and thus stronger, lighter parts). Structural foam molds are not all that expensive so I'd be surprised if he milled them if there was any quanity at all.

[davekarp]

They are molded. Mike himself told me that he designed and made the molds himself. Quite remarkable, as that was not his profession, and considering that the fit and finish is outstanding.

[QualityCamera]

Sorry if I have caused aggravation or confusion. Indeed the front panel (part that the front of the bellows connects to and the lens board rests against) as well as the 4X5 filmplane and 4X5 ground glass frame are molded. However the point that I had hoped to make was that most of the parts are still done by hand and even the molded parts are finished individually by hand. All of Mike's cameras are individually hand assembled and finished. They are really fine cameras and are build to provide a lifetime of service. The point that I had hoped to make was that the Walker cameras do not lend themselves to "mass production" anymore than any other camera. The Canham metal cameras are similar in that the parts are all machined and annodized by others for Canham however each individual camera is assembled by either Keith or his son.

[CarlRadford]

I think you'll find that diversification could well be the answer