source for folder bellows?

Winfried Buechsenschuetz wrote:

Gordon Moat wrote in message ...

The really small bellows are very tough to find.

Some months ago I bought a bag full of bellows of various dimensions.
I found two bellows (out of 50 pcs) which seem to have dimensions
similar to 6x4.5 (one of these in bad shape) but I have to check this
in detail on a 6x4.5 folder.


On my one 645 folder, the original leather and cloth backed bellows was easy to repair. I
checked one source for a replacement, but nothing was nice the correct size. I think too large
a bellows, and the camera would no longer close.


One issue is that
larger pleats in the replacement bellows might make the final frame even
smaller.

ACK. I found that there are at least three or four slightly different
dimensions for the rear end of bellows designed for 6x9 format, and
depending on the shape of the last pleat and the shapes of the edges
of the camera to glue it on (on most cameras you would have to destroy
quite a few rivets and folded seams of sheet metal parts to remove the
film screen) they will reduce the effective image size.

I had an okay time with the AGFA folders, since the metal film rails are held in with screws.
The long sides were okay, but on the short edges, the bellows intrudes slightly. Anyway, I am
still getting 56 mm by 85 mm, so the intrusion is slight.



In the bag full of bellows I also found some designed for 6.5x11
format but I am everything but sure whether their rear end will fit a
6x9 film screen when cutting down the last two or three pleats.

I thought about using the larger Polaroid pack film camera bellows on the 6x9 folders. It is
thin enough, and strong enough, so I could cut down four sides, and glue it to the smaller
size. However, I think the larger pleat folds would intrude more on the frame. The older
slightly smaller roll film Polaroid bellows would have less of a problem. With the 6.5x11 that
you found, one thing to check is the pleat depth, and hopefully it is close to the original.
Also, the thickness when reglued could be another issue, and could prevent the camera from
closing.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio
http://www.allgstudio.com

Stacey wrote:

I have a neat old welti 6X4.5 range finder with a tessar. It has an
interesting "bed focus" rather than front cell focusing and the first
images look promising but... the bellows has some pinholes and basically
are shot. They are too brittle to bother with patching. I already did some
patching and got about 4 good images then new holes appeared!

So my question, where is a good source for small bellows? This camera
seems worthy of spending some money on but of course not worth spending
$300 on either. The camera seems well made but the bellows aren't as good
as say the ikonta's bellows. Unfortunatly the 6X4.5 ikonta bellows is too
small on the lens end so I can't pirate one from a dead one of those. TIA
for any advice.

Thanx for all the advice, I found a place in the UK who quoted me ~$40 to
make a replacement from the original. Sounded reasonable to me and I'll
report back when it arrives as to the fit and quality etc..
--

Stacey

Stacey wrote:

Thanx for all the advice, I found a place in the UK who quoted me ~$40 to
make a replacement from the original. Sounded reasonable to me and I'll
report back when it arrives as to the fit and quality etc..

Has anybody bothered to ask a nearby shoemaker? Seems to me that the
requirements of bellows (supple, weatherproof, tight seams, etc.) are
pretty much the same as for boots...

-- Lassi

Lassi Hippeläinen wrote:

Stacey wrote:

Thanx for all the advice, I found a place in the UK who quoted me ~$40 to
make a replacement from the original. Sounded reasonable to me and I'll
report back when it arrives as to the fit and quality etc..

Has anybody bothered to ask a nearby shoemaker? Seems to me that the
requirements of bellows (supple, weatherproof, tight seams, etc.) are
pretty much the same as for boots...



The problem with folding cameras is the leather is VERY thin so it will
still fold up. This bellows for example must extend to 70mm yet fold to 7mm
for the camera to close. BTW are their still actual shoemakers anywhere?
--

Stacey

Stacey wrote:

Lassi Hippeläinen wrote:

Stacey wrote:

Thanx for all the advice, I found a place in the UK who quoted me ~$40 to
make a replacement from the original. Sounded reasonable to me and I'll
report back when it arrives as to the fit and quality etc..

Has anybody bothered to ask a nearby shoemaker? Seems to me that the
requirements of bellows (supple, weatherproof, tight seams, etc.) are
pretty much the same as for boots...


The problem with folding cameras is the leather is VERY thin so it will
still fold up. This bellows for example must extend to 70mm yet fold to 7mm
for the camera to close. BTW are their still actual shoemakers anywhere?

I didn't mean something as thick as in cowboy boots. The materials used
in handgloves, for example, should be better. For $40 you'd expect to
get something as simple as bellows.

And yes, there are people who still make a living that way. Either
making or repairing boots, shoes, gloves, saddles etc. I'm living
downtown, and I've seen two shops within walking distance from my home.

-- Lassi

Lassi Hippeläinen wrote:


And yes, there are people who still make a living that way. Either
making or repairing boots, shoes, gloves, saddles etc. I'm living
downtown, and I've seen two shops within walking distance from my home.



Oh I've seen shoe -repair- shops, but haven't seen anyone who is hand making
shoes lately..
--

Stacey

Stacey wrote in message ...

The problem with folding cameras is the leather is VERY thin so it will
still fold up.

Actually most bellows of folding cameras are NOT made of leather but
from a multi-layer material, mostly with a synthetic coat (there WERE
synthetic materials before WWII), strips of cardboard to hold the
pleats, and an inner liner of rubberized cloth (similar or identical
to shutter curtain material). There are some bellows with different
design but I did not stumble across a genuine leather bellows yet.

There are some 'recipes' available on the net recommending substitutes
for the original materials which probably are hard to get nowadays
(except for shutter curtain material).

This bellows for example must extend to 70mm yet fold to 7mm
for the camera to close. BTW are their still actual shoemakers anywhere?

As mentioned by others most 'shoemakers' are just 'low grade
craftsmen' (as they are specified by german law which prohibited most
craftsmen from opening their own shop unless they have a master
degree). There are very few still making shoes, but handmade shoes are
expensive. I know a (real) shoemaker in the neighbourhood who did a
great jobs in repairing some camera bags for me, one required quite a
bit of hand stitching.

Winfried