Update : Production of DIY Camera Kits won't start in 2010

Due to an imminent move the camera kit won't start production for at least 6 months. If you were planning on ordering a bellows kit, do it now as it won't be available for more then a couple of weeks. I will still be trying to finish the next prototype before the move and then do the CAD/CAM work for all cameras & projects I am planning on offering, but production of the camera won't start this year.

The good news is that the newly acquired CNC equipment works as I hoped it would and it makes manufacturing of metal parts much more accessible.

Project update

The new tooling is almost in place. I decided to acquire a CNC plasma cutting system for the metal parts as using the mill was unacceptably slow. I also acquired a larger CNC machine for cutting the wood parts and I'm testing it now.

In the mean time I made some changes to the design to simplify it a bit and to take into account new fabrication capabilities. I will make a new prototype and test the new design.

Will post pictures when available.

Idea! Cheap DIY tempering bath for E6/C41 film processing

If you want to process your own E6/C41 you need a way to keep water at precisely 100F temperature  (well, 100.4F but that's just nitpicking...) . There are many dedicated solutions, like the Delta Eco 1 Basic Unit Thermostatic Water Controller and if you have the resources, by all means, get that.

But you are reading this blog, so you are most likely on a tight budget, like me, so here's a much more cheaper solution. Get a fish tank heater, set the desired temperature, put it in a cooler, fill it with water and turn it on. The only caveat is that most fish tank heaters top out at 93F so you won't make fish soup... But it's not all lost, the WON Pro-Heat IC Heater 50 W can be easily modified to go higher then the 93F it was designed for, see this link on APUG for instructions. This is what I will be using (as a wash water source) for the ATL-1000 I just purchased. I'll add pictures once it's all setup.

If you have a little more cash, the Won Brothers D-58 LED Digital Display Temperature Controller and Won Brothers 3 Prong Titanium Heating Element 350 Watt Heater will set you back $120 but it doesn't need to be modified and it's way more professional.

Happy processing!

4x5 Folding Ground Glass Hood (prototype)

My newest prototype for a folding hood. Sometimes (say, in some neighborhoods) it doesn't feel wise to stick my head under a black cloth... This should greatly assist with composition, as it blocks most of the reflected light on the GG surface. It also extends enough that one should be able to easily focus his/her eyes on the GG while the eyes are right at the opening.

The hood collapses almost flat, that one can use a short loupe on the ground glass for critical focusing and of course for ease of transport.

The device still needs some sort of device to hold it flat. The hood mounts to the camera with 4 semi-transparent velcro dots. They are very easy to install, they are not very obtrusive and should it be necessary or desired, they can be removed and the the residue cleaned with glue remover.

Thoughts?

DIY Camera Bellows Kit success story #2

I received these pictures from Colin P, of Alaska, one of my  clients for the DIY Custom Camera Bellows Kit.  

Colin wrote, "it looks and works great!".  He assembled these bellows with the kit which was created based on the dimensions he provided.

The camera is a beautiful 4x5 Gundlach, Colin fully restored himself. 

DIY Camera Bellows Kit success story

	I just received these pictures from Paul McEvoy, of Somerville, MA, one of my first clients for the DIY Custom Camera Bellows Kit. Paul wrote, "I'm super psyched, they look beautiful". Paul assembled these bellows with the kit which was created based on the dimensions he provided. The camera is a beautiful 5x7 Eastman View Camera No 33, Paul restored himself.
The camera also uses a 5x7 Ground Glass made with the DIY Ground Glass Kit.

NEW! Bellows design service now available!

You have everything you need to build a bellows but lack the knowledge or time to design it? This may be for you :

 http://www.diycamerakit.com/product_info.php?products_id=14

Bellows material now available for $2.50 a sq. foot!

We figured out how to manufacture this material at a lower cost and we're passing the savins to you! The material is available here :

http://www.diycamerakit.com/product_info.php?products_id=10

Pattern only - DIY Custom Camera Bellows Kit

Now we're offering the bellows kit without the cover & liner material at a lower price, in case you have your own source of bellows material. You can order your kit by following this link.

New (very thin) bellows material available soon!

I have a new bellows material I am currently testing, this one is much thinner (0.006 inch) and the texture is more leather looking then textile looking. The 1st problem is that is not as is 100% light proof in 1 ply so I'm looking at treatments. When used for both the liner & cover, it is 100% light proof. The second problem is that is very expensive.

I think I will be offering this material for up to 4x5 bellows, as it will allow building bellows that fold very flat.

I will keep you posted.

 

The DIY Camera Bellows Kit is now available for sale!

The DIY Camera Bellows Kit is now available for sale. It can be ordered by clicking here.The documentation and the process will continue to be refined, so please contact me with any concerns.

The latest bellows test was a complete success!

Last night I made a new bellows for my test camera, using the latest version of the patterns and instructions. It came out perfect!

Camera Bellows Outer Cover Fabric/Material available for sale

If you have no use for a DIY Camera Bellows Kit (because you already have your own patterns for instance), but you still need a lightproof material, the fabric used for the outer cover in the kit is now available HERE for sale by the sq foot. As an example, a 4x5 camera should not need more then 4 sq feet.

The bellows kit is now available for the selected beta testers.

The beta testers who were pre-selected are now invited to place their orders for the DIY Camera Bellows Kit. I hope to have the product available for sale to the general public soon. If you were preselected you can order the kit from here. Please ignore the "Out of Stock" warning.

Please contact me with any issue you may encounter during the ordering or assembly process.

The test bellows folded perfectly!

Last night I generated the patterns for my "guinea pig" camera and assembled the bellows. I didn't use the real cover material but rather some thin cotton, as I just wanted to test the geometry. The geometry came out perfect (in the picture the test bellows appears bigger but it's the just angle of view, the bellows has the proper dimensions), so the next step is to build the actual bellows with the proper bellows materials. This process will also be use to document the construction, both with still pictures and with video, media which will be used to augment the written assembly instructions.

OK, the bellows pattern generator is now working!

I've been quiet recently because i was working on a issue with my bellows CAD program. Now I'm pretty sure that is resolved. To the left you can see thumbnails of generated patterns for the stiffeners and the outer cover for my test camera. The patterns are designed to be used not only for cutting the stiffeners & the fabric but also for alignment.

I'm not in town now, but when I get back monday I will make a few sample bellows to make sure it actually works and then I will have the beta-testers orders their bellows. I will finalize the instructions on how to measure the bellows (or the camera for which you want the bellows for) during this weekend.

The current version of the program will handle both parallel and tapered bellows, square or rectangular of any size (I might have to outsource the printing for larger bellows due to the size of my printer). There are 8 measurements required for tapered bellows and 4 for parallel bellows.

The DIY Bellows Kit is almost ready!

Free DIY Camera Bellows Kit for "beta" testers

3/4/2010 Update - I have now enough beta testers for the first round, but if you'd like to be considered for a second round (if that will be necessary), you can still apply as described below.

In order to test the website ordering system, the bellows CAD (Computer Aided Design) software as well as the clarity of the related instructions/directions/documentation in real life situations we would like some volunteers. In the first round only 5 kits will be offered to 5 participants. If additional rounds will be necessary, we will announce it at that time.

How it works.

You will submit a request to become part of this offer. If approved, you will use the web ordering process to place and order and pay for the kit (with a credit card through PayPal). You will be asked to use the online documentation to figure out what information to provide and how to proceed. The kit will be mailed to you. You will be required to assemble the kit into a bellows based on the instructions included within 2 weeks from receipt and keep notes of the challenges you encounter and how you resolved them, if you did. Once the bellows is complete, you will be required to take detailed pictures of the bellows you produced before and after it was mounted on the camera (if it could be mounted) and send them to us along with answers to a 20 question questionnaire which will be included with the kit (you are also welcome to send any additional comments). At this point your purchase cost, including shipping will be refunded. If these materials are not received within two weeks from the receipt date, you forfeit your right to the refund of the purchase cost & shipping. The pictures and comments you send may be used for promotion or other materials and your name maybe be used in conjunction to this material.

Limitations :

In addition to any limitation & terms listed in the product description :
a) This offer is for bellows for 4x5 cameras or smaller.
b) Only one free kit is offered per participant
c) This offer is for US residents only
d) To apply to be part of this offer, please register here : http://www.diycamerakit.com and then use the "Contact us" form to send the following information :

• Camera manufacturer & model (if available)
• Camera type (folding flatbed, folding pocket, monorail, etc).
• If you have the bellows that needs to be replaced or not
• When it comes to DIY camera projects, are you a novice/somewhat experienced/experienced
• Film format of the camera (2x3, 4x5, etc)

The applications are evaluated in the order they are received. We should be able to have you place your order and ship the kits within a week.

Status update

I've been working on getting the DIY Custom Camera Bellows Kit ready for sale. This work includes writing the illustrated instructions, creating the custom CAD software for designing the bellows, updating the website, etc. I'm am almost done so the kits should be available soon.

It took me longer then I anticipated because I decided that the initial limitations that the first version of the CAD program imposed were not acceptable. At this point we should be able to handle creating a kit for almost any camera. The remaining limitations will be included in the product description once it's enabled.

Thank you for your patience!

Starting small, first kit (4x5 Ground Glass Kit) is now available for sale!

The first kit is now available for sale here : www.diycamerakit.com. It's a kit for grinding 2 sheets of 4x5 ground glass for a 4x5 camera. The kits costs $14, which means you are getting a 4x5 ground glass for $7.

More ground glass kits will be available soon (single 4x5 sheet, single 8x10 sheet and possibly some other).

This is a trial run, there are only 8 kits available, so if you need to replace your ground glass, act now ;-)

2nd prototype and if testing goes well, maybe the last ...

Graflock back prototype pictures

Here are the latest pictures of the graflock back prototype (in construction). This is just a quick assembly to test fit, most of the bass parts are not finished yet.

Graflock back and other news

I made a decision to offer a graflock back as an optional feature and as an upgrade kit to the standard spring back. The upgrade kit will contain the arms connecting the ground glass carrier to the back, the hooks the arms connect to (to be mounted on the back) and the two sliding film holder locks (and all the hardware required). The upgrade can be done with just a screwdriver (or two) in 15 minutes or less.

I started to record the videos with the assembly instructions. It's more difficult then I anticipated, but it's coming along. As they are ready(ish) I will publish them, so stay tuned if you are curious to see them.

I am now writing up the full specifications of the camera and the options offered. Once this information is available, I will publish it and start accepting pre-orders (A pre-order is nothing more then a reservation, no payment or any obligation is required.). The first batch will be rather small, and the kits will be sold to in the order of the pre-order/order dates.

Custom Bellows Kit will be available really soon (a few weeks at most)!!

Have a camera that desperately needs new bellows? Got a quote for custom bellows that was more then what you paid for the camera? Well then, this should be good news for you ;-)



A Custom Bellows Kit will be made available within a few weeks, before the camera kit. Based on the dimensions you provide, we design the pattern for both the coverings and the stiffeners (the ribs which keep the bellows rigid and give it shape). Using the patterns, you cut the fabric and the stiffeners and assemble the bellows.


Limitations :


* the maximum width of the largest side is 12 inch (if you require a larger bellows, please contact us).

* the maximum length is 44 inch (if you require a longer bellows kit, please contact us)

* the bellows can be tapered or parallel

* the tapered bellows is center tapered (when folded, the center of both ends overlap)

* each end can be designed to connect to the frame at the inside/center/outside

* the bellows can be square or rectangular (most monorail cameras have square bellows, most folding camera with non-removable bellows are rectangular)

* the corners are of the "truncated" type (when folded and seen from the front or rear, the corners look truncated)

* the size of the folds is uniform (all folds have the same width)




The kit includes :


* outside cover synthetic material (grey, red or brown)

* (inside) liner material (black)

* pattern for cutting the cover & liner

* pattern of the ribs printed directly on the ribs material

* spray adhesive for the cover/stiffener/liner sandwitch

* contact cement for closing the bellows

* illustrated step by step instructions to assemble the bellows

* DVD with a video recording of a complete assembly process.



Tools & supplies needed (not provided) :

* utility cutter with NEW blade

* straight metal ruler (or a thin straight metal piece) to guide the cutter

* flat cutting/working surface (MDF board from local hardware store is perfect)

* low tack adhesive tape (painter's tape)

* protective equipment (gloves, mask)



Pricing
The exact pricing will be announced shortly, but will be based on the size of the bellows. Ball-parking, a kit for a 2x3 cameras would be about $30, a kit for a 4x5 camera should be $50 at most, a kit for an 8x10 camera about $80.