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.

Prototype update

Over the last week while still waiting for the gear stock for the geared focus I played with the camera pretending I was taking pictures and found some issues, the most important being too much flex in the front standard. So I redesigned it to beef it up a bit. I also re-designed some other parts to reduce the machining required to make them and to strengthen the frame. Now I need to wait for brass stock to arrive to remake some of the parts. Grrr. On the up side, the gear stock arrived and I figured out how to economically make gears, so that's a hurdle I got over. The next challenge is the gearing rack. For the prototype I used off the shelf gearing rack, but it's unreasonably expensive for a production run, so I need to find either a cheaper reliable source of make it myself.

Prototype (almost) operational!

This weekend the prototype became almost operational. It can take pictures ( I took one picture on expired Polariod 57 film), but I'm still waiting for the focusing gears I ordered last week and there are a handful of other parts still missing. The wood and brass is not finished (the wood will be stained a bit darker and covered with satin poly and the brass will be polished).

The bellows came out very nice. As a matter of fact, I will very likely offer a semi-universal 4x5 tapered bellows kit first (and very soon). It's "semi" universal because the customer will be able to choose the size of the large & small ends by cutting the ends at various folds but the extension will obviously depend on where it's being cut. As such, you may not get the extension of your original bellows. The bellows may also not fit cameras with very thin bellows because it may not allow them to fold, nor will it fit cameras with non-square bellows or cameras with belows that taper off center. Full instructions to make sure the bellows resulted would be useful to you will be provided. But stay tuned, details will follow soon.


Here are some pictures of the prototype.

Prototype update

Here are some more picture of the prototype coming along (please note that as with the other pictures, some of the parts are temporarily mounted as there are still missing parts such as spacers, re-inforcements, plates, etc). One of the pictures shows the camera at full extension, the other it shows the camera at full front raise. The other good news is that I finished the first draft of the bellows design, and I sent out the stifeners to be cut. If I get them back today, I could have a functional camera by the end of the weekend!

New pictures of the prototype

More of the prototype pictures with the usual disclaimer (the components may be rough cut, unfinished, aesthetically challenged, subject to change in the final product, parts were assembled with missing components (spacers, washers), aluminum rivets were used for convenience and so on).

The pictures are provided only as an idea on where I am with the project and how the camera will look in general. Any details should be ignored for now.