Bellows fabric

Lachlan717
Posts: 505
Joined: 03 Aug 2012, 16:49

Bellows fabric

Postby Lachlan717 » 26 Jan 2015, 13:25

Can anyone please point me towards a source of bellows fabric (outer)?

I've seen some good looking black, rubberised block-out fabric at Spotlight; however, I'm not sure that it will survive without pinholes in the long run...

Thanks in advance.

andrewch59
Posts: 91
Joined: 08 Sep 2013, 12:56
Location: Stanthorpe, QLD

Re: Bellows fabric

Postby andrewch59 » 22 Mar 2015, 11:05

Hi Lachlan, unsure if you had any success or not, but try thorlabs. When I have time I have a large old wood camera with over a meter of bellows, I will be going to this site for my material. Also if you need direction on how to make bellows I found a good set of instructions.
Regards Andrew
(The instructions are for square bellows)

Lachlan717
Posts: 505
Joined: 03 Aug 2012, 16:49

Re: Bellows fabric

Postby Lachlan717 » 22 Mar 2015, 17:39

Good on you, Andrew! Thanks. I'll have a look. I'm pretty good with the build, but just stand by in case I've bitten off more than I can chew.

Thanks again.

Ray Heath
Posts: 146
Joined: 15 Oct 2012, 13:21
Location: Lower Hunter Valley, NSW

Re: Bellows fabric

Postby Ray Heath » 12 Nov 2017, 17:13

Hey guys I recently acquired an antique wooden camera.
It has no makers markings but from online research it is probably an Underwood Instanto circa 1896.
The bellows has been 50% eaten by cockroaches.
I've have not been able to find good instructions for making square non-tapering bellows.

Could you possibly point me in the right direction?

download/file.php?mode=view&id=500
Attachments
2017-10-03-UnderwoodVintageCamera-Tenambit-03-Sml.jpg
Ray

Frank Meadow Sutcliffe's photographs are "a bridge that spans the widening gulf of time" (Michael Hiley 1979, 5).

andrewch59
Posts: 91
Joined: 08 Sep 2013, 12:56
Location: Stanthorpe, QLD

Re: Bellows fabric

Postby andrewch59 » 14 Nov 2017, 00:22

Ray I searched for the site, but it doesn't seem to be active any longer. The name is Joe smigiel and he did have directions on making square bellows. I have the file saved but unfortunately it has no diagrams with it:

Construction of a Square Camera Bellows

Construction of a Square Camera Bellows



by Joe Smigiel





Background and Bellows Design Considerations

Several years ago I decided to take up ultra large-format photography (ULF) as I
have slowly moved towards practicing alternative process printing methods
exclusively. These processes, Van Dyke Brownprinting, Cyanotype, and Gum
Bichromate in my case, require large negatives for contact printing since the
emulsions employed are so slow. Since I have always enjoyed the 11"x14" print
format I decided to migrate to that camera format.

I quickly realized that only a few modern field cameras could handle the large
portrait lenses I wished to use on the camera so I decided to build camera
specifically to take into the field, but geared to portraiture and figurative
work. I wanted to employ these barrel lenses but also wished to have some sort
of working shutter. I settled on a large synched #6 Packard Shutter that had an
opening diameter of 5" to accommodate the large glass of the lenses. This
particular shutter is 8.5" square and this has many ramifications for the design
of the camera: large lensboards and wide, sturdy front standards are needed to
mount the large lenses and shutter. And, as a result, any bellows for the camera
must surround the large shutter if it is to be mounted internally within the
camera.

I also wanted to use these long focal length portrait lenses on nearby subjects
so a large bellows extension was called for. I eventually ordered a custom
bellows from Camera Bellows, Ltd. for the 11x14 camera and was very pleased with
the product although it cost several hundred dollars.

Midway through the 11x14 camera building project I was struck with the desire to
try wetplate collodion photography. Wetplate requires a special back and plate
holder for the camera. At first I planned on adapting one of my other cameras
with a special wetplate back, but decided to build a camera from scratch
instead, again wishing it to accommodate the large portrait lenses and Packard
Shutter. This time I decided to build the entire camera including the bellows.
The reasons for this were a potential cost savings compared to ordering a custom
product, but, more significantly, I wanted to see if I could completely design
and craft the entire camera myself. Having enjoyed the hand-crafted aspect of
the alternative printing processes and now anticipating pouring my own glass
plates, I believe the crafting of the camera will add to the inherent
satisfaction I'll derive from this photographic process.

In terms of design considerations it became apparent that I would need a bellows
that could circumscribe the 8.5" square shutter and also allow for the
traditional full-plate dimension of 6.5" x 8.5" at the rear of the camera. I'd
need a little flex room to clear the plate, shutter and camera box, so I decided
to construct a square bellows with an inside dimension of 9.25" and 11.25" for
the outer perimeter. This would give me pleat dimension of 1" and while
increasing the size of the camera a bit, I thought that best since I"m only a
novice woodworker and wanted to simplify the camera construction if I could.

I also wanted a bellows extension that would allow a life-sized magnification
(1:1) with the normal focal length (~10.75") for the full-plate format. This
gave a target extension of approximately 22" for the bellows. Taking into
account the fact that the folds of the bellows reduce the overall length by a
factor of about 1.3x, I targeted 30 (22" x 1.3 = 28.6") as convenient number of
1" fold panels/pleats to be incorporated in the bellows.

The square bellows design would also simplify the camera box construction and
easily allow for making a reversible back to do both horizontal and vertical
photographs.

So, there's the logic in why I needed a square bellows of the size I
constructed. Now all I had to do was figure out how to make the bellows.

The references I had seen to making camera bellows were all helpful to some
degree, but all modern information concerned constructing a tapering bellows.
Such a bellows allows for a larger compression (i.e., minimum extension), but
that was not one of my primary design parameters. (And the finished bellows I
made compresses to under 2" anyways.) For others making more traditional
landscape field cameras where weight and size are more of a concern, that sort
of bellows may be more desirable.

If so, you may wish to check Doug Bardell's web page as well as James Vail's
camera making page. Both sources added insight into the bellows making process.
(I also had downloaded a somewhat cryptic pdf file of an old Deardorff bellows
construction page, but I'm not sure that information is still available online.)
The July/August 1996 issue of View Camera magazine also had a very helpful
article on constructing a bellows written by Mike Robinson. The final source I
consulted was a reprint of Paul Hasluck's 1901 "Photographic Cameras and
Accessories: Comprising How to Make Cameras, Dark Slides, Shutters, and Stands"
(ISBN 1-55918-252-0). The latter source only has a couple pages devoted to
bellows making, but it does cover making square as well as tapering bellows and
it has drawings and plans for constructing a variety of cameras and other
equipment. Following construction of my first bellows, I was subsequently
referred to another online instructional source for constructing a square
bellows at Daniel Rhoades' website . His directions and design are different
than mine and so present an opportunity to compare notes. For a good general
list of cameramakers online see Jon Grepstad's cameramakers links page.

In effect, I was pretty much on my own when it came to making a square bellows
although I did find the View Camera article helpful in envisioning the bellows
pattern. Taking a little bit of direction from each of the references above, I
embarked on the bellows construction.


General Directions for Constructing a Square Bellows

Major materials include the outer lightproof bellows fabric, paper stiffeners,
and the inner black lining material. (Some other online sources list the liner
as optional.) The stiffeners are glued to the inside surface of the bellows
material and become sandwiched between that outer layer and the inner liner
material when the latter is glued in place. These stiffeners should be cut 1/8"
smaller than the width of the bellows pleats in order to allow the bellows to
fold compactly. In my design, there are two stiffener shapes employed:
rectangles and trapezoids.

In many ways the construction of a square bellows is simpler than that of a
tapering bellows. It is much easier to draw the pattern (Figure 1) of the former
and since the bellows is fairly uniform throughout, dimensioning and cutting the
pleat stiffeners was easier. Tapered bellows are generally constructed
inside-out and then inverted by pulling the small end through the larger end
(much like pulling an inverted shirtsleeve back into place when folding the
laundry). I couldn't see how this could be done with a square bellows without
damaging the integrity of the stiffeners, so I forewent that procedure and
constructed my square bellows without inverting it. (In retrospect, I don't see
why this procedure is actually recommended when constructing a tapering bellows.
I imagine gluing the stiffeners and liner would be just as easy with the
tapering pattern as with the square design when following my procedure.) A
square form constructed from foamcore (figure ) and just slightly smaller (-1/4"
on each side) helped in gluing the bellows seam and in the initial folding of
the bellows. While the bellows can be constructed without this form, I found it
helpful to use.

Once the extension of the bellows has been determined and the desired dimension
of the inside square opening and the width of the pleats is known (either by
measurement of the old bellows or by a new design), the material for the bellows
and liner can be cut. The pleat width is usually 1" or wider for 8"x10" or
larger formats, and generally around 5/8" wide for smaller cameras. Plan on
leaving a few extra inches of material on the ends for attaching the completed
bellows to a bellows frame or directly to the camera.

You will also need to plan for an overlap of material for the bellows seam which
is located on the underside. I suggest having a seam width equal to the width of
one pleat. In constructing my bellows I used enough material for 5 full widths
of the bellows to simplify the cutting of the diagonal seam edges (Figure 1).
Cutting the seam diagonally allows the bellows to compress further. If the seam
were cut straight, the cumulative thickness of the overlapping seam material
impedes the compression of the bellows. Having a diagonal seam minimizes the
overlap and thickness problem.



Figure 1. General bellows layout. Note the diagonal seam line.


Bellows Layout and Construction

Important dimensions to consider in constructing the square bellows (Figure 2):
Inner opening width : A


Pleat width : B


Outer dimension of bellows : C = A + 2B


Length of rectangular stiffener: D = A - 1/8"


Width of rectangular and trapezoidal stiffeners: E = B - 1/8"


Minor length of trapezoidal stiffener: F = D = A - 1/8"


Major length of trapezoidal stiffener (see note below on cutting this shape):
G = C - 1/8"


Overall width of material used : 5A +3B + 4B


Overall length of material used: (extension desired x 1.3 x B) + 4B








Figure 2. Bellows stiffeners layout pattern detail. Note that a 1/8" gap exists
between each stiffener edge to facilitate folding of the bellows.


Construction Steps:
In a well ventilated space, find a large uncluttered horizontal surface to
layout the bellows design on the material.


Cut the material used for the bellows to size and secure it to the surface
using masking tape. (I used a rubberized nylon fabric for this layer. The
outer surface has a nice sheen to it which I felt complimented the look of the
finished project.) Be sure to lay the bellows material out as flat as possible
and have the inner (rubberized) surface up. I would also suggest masking off
an area around the perimeter of the material with paper toweling to avoid
getting adhesives on the surface upon which the bellows material is laid.


At a distance from one edge of the material equal to a distance of 2B, begin
drawing the first bellows panel and corner design (the white lines evident
between stiffeners in Figure 2) on the fabric using a sewing fabric pencil. A
large carpenter's square or steel yardstick/meterstick will facilitate the
drawing process.


Repeat drawing the panel design for the remaining sides and corners. When
finished you should have 5 panels of inner opening width A separated by 3
squares of width pleat B (figure 2).


Draw a zig-zag pattern of 45-degree diagonal lines in each corner square. The
diagonals should be mirror images of one another on opposite sides of the
panels (again consult figure 2).


At this point you may wish to draw a straight line 1/16" from one edge of each
panel. This line will aid in laying out the stiffeners later on. An
alternative is to draw a straight line the entire length of each panel from
the panel midpoint and make a similar mark on the stiffener material sheet at
its midpoint before the individual stiffeners are cut to size.


Come in about 1/5th of the width of the leftmost panel and make a mark at the
top of the panel (Figure 1). Make another mark the same distance away from the
rightmost side of the same panel at the bottom edge. Draw a straight line
between these two points and extend it beyond the fabric onto the horizontal
supporting surface. This will become part of the bellows seam. (The reason for
extending the line off the material will become obvious as the bellows seam is
cut just prior to final assembly.)


Repeat this procedure on the rightmost panel but allow for an overlap of the
two edge panel sections equal to the pleat width B when the seam lines are
cut. (For example, with a bellows of 1" pleat width and inner opening equal to
10" the seam line on the leftmost panel would start 2" in from the left top
and run diagonally to a point 2" in from the right bottom of that panel. On
the opposite side panel, the beginning of the diagonal seam line would start
at 3" from the left top panel edge and extend to a point 1" in from the bottom
right of that panel. When the seam lines are cut and the bellows assembled,
this will produce a diagonal seam overlap of 1" on the bottom panel of the
completed bellows. Reference Figure 1 again.)


Cut the stiffeners to size. (I used a drafting 45-degree right triangle taped
to the square guides of a rotary paper trimmer to facilitate the cutting of
the trapezoidal stiffeners. Rectangles of the proper width were aligned
against the triangle so the blade intercepted the stiffener at the corner thus
cutting a 45-degree angle on the end. The procedure was then repeated on the
opposite end of the stiffener to form the trapezopidal shape of correct
length. I will upload a photograph of the setup soon.) You will need to cut 4
panels' worth of stiffeners. For example, if you decide to construct a bellows
with 30 pleats per panel, you would need 120 stiffeners. I would suggest
cutting a few extras in case you ruin a couple during gluing of the stiffeners
to the bellows material. For the set of stiffeners designated for the seam
layer, I lined up the stiffeners ahead of time and cut them, first for the
rightmost panel and then for the leftmost one, so that the stiffener material
would not be present in the seam overlap. This essentially cut out a piece of
material from the center of each individual stiffener equal to the pleat
width. If this is not done and the stiffeners are left intact, then they must
be applied to one panel and left partially uncemented until the seam is glued
at the final construction step. (I thought the double thickness of the
material forming the seam would compensate for any compromising of integrity
of the stiffeners in that seamed panel so I went ahead and cut those
stiffeners. In retrospect, I believe this made the final gluing of the seam
and the folding of the bellows much easier and did not impact the integrity of
the bellows to any practical degree.)


Apply the spray adhesive to the bellows material and the reverse side of the
stiffeners. You may wish to only do a small section or single panel at one
time. (If you won't be employing liner material, you will need to avoid
getting adhesive in the 1/8" fold gap between stiffeners. If that is your
plan, you should probably use contact cement and carefully apply it to both
surfaces using a brush.) You should be able to view the drawn pattern through
the adhesive. (I used a headliner spray adhesive and found this preferable to
contact cement largely because of ease of application, bond strength, and
reduced curing time. The contact cement also soaked into the porous liner
fabric and required several coats when I experimented with it. I also believe
the spray adhesive didn't produce the same volume of noxious fumes as the
contact cement.)


Coming in 1/16" from the top of each drawn pleat, affix the stiffeners to the
bellows material lining up the corners of the stiffeners with the guide mark
drawn previously. This should result in the rectangular stiffeners being 1/16"
in from the corner folds and edges of the pleats. Likewise, the trapezoidal
stiffeners will also be 1/16" in from the pleat and corner fold edges. Be sure
to press the stiffeners firmly and accurately into place. If done properly,
this produces a gap of 1/8" between each stiffener and allows the bellows to
fold easily along this unreinforced material. Note how pairs of rectangular
stiffeners alternate with pairs of trapezoidal stiffeners within and between
the panels (Figure 1). I believe this pattern minimized the thickness of the
corners while at the same time helped reinforce the folds in both the
horizontal and vertical panels. (Other bellows designs usually have the
trapezoidal stiffeners all on the top and bottom panels with no stiffeners
from the side panels extending into the corners. My design may not have made
any difference, but I believe it helped make the bellows easier to fold. I'll
have to compare this technique with the more standard one on a different
bellows project in the future.)


At this point you may wish to let the adhesive cure overnight.


Apply adhesive to the combined bellows fabric and stiffener layer.


Carefully lay the liner material over the bellows and stiffener layer taking
care to avoid wrinkling the fabric as it is applied. (You will probably find
this task easier if you enlist the aid of another person or two.)


Using the guide marks previously extended onto the horizontal surface surround
the bellows material, redraw the seam diagonals on the liner fabric.


Using a sharp pair of scissors, cut the two diagonals which will form the
seam.


Carefully apply adhesive to the surfaces of the seam overlap which will be
joined. The way I did this was to first fold the rightmost panel back towards
the center of the bellows. I placed a layer of paper toweling between this
panel and the underlying layer along the fabric diagonal. Using masking tape,
I then masked off the material leaving just the width of the seam overlap to
receive the adhesive. I also used masking tape in a similar fashion at the
seam overlap for the leftmost panel. Note that one panel receives adhesive on
its outer surface and the other gets the glue on the inside surface assuring a
strong bond when the seam is overlapped.


Carefully overlap the seam and press it together firmly. At this point, I took
a piece of masonite (any flat board would do) and laid it over the flattened
bellows. I used a number of books as weights on top of the masonite panel to
press the bellows seam together. Let the adhesive cure for another hour or so
before removing the weight.


After removing the weight, when you pick up the bellows you will find it is
now more or less in the shape of a tube. (Previously I had constructed a form
out of foamcore just slightly smaller than the intended bellows and I slipped
the bellows tube over the form leaving about 3"-4" off the form. The form is
totally optional but may aid in the folding process. I really don't think you
need it in order to finish the bellows, however I had read somewhere that it
was useful so I constructed one ahead of time.) The bellows should form a sort
of orthorhombic shape as you straighten the panels and lift the tube. At this
point grasp the first and second pleat on one panel and form the first fold in
the bellows. Go to the opposite panel and pinch the first two pleats together
there to form a similar fold.


Next turn the bellows 90-degrees and fold the first pair of pleats on that
panel in the opposite direction of the two you did previously. (In other
words, if the first fold on the top and bottom surface formed a crest outward,
the first fold on the side panels should form a trough inward.) You may have
to "pop" the corner fold into place since it will want to go in the opposite
direction. Turn the bellows and repeat this fold on the opposite side.


Return to the first panel and make the next fold. Repeat the folding procedure
above for opposite and then adjacent sides and the bellows will soon begin to
take on the accordion appearance. I found it helpful to use small clamps to
secure the initial and later folds in place until the entire bellows was
folded. I used large binder clips and some small plastic woodworking
"A-clamps" to secure the folds as I progressed. (Take care not to puncture the
surface of the bellows using such clamps.) After the first couple folds, the
procedure became second nature and I was able to complete folding the 30"
bellows in about two minutes.


Compress the folded bellows and then place it under weight to set the folds
overnight.


Using the extra material at each end, fasten the bellows to your bellows frame
and/or camera.


The Completed Bellows





Figure 3. The completed square bellows.





Figure 4. The completed bellows next to a 35mm camera for scale. The black
foamcore construction form is also shown.



Suggested Material List
Outer bellows materials: I used "Darkroom Cloth" sold by Porter"s Camera Store
- this is a thin rubberized nylon material. Porter"s sells two types of
blackout cloth. I used the thinner, more expensive material.


Inner Liner Material: I used a 150 denier black matte polyester "Supersuede"
from Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics. This was a special order. Similar material
can probably be found at a local fabric store.


Stiffeners: Cut from black posterboard. Manila folder material or even a paper
such as 300# watercolor paper could also probably be used.


Adhesives: I used a variety of adhesives on my initial bellows, largely
because I ran out of my preferred adhesive and had some of the other cements
purchased for the project. I preferred to use a spray product named "Heads Up
Quick-Fix Headliner Adhesive" which I found at a local automotive supply and
which is manufactured by Heads Up Industries in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
(telephone 954-472-3300). I also used DAP Contact Cement for the seam but
would use the headliner spray adhesive for this purpose next time.


1" wide masking tape


paper toweling


fabric pencil for drawing the bellows pattern on the fabric


sewing scissors


large carpenters' square, t-square, yardstick or meterstick for layout


12 small A-clamps, large paper binder clips, or alligator clothespins


rotary paper trimmer and drafting 45-degree right triangle (both optional)




Questions? Email: Joe Smigiel (jsmigiel@net-link.net)


This page last updated 07/17/05

Ray Heath
Posts: 146
Joined: 15 Oct 2012, 13:21
Location: Lower Hunter Valley, NSW

Re: Bellows fabric

Postby Ray Heath » 14 Nov 2017, 08:51

Thanks Andrew, I appreciate you taking the time to post this.

It may well get me started if nothing else.

How did you go with your restoration project?

Ray
Ray

Frank Meadow Sutcliffe's photographs are "a bridge that spans the widening gulf of time" (Michael Hiley 1979, 5).

andrewch59
Posts: 91
Joined: 08 Sep 2013, 12:56
Location: Stanthorpe, QLD

Re: Bellows fabric

Postby andrewch59 » 15 Nov 2017, 00:40

Ray, I had a good look at what it was going to cost me in time, materials and mistakes to make the bellows, I opted to have them made. Its quite economical to get them made, there is a maker in China I believe is said to do a good job, and the place I approached in the UK. Unfortunately my timing was way out and when it came to pay the pound had spiked against the dollar and I paid almost double the initial quote. I couldn't be happier with the professional job they did though, I could never have achieved the same result.
The only thing I have yet to do is make a 8x10 spring back adapter for the vageeswari, as I find slipping an old English wet plate holder in and out quite a chore, as I shroud it in a big light proof sock to avoid light leaks.
You are fortunate to have a spring back already made up. Unusual that a English camera has an American spring back?? That lens looks pretty desirable, can you tell me what it is?
Regards Andrew

Ray Heath
Posts: 146
Joined: 15 Oct 2012, 13:21
Location: Lower Hunter Valley, NSW

Re: Bellows fabric

Postby Ray Heath » 15 Nov 2017, 09:42

G'day Andrew
I acquired the camera and three lenses from a Facebook friend who bought them and some other old gear to save it all from being dumped.

One of the lenses is a smaller Ross petzval of about 165mm focal length for which I've built a simple 5x4 box camera, though I've yet to really test it out. I was planning a 5x8 camera but the lens doesn't cover much more than 5x4.

2017-10-04-5x4PetzvalLensCamera-Tenambit-Sml.jpg


The other two lenses are physically much larger and seem to be around 300mm focal length. One has no markings whilst the other is marked "Hermagis No.5 Serial No.33,066". My online research suggest this lens is a petzval made in 1898.

I've the cleaned the dirt from the glass and brass work and was pleased to see the lens elements are in great condition.

The original lens board is missing from the camera and was replaced with a horrible piece of Masonite with a brass fitting that suits both larger lenses.

The rear board also appears not genuine and the spring back is some strange size around 4.75 x 6 inches.
Ray

Frank Meadow Sutcliffe's photographs are "a bridge that spans the widening gulf of time" (Michael Hiley 1979, 5).

andrewch59
Posts: 91
Joined: 08 Sep 2013, 12:56
Location: Stanthorpe, QLD

Re: Bellows fabric

Postby andrewch59 » 15 Nov 2017, 11:15

The Hermagis, depending on actual focal length, which is relatively easy to calculate, could be worth its weight, I just sold a 330mm Hermagis Petzval for a tidy profit.
Wow you seem to be quite a handyman that box camera looks great. The other, in desperate need of bellows, seems to have the uk sliding rear standard on it, to fit english wet plate holders.
Good find anyhow

Ray Heath
Posts: 146
Joined: 15 Oct 2012, 13:21
Location: Lower Hunter Valley, NSW

Re: Bellows fabric

Postby Ray Heath » 15 Nov 2017, 11:38

How would you calculate the focal length?

Where would be a good place to sell such a lens?
Ray

Frank Meadow Sutcliffe's photographs are "a bridge that spans the widening gulf of time" (Michael Hiley 1979, 5).


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