Want to Buy Burke & James extension rail

[kenklark]

Anyone have an extra 8.25" wide extension rail for a Burke & James view camera? It's for a 11x14 but I think they are the same regardless of view camera size. I'm short about 2 inches for my new lens!

Thanks!

Ken

 

[RPippin]

I may have something that might work. I have two extension rails for a 5X7 B&J. When I get back to the darkroom Monday, I'll measure the width and see if it is 8>25". If so I'll post a digital shot of it and send it off.

 

[kenklark]

Thanks!. But the 5x7 rails are 6.5 or so, I think. But I appreciate you checking...

 

[Charles Webb]

Hello,
Have been cruzing the December WTBs and saw your post for the extension back. I can't help you with that but can make a suggestion. You can build an extended lens board that will put your lens further forward so you can focus with the existing rail. The extension is simply a box mounted on a a new lensboard attached to the camera. Then copy/build a lens mount exactly like the cameras lens mount on the forward face of the 3 inch or so extension box. Your lens will mount in the newly made lens board holder on the extended lens board box. Darn, sounds more complicated than it really is. If you have any questions PM me. Many lenses were mounted on extended or even recessed lens boards/mounts in the glory days of the viewcamera.

C Webb

 

[Thomas Wilson]

Ken,

I'll show my ignorance and ask, what exactly is an "Extension rail?" If it is what I suspect, a type of clamp that joins two hex-rods together, would it not add considerable instability to the camera?

I have a B&J 5x7 set up that I wanted to take on my canoe trips, but found that the rail would not fit nicely in my Pelican case. I needed to cut about 1¼" off. I didn't want to destroy the rail so I went with plan "B."

I went to the local industrial supply house and had them cut a piece to fit. It is steel, not the lighter, fancier polished aluminum, but it works just fine. If I recall, the cost was about 60 cents per inch.

 

[Fotoguy20d]

The OP is talking about a wooden field camera, not the mono-rail. For an (there was a url link here which no longer exists). You can see the extra rail attached in the back.

Dan

 

[kenklark]

Thanks for the additional advice, guys. I was able to find my rail, which screws on to the back of rail so I can get max extension of my bellows.

 

[Thomas Wilson]

Thanks, Dan.
Now I get it!