camera case building

removed account4 · Jan 21, 2016

i have a empire 11x14 camera that arrived to me in a canvas covered thick cardboard box
inside was almost fur/nappy felt lined. it has a place for the extension rail as well as the camera and
extra film back and film holders. it is in pretty terrible condition ( covered with dirt, kind of ripped and worn out )
has anyone cut one of these to make a template, and covered a new cardboard cut box ( maybe 2 thin boxes cross-glued like plywood for strength )
with canvas and re-lined it ?
i've got small boxes for kodak folders, box cameras and 4x5 plate cameras but they seem to be made of something like wood ( seems hard like wood, and covered with moroccan leather )
... it seems like an easy task to fabricate one of these canvas covered fabric lined boxes.

is it as easy as it seems it might be or are there any "tricks" or problems i should watch out for ? i've made books before but never a box.

Sirius Glass · Jan 21, 2016

The slr/dslr cases the Bruce sold on photobackpack.com came with divider materials and velcro hinges and tape. I use them for all of my cameras, including two 4"x5" cameras, and even bought a spare. The slr/dslr case could handle much larger cameras. He has closed down his web site so I do not know if one could still buy his remaining supplies.

mdarnton · Jan 21, 2016

There's a material exactly like corrugated cardboard that's made of plastic that would be perfect for this. Sign shops use it and I think art stores sometimes have it. You could use spray adhesive and cover the finished box with fabric, too. I'm pretty sure it comes in more thicknesses than the below listings.
http://www.dickblick.com/products/corrugated-plastic-panels/
Or
http://www.uline.com/BL_1854/Plasti...gclid=CO_lxeChu8oCFQqPaQodWHoD4g&gclsrc=aw.ds

removed account4 · Jan 21, 2016

thanks mdarnton,

i'll look into that stuff.
those plastic sheets are lightweight, water resistant
and seem to cut easy with a blade/box cutter or sheers.
they might do the trick ! i wonder if i will be able to crease and fold
like scored cardboard. rigidness might be a factor ...

john

bdial · Jan 21, 2016

How about foam core?
I have some I got ages ago at Charrette that has a plastic facing instead of plastic, but I don't know who might carry it now.

Also, I saw some of the plastic corrugated stuff at a Home Depot a while back, it was stocked in the window section with the plexi.
Folding is probably possible, but you'd likely need to cut a v-shaped groove for the fold, then glue it.

Sirius Glass · Jan 21, 2016

I have used corrugated plastic sheets to build other projects and found that the material was well suited for my projects [example: a light shield to keep the bright light off the mounted computer used as a space photograph and topographical GPS used for offroading], but I have not used it for something structural. With reinforcement with gussets, corrugated plastic sheets may allow you to build something as strong as you need.

removed account4 · Jan 21, 2016

bdial said:
How about foam core?
I have some I got ages ago at Charrette that has a plastic facing instead of plastic, but I don't know who might carry it now.

Also, I saw some of the plastic corrugated stuff at a Home Depot a while back, it was stocked in the window section with the plexi.
Folding is probably possible, but you'd likely need to cut a v-shaped groove for the fold, then glue it.

thanks for the suggestions !

- john

AgX · Jan 21, 2016

mdarnton said:
There's a material exactly like corrugated cardboard that's made of plastic that would be perfect for this. You could use spray adhesive and cover the finished box with fabric, too.

It's Polypropylen. You can not glue it with spray-on cement.

mdarnton · Jan 21, 2016

Some one in the comments at Dick Blick there said that the art store product is treated to accept adhesives and that it works well.

wildbill · Jan 21, 2016

John, there are camera pack inserts made with the coroplast stuff and there's also a special cutter made to cut out on channel for folding purposes. I use this stuff all the time in the film industry and it's only about $12-15 for a 4x8 sheet. Velcro sticks to it as does Super 77 and headliner fabric.

John Koehrer · Jan 21, 2016

If you do a careful layout, you can do a "tab A into slot B" thing that should increase the rigidity. Bending it
with the grain shouldn't be any problem at all.

removed account4 · Jan 22, 2016

i'll keep all these things in mind !

removed account4 · Jan 22, 2016

Sirius Glass said:
The slr/dslr cases the Bruce sold on photobackpack.com came with divider materials and velcro hinges and tape. I use them for all of my cameras, including two 4"x5" cameras, and even bought a spare. The slr/dslr case could handle much larger cameras. He has closed down his web site so I do not know if one could still buy his remaining supplies.

BTW you posted a bad link ..

>>>>>>>>bruce's site is photobackpacker.com

i hope no one went to the site you posted, it's a malware deiivery system.

Sirius Glass · Jan 22, 2016

jnanian said:
BTW you posted a bad link ..

>>>>>>>>bruce's site is photobackpacker.com

i hope no one went to the site you posted, it's a malware deiivery system.

Thank you for posting the clarification.

removed account4 · Feb 20, 2016

ive got the box apart, skinned and the template will be made today.
i am missing some metal corners, any suggestions where to find them ? i've 3 out of the 4 of them ..
or any suggestions for one ? i was thinking of getting a sheet of the plexi and somehow
making a moulding for the bottom .. but i think the 4 corners would be loads easier.

Luckless · Feb 20, 2016

What style of corner are you looking for?

If you are going for function over style, then drywall corners are possibly the most common option that is cheap and easy to pick up. Carefully cut down the corner with a fine Dremel style cutting disk or a hacksaw and finish with files, then bend over to complete a corner and provide edge reinforcement. It is however not the most graceful look or lightest option.

I also hope you're snapping progress photos as you go.

removed account4 · Feb 20, 2016

h luckless
http://piercevaubel.com/cam/ekc/1.htm
see the corners on the box behind the camera
it is that sort of thing i am trying to replicate.
i will look at drywall corners, that might be fun !
i haven't snapped any pix yet, but will when i start cutting and making.

thanks for your suggestion !
john

Luckless · Feb 20, 2016

Well drywall corners are probably cruder than what you are looking for.

Searching for "Box corners" on Amazon and Ebay does give a fair number of results that would be far cleaner looking, or searching through the a hardware or arts and craft store. A simple enough bit of hardware, but I've found them to be annoyingly hit and miss in stores. One of those things I've only ever tried to buy like five times in my life, and they were all sold out and not getting restocked anytime soon for four of those times.

Another option for a relatively clean look, if less durable, that I've used in the past has been to simply make paper triangles out of heavy paper, and glue them in layers while clamped around a well squared block. They take paint well and are decently strong if you can throw a layer or two of fibreglass drywall tape between the paper with epoxy. (Just watch out how you clamp stuff of course. Few things make you feel as unskilled as a craftsman as gluing your tools to a table.)

John Koehrer · Feb 20, 2016

A woodworkers supply might do it for you. Rockler.com has a selection.

If you get tired of looking, angled brass from ye olde hobby shop can be a source for the raw material.

paul ron · Feb 20, 2016

are you looking for cabinet corner protectors?

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/555-13336

i use the on my guitar speaker and amps. they also have them in plastic.

removed account4 · Feb 21, 2016

john and paul
thanks for the suggestions !

AgX · Feb 21, 2016

Luckless said:
If you are going for function over style, then drywall corners are possibly the most common option that is cheap and easy to pick up.

What are drywall-corners ?

Luckless · Feb 21, 2016

AgX said:
What are drywall-corners ?

Very light angle iron with evenly spaced holes, they're screwed onto exposed corners when you're putting up drywall/plasterboard so that if something knocks into them then less damage is done. Very cheap and easy to cut with snips. I've used them for edge reinforcement on storage boxes where two panels join, and splitting down the corner lets you fold the tabs in for a box corner where three panels join.

AgX · Feb 21, 2016

How did you fasten them? With rivets or by glueing?

resummerfield · Feb 21, 2016

Check http://www.reliablehardware.com/ They provide all types of hardware and materials for making shipping or traveling cases, mainly for musicians and musical instruments. The hardware may be slightly large for your purposes, but they may have something smaller that would work. I've used them, with good results.

camera case building

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