Camera Makers of Seattle Unite!

barryjyoung · Jan 24, 2006

Hello APUG!

If you are over the Seahawks beating up on North Carolina, we should meet again this weekend. The shop will be open Saturday and Sunday for anybody who wants to peek in and see what we are up to. This week the shop will be opening at 9AM and closing when we are bushed and need a movie. We will be making the Front Focus Frame and doing the box joints. Yay! woodworking again, getting sick of making knobs. Hopefully by the end of the day we should have several cameras with their first moving parts. We will be making all of the parts that move the lens for focusing. This involves a little metal lathe work, but an aspect new to some of the members, using dies in the tailstock to thread the focus rod. Also we will solder the pinions in place on the rods. Then we will mate metal with wood by installing the focus and focus lock knobs and we will finally get to see if the lock works as well as it should.

Anyone who is interested is invited, email me for directions.

We are finally past the drudgery and into a new and exciting phase of camera construction. If you have a pet Llama, bring him too.

barryjyoung · Jan 30, 2006

I just spent 45 minutes crafting a message telling you what we did this weekend and attaching pics. When I hit the submit button apug server could not be found. Sorry.

barryjyoung · Feb 6, 2006

OK, I will try again to tell you what happened weekend before last.

I opened the shop about 9AM and Ben Hopson showed up to start work right on time. We tried using the new tenoning jig I made for the table saw. We ran into lots of problems. The 14 inch bandsaw had a blade that was so long that the upper wheel rubbed on the cover. The 9 inch bandsaw would not track a blade. We tried a new dado blade set that I bought cheap but because of the bevel ground into the outside blades, it left slots and tenons that were not flat on the bottom of the cuts. So off we went to buy a couple of regular saw blades. We bought two brand new saw blades to stack on the saw arbor and they were both bent. Sheesh! If we didnt have bad luck, we wouldnt have any. Finally we went back to making multiple passes with the regular blade and produced good tenons and open mortices. At one point one of the custom cam clamps I made slipped and a nearly finished frame rail went flying out of the jig. Replacing that part from scratch we were able to make two focus frames that looked great.

Schwinn Paramount showed up shortly after we had glued the first good frames. We started making his frames and because we werent paying enough attention, we had to replace many parts for his cameras. Several times! We stuck with it though and were able to produce one good frame for him as well on Sunday.

It was a very long weekend with very little work actually finished. What did get finished though was top notch.

Between that Sunday and now I have added a digital readout to the thickness planer which will hopefully speed up thicknessing operations. I made an extended knob for the knurling tool which we use on the lathe to knurl the knobs. It is WAY easier now to knurl knobs without having to get a wrench close to the spinning chuck jaws to adjust the knurling tool.

I also added a lamp to the milling machine (Which will be CNC equipped within the next couple of months).

So there was progress, but it was a tremendous amount of work. We still do not have any moving parts, but the next time we meet we will.

barryjyoung · Feb 6, 2006

Shop will be open this weekend

The shop will be open both days this coming weekend, all are invited, please email me for directions if you would like to come by and see what SCM is up to

barryjyoung · Feb 13, 2006

Saturday successful, Sunday,,,not.

Saturday, three members showed up. Ben Hopson, Schwinn Paramount and his son Andrew Paramount.

Schwinn Paramount made a focus frame and a half on the tablesaw and router table. Ben Hopson and Andrew Paramount found a way to hold and mill .032 thick stainless steel vertically in the milling machine and proceeded to make front focus shaft springs.

Barry was pretty much on break all day as usual.

Sunday Magic823 and his lovely wife Sharon showed up on Sunday but I was so sleepy from taking breaks the day before that I had laid down to take a nap and did not hear them when they knocked on the door.

barryjyoung · Jul 5, 2006

Finally!! The milling machine conversion to CNC (Computer Numerical Control) is completed as well as the changes to the drawings to bring them up to Revision D. We will be meeting in Edmonds on Saturday to run the first brass parts on the CNC mill. Also I will be gloating over the results from the new sliding miter fixture I made for the table saw which allows making miters 8 inches long that are so accurate there is no light visible between the part and a precision machinists square.

Ben Hopson and myself have completed the new 4 piece mitered baseboards and will be moving on to the standards next. The new revisions feauture a MUCH more stable baseboard similar in construction to a Deardorff, it STAYS flat. Also the entire front standard is made of metal which will be stiffer and better looking.

Revision C drawings are now available for sale for $50 plus $5 shipping to US addresses. There are 98 CAD (Computer Aided Drawing) drawings plus a 3 page parts list. All are on 8.5 x 11 plain paper.

Everyone is invited, please email me for directions.

Barry Young
cameramaker.com

donbga · Jul 5, 2006

barryjyoung said:
Finally!! The milling machine conversion to CNC (Computer Numerical Control) is completed as well as the changes to the drawings to bring them up to Revision D. We will be meeting in Edmonds on Saturday to run the first brass parts on the CNC mill. Also I will be gloating over the results from the new sliding miter fixture I made for the table saw which allows making miters 8 inches long that are so accurate there is no light visible between the part and a precision machinists square.

Ben Hopson and myself have completed the new 4 piece mitered baseboards and will be moving on to the standards next. The new revisions feauture a MUCH more stable baseboard similar in construction to a Deardorff, it STAYS flat. Also the entire front standard is made of metal which will be stiffer and better looking.

Revision C drawings are now available for sale for $50 plus $5 shipping to US addresses. There are 98 CAD (Computer Aided Drawing) drawings plus a 3 page parts list. All are on 8.5 x 11 plain paper.

Everyone is invited, please email me for directions.

Barry Young
cameramaker.com

What formats are the plans available?

Thanks,

barryjyoung · Jul 6, 2006

Hi Don:

The plans are only available in 8x10 format.

Thanks for the interest.

magic823 · Jul 6, 2006

Barry, I may try to show up. What time are you looking at? We are still in town (waiting to sell the house).

Steve

barryjyoung · Jul 7, 2006

Hi Steve:

It would be awesome if you could make it. I haven't seen you in way too long.

So far I have three people showing up after 9 AM sometime. It is hard for me to drag my butt out of bed after working all night Friday night but that is why they make coffee. If the camera factory (garage) door is sht just bang real loud on the door. Email me if you need driving directions or an address. Please don't laugh at how little progress has been made. It took several months to get my milling machine converted to CNC. Not to mention working 14 hour shifts at the salt mine. Sure would be great to see you again.

Jim Fitzgerald · Jul 7, 2006

Barry, Will you be offering parts for sale? I may need some gear track and a couple of nobs for the 8x20 I'm building. The track I have now is from a Kodak 2-d as are the nobs. I know you have your priorities, just wanted to know if it is a possibility.

Stay Focused

Jim

barryjyoung · Jul 7, 2006

Hi Jim:

Yes, all of the parts for the cameras I will be selling in kit form will be available individually for those building cameras of their own design.

The gear racks you seek and the matching pinions required are available at McMaster Carr Industrial Supply which is where I buy them. You can find them at

http://www.mcmaster.com/

As for the knobs, I custom make them. I sell 1 inch diameter solid brass knurled knobs tapped 10-32 part number 1A07 for $8.50 each and 3/4 inch diameter solid brss knurled knobs tapped 10-32 part number 1D07 for $7.50 each. I have attached a photo.

I hope that helps.

Thanks for your inquiry.

Jim Fitzgerald said:
Barry, Will you be offering parts for sale? I may need some gear track and a couple of nobs for the 8x20 I'm building. The track I have now is from a Kodak 2-d as are the nobs. I know you have your priorities, just wanted to know if it is a possibility.

Stay Focused

Jim

Jim Fitzgerald · Jul 7, 2006

Barry, thanks for the info and the link. Let me know what I need to do to buy 2 of the large nobs from you. Also, the pinons that I have from an old Kodak 2-D are in good shape and I just need to buy more track. How do I determine the pitch of the tracks? Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Jim

barryjyoung · Aug 2, 2006

We had a sort of a meeting a few weeks ago and I never really reported on it. Two other members showed up. Ben Hopson and our founder Steve Allen. We sat and gabbed mostly since it has been a very long time since we have seen Steve. Steve brought the tiniest and lightest 4x5 field camera Ben or I had ever seen. It was a Toko brand which looked very very much like a Wista, it most certainly had a Wistaish rear swing mechanisms, but there were other differences. One of the locking levers on the rear swing had broken its attach screw so we set out to make a new screw. Got the screw all made and the screw slot all filed out by hand, then proceeded to tap the hole a bit oversize for the new screw since I didn't have the right pitch metric tap. then when there was 1/ turn left to go on the tapping of the hole the unthinkable happened. The #4-40 tap broke off in Steve's camera. It broke off short and there was NO way to get it out of the steel piece it was wedged into. I got real sick all of a sudden. Making a new steel piece like that would take hours and involve many headaches. It would require setting up the rotary table (PITA) since my CNC has too much backlash to trust to mill a hex that small. Then Steve who was handling his emotions way better than I was handling mine says "could you just make two knobs? We all looked at it and why not? It didn't NEED levers did it? 20 minutes later Steve had a smile on his face as bright as his two new knurled brass knobs. They even looked factory.

So this meeting was more of a "fix Steve's Toko" meeting than a camera building meeting, but we will be on track soon now that the milling machine is going and we have learned a really good way to cut brass. That Toko was so cool and compact and lightweight. I want one.

photomc · Aug 2, 2006

Thanks for the update Barry, yep know that sound all to well. My brother was restore a 1942 Ford Jeep and was torquing the last bolt on the fuel pump after many trials they had gone through...grage full of people....and then that crack. Seems the old bolt was not one of the originals (F stamp) and must have been weak to start with.

Sounds like you guys went on the roller coaster for a while...glad it turned out so well.

barryjyoung · Aug 2, 2006

Thanks Mike, it was an awful feeling to break a tap off in a guys newused camera. He took it WAY better than I did. I thought I was going to hurl.

magic823 · Aug 2, 2006

It was no problem Barry. I like the knobs better than the levers. Hope to catch back up with you soon to install the new pdf software. I'm in NYC this week but maybe next week.

barryjyoung · Aug 3, 2006

OK Steve, let me know

barryjyoung · Jan 30, 2017

Hello APUG:
It has been 11 years since I posted to APUG. In that time, I have assembled a complete Machine Shop and aluminum foundry. I now teach Machining at a local Technical College. My love for photography and cameramaking has not diminished in the slightest, though it definitely has been sidetracked by other concerns. I was injured in an industrial accident, got married, developed diabetes, lost contact with an adult child and purchased a broken 11x14 Korona. This last item brings me back to APUG. I was here looking for information on again building film holders. This time, I have everything I need including machinery, skill and of course money. The Seattle Cameramakers have long since disbanded. I wish to start that up again and wonder if there is any interest. Anybody want to make cameras?

Barry Young
Young Camera Company

MAubrey · Feb 14, 2017

I'm currently building an 11x14 from scratch up in Bellingham--very rudimentary and unprofessional, but it's coming along. I'm finishing up the back.

I gave up on film holders and just bought one. I might try to copy it at some point in the future, but for now it's just going to be the one.

barryjyoung · Feb 23, 2017

MAubrey said:
I'm currently building an 11x14 from scratch up in Bellingham--very rudimentary and unprofessional, but it's coming along. I'm finishing up the back.

I gave up on film holders and just bought one. I might try to copy it at some point in the future, but for now it's just going to be the one.

Good going on building the 11x14!!!!!

I build film holders here in Tacoma. Perhaps we can collaborate. I am planning to make a run of 11x14 holders for my Korona as soon as I finish the bellows that is almost finished and the re-engineering of the slides, focusing mechanism and front standard which will include full tilts, swings, rise and fall, and shifts.

Let me know if you want to collaborate.

Barry

blindpig · Feb 24, 2017

Hi Barry!
Glad you are back posting again.
Unfortunately I'm in SW Missouri,not close to your area and find building cameras to be a lonesome process without folks to share and compare with.
Built an 11X14 sliding box camera with front and back tilts and after pricing film holders decided to make my own(which actually was built first and the rest sized from it).Recently after wrestling the 11X14 decided to make a 4X5 sliding box also with tilts front and back,much easier to lug around LOL!
Please share your build as it's good to know about others doing fun stuff.

MAubrey · Feb 25, 2017

barryjyoung said:
Good going on building the 11x14!!!!!

I build film holders here in Tacoma. Perhaps we can collaborate. I am planning to make a run of 11x14 holders for my Korona as soon as I finish the bellows that is almost finished and the re-engineering of the slides, focusing mechanism and front standard which will include full tilts, swings, rise and fall, and shifts.

Let me know if you want to collaborate.

Barry

I don't have the kind of grand visions you're aiming for, but that'd be interesting.

barryjyoung · Feb 26, 2017

Hello blindpig:

Thanks for your message. Sounds like you are really doing something fun. Maybe an announcement in the photo section of your local Craigslist will attract other Cameramakers. I have had a little luck with that.

Last night I finally glued on the last of the 200 ribs (stiffeners) onto the bellows I am building for my Korona 11x14. I am so glad that job is done. Each rib has to be cut to width and there are two widths. That required building a base for my old Ingento paper cutter that included a secondary table, a sliding stop to set the strip width and also a clamp that I made from two toggle clamps and a long piece of 1/2 x 1/2 angle iron. Then 4 stops had to be constructed for cutting the angles on the ends of the strips. What followed was the laborious process of gluing on ten strips at a time with the noxious fumes from the contact adhesive. Whew! it took an entire quart of contact cement to attach those stupid ribs.

I will keep you guys posted on the restoration and heavy modification of this old work horse camera.

Barry

blindpig said:
Hi Barry!
Glad you are back posting again.
Unfortunately I'm in SW Missouri,not close to your area and find building cameras to be a lonesome process without folks to share and compare with.
Built an 11X14 sliding box camera with front and back tilts and after pricing film holders decided to make my own(which actually was built first and the rest sized from it).Recently after wrestling the 11X14 decided to make a 4X5 sliding box also with tilts front and back,much easier to lug around LOL!
Please share your build as it's good to know about others doing fun stuff.

barryjyoung · Feb 26, 2017

MAubrey said:
I don't have the kind of grand visions you're aiming for, but that'd be interesting.

Feel free to drop in and have a look if you are in the area.

Barry

Camera Makers of Seattle Unite!

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