Half plate bookform holder questions

[grat]

In one of the worst attacks of GAS since I thought film photography might be a fun hobby, I have acquired a working Thornton-Pickard "Imperial" triple extension. It's in pretty good shape, with a recently renewed TP shutter and a 7" R&J Beck lens. The ground glass is a bit... iffy. It's more cloudy than frosted and looks like it might have oily residue on it.

In theory, nothing's stopping me from dropping a J Lane half-plate into it and taking it out shooting.

It even came with a book-form DDS plate holder-- at least, I presume it's a plate holder. It looks like there are clips on one side to hold a plate in-- but not on the other, and no signs there used to be clips. But if it doesn't hold two plates, why does it have two dark slides? So that's the first question.

Second question is, the two miter joints (the 45's at the "not slide" end), both appear to let some light through. Is this normal or not, and if not, what's the best way of dealing with it?

Further, the slides are a bit stiff-- is there a recommendation for some form of anti-friction compound (wax, oil, polish ... or..)?

And in non-bookform holder queries, what do people do for tripods for these? It has the original rotating base, but it takes the 3 sets of double pegs. I could probably fabricate something, but if anyone's already addressed this, I'd love to hear about it.

 

[ColinRH]

When you open the holder there should be a couple of screw holes at one of the narrow ends. They should hold a thin piece of hinged black tin. When that is there, a glass plate would be dropped into the frame (emulsion out) and the tin placed over it and retained by a couple of small metal swivelling clips. Another plate would then be dropped in to the other frame and the other side now folded over the second and clipped together on the outside with 2 brass clips each side. The tin plate would then hold both glass plates in place.

If the mitres have opened they need to be re-glued so as to form a light tight joint. For the slides they need a bit of help, perhaps clean the edges first with some alcohol or similar and then a small amount of wax, well polished so as to not leave a sticky surface.

As for a tripod, remove the brass ring and locks ( keep them for future replacement). screw a piece of 10-12 mm MDF or similar over the hole and through which you will have (!?) drilled a hole and secured a QR plate for whatever tripod you use. The only very minor problem is that the camera will not close with a lens attached.

You may have guessed that I have exactly this camera and model - it is my landscape LF camera, beautifully made and beautifully light. It was in pristine condition when I got it and I used it in that state - 8" Beck lens, TP shutter (I needed to repair the blind) and the original plate holders. For those I has 2mm glass cut as supports, cut down 5x7 film and I was in business. I love using it. If you are interested there are some of my salt prints in my gallery having used this setup - in fact salt prints are all I tend to do.

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

You can take the frosted glass out (by unwinding some little screws of the brass hinges at the back panel), and make the glass clean with some
soft scrub all purpose kitchen surface cleanser; the white creamy stuff. Rinse with luke warm water and you ground glass screen is if it were new again.

However before working on the glass I always take some sandpaper and sand the edges of the glass remove sharpness.

They are wonderful camera's to work with indeed. Here's my Triple Extension Imperial Perfecta from TP with its original TP Ruby lens (camera came with 4 original holders). The Imperial Perfecta is the same camera as yours albeit from later date - TP changed some knobs and lateral fixture to the front panel.

 

[grat]

When you open the holder there should be a couple of screw holes at one of the narrow ends. They should hold a thin piece of hinged black tin. When that is there, a glass plate would be dropped into the frame (emulsion out) and the tin placed over it and retained by a couple of small metal swivelling clips. Another plate would then be dropped in to the other frame and the other side now folded over the second and clipped together on the outside with 2 brass clips each side. The tin plate would then hold both glass plates in place.

I spent some time pondering the imponderable, and realized I must be missing something, as glass plates don't have anti-halation layers as a rule. The tin plate is what I'm missing.

If the mitres have opened they need to be re-glued so as to form a light tight joint. For the slides they need a bit of help, perhaps clean the edges first with some alcohol or similar and then a small amount of wax, well polished so as to not leave a sticky surface.

As expected-- I didn't think a light leaking corner would be acceptable. The slides have actually loosened up, so may just need a bit of brushing and/or cleaning.

As for a tripod, remove the brass ring and locks ( keep them for future replacement). screw a piece of 10-12 mm MDF or similar over the hole and through which you will have (!?) drilled a hole and secured a QR plate for whatever tripod you use. The only very minor problem is that the camera will not close with a lens attached.

Also, that turntable is gorgeous. I'd like to keep it on. I'm sketching out a shallow, "reverse" tripod with a standard tripod screw in the middle, and some spring-loaded clips to attach to the ring.

But that's speculative.

You may have guessed that I have exactly this camera and model - it is my landscape LF camera, beautifully made and beautifully light. It was in pristine condition when I got it and I used it in that state - 8" Beck lens, TP shutter (I needed to repair the blind) and the original plate holders. For those I has 2mm glass cut as supports, cut down 5x7 film and I was in business. I love using it. If you are interested there are some of my salt prints in my gallery having used this setup - in fact salt prints are all I tend to do.

This one appears to have been lightly restored-- the bellows have repairs, but are tight. The shutter has a new blind and cord, and the tension mechanism works, but is a little fiddly to reduce the tension.

The plate-holder isn't a TP, but it fits well. The 7" lens I've realized is a bit of a problem-- nice and wide, but requires tilting the front standard and applying some rise to get it to focus at infinity.

 

[grat]

You can take the frosted glass out (by unwinding some little screws of the brass hinges at the back panel), and make the glass clean with some
soft scrub all purpose kitchen surface cleanser; the white creamy stuff. Rinse with luke warm water and you ground glass screen is if it were new again.

It looks very different from a modern glass-- but seems to project a decent image. Some cleaning is in order.

However before working on the glass I always take some sandpaper and sand the edges of the glass remove sharpness.

They are wonderful camera's to work with indeed. Here's my Triple Extension Imperial Perfecta from TP with its original TP Ruby lens (camera came with 4 original holders). The Imperial Perfecta is the same camera as yours albeit from later date - TP changed some knobs and lateral fixture to the front panel.

Right. Mine's the earlier Imperial without the brass fittings across the top/bottom of the standard.

They are beautiful cameras, and so far, I've been pleased with how easy it is to operate.

 

[grat]

Can anyone give me an approximate thickness of the tin plate?

Thanks!

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

You're in FL otherwise I would have send you one - have several laying around without any use

 

[grat]

You're in FL otherwise I would have send you one - have several laying around without any use

I appreciate the offer, but understand fully.

My brother has some scrap metal lying around his job and thinks it might be appropriate, hence the question.

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Hope this helps...its about 0,0020 inch