Holy Bellows! Batman!

[Flotsam]

I have recently started taking my Toyo/Omega view out to shoot B&W 4x5 for the first time in several years. I processed my first film and one of the shots was O.K., the other was badly fogged. I extended the bellows and shown a light on it and... you guessed it, _every_ corner was a point of light.
It looks like a new bellows is going to run close to $200 (This should be cross posted in the photographic rip-offs thread). For that price, I can probably buy another camera on Ebay, throw the camera away and keep the bellows but I'm way too cheap for that. I could just wrap my dark cloth around the bellows before pulling the slide but I suspect that there are just a few folks here with bellows repair experience. What are my options here? Tape? Glue? What specific products and suppliers can you recommend?

TIA

 

[Silverpixels5]

B&S sell an excellent bellows repair kit.

 

[bmac]

The B&S kit works well, just be sure to let it dry completely before folding the bellows back up, it gets real tacky for a couple days before it fully cures. Others have suggested neopreme (sp?) wet suit glue, I've never used it. My bottle of B&S Bellows repair has repaired 6 cameras now, and there is still enough left for a few more.

 

[Eric Rose]

I use black electrical tape. works just fine for me.

 

[bobfowler]

I have recently started taking my Toyo/Omega view out to shoot B&W 4x5 for the first time in several years. I processed my first film and one of the shots was O.K., the other was badly fogged. I extended the bellows and shown a light on it and... you guessed it, _every_ corner was a point of light.
<snip>

Which model Toyo do you have?

 

[Flotsam]

It's actually an Omega 45F with a Toyo revolving back. Back then bellows, backs and lensboards were interchangable between the two systems.

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

It's actually an Omega 45F with a Toyo revolving back. Back then bellows, backs and lensboards were interchangable between the two systems.

Well, Neil - now you have a multi-pinhole pinhole camera. I had the same experience with my 5x7 Deardorff. Resulted in some very strange and interesting images...

My Dorff is all better now - brand new bellows - installed by Richard Ritter.

 

[Flotsam]

>>Bellows Patch
1 unit 12.50
BPCH
Includes 18 inches of Dacron reinforcing fabric and dry
cure neoprene rubber patch<<

Is this what you guys are talking about?

Do you think it will do all 144 corners on the bellows?

 

[Flotsam]

I use black electrical tape. works just fine for me.

I would have thought that you of all people would be using neoprene cement .

I'm off to the local dive shop to look into it.

 

[Jon Shiu]

I used a product called Loctite Black Rubber sealant from the hardware store. I gave 3 coats and then some talc, so it wouldn't stick to itself. Bellows are fine now.

 

[bobfowler]

It's actually an Omega 45F with a Toyo revolving back. Back then bellows, backs and lensboards were interchangable between the two systems.

The new monorail 4X5 bellows are still interchangable with the 45F. They show up on ebay from time to time. I have 3 of the Toyo bodies, 2 of which have interchangable bellows. I picked up a N.I.B. bag bellows for about $100.00 - B&H wants over $300. Bargains are out there, you just have to watch and be patient.

You also have the option of making new bellows yourself. Notice I said YOU, I sure as hell don't want to tackle that one!

hehehe

 

[cjarvis]

www.camerabellows.com

 

[Flotsam]

Here's an update.
I went to the Dive shop and bought a tube of Black Neoprene cement. Luckily, the woman behind the counter had studied Photography in college (and is an analog advocate) and understood the problem.

The bellows was in worse shape than I first thought with the vinyl(?) coating cracked at all the corners and corner seams. I have put three coats of the cement along the seams and then dusted it with talc so that it wouldn't stick to itself when compressed. It seems to have worked very well. The results are like Night and Day . It flexes well and doesn't inhibit the movement of the bellows. I'll watch it for further problems but it looks as if I've bought myself some time for a mere $5.50. Just to be safe, I will also hang my darkcloth over the bellows before pulling the slide. Hey, you have to put it somewhere while shooting, it might as well be doing some good.

 

[titrisol]

I bought a Zeiss Nettar 515/2, the corner of the bellows was not in the best shapre, so it may need replacement/patching soon.

I tried the brush-on electrical tape. It smells like glue or permanent markers, it's very flexible and adheres and fills gaps reak well. Have to let it dry overnight and fold/unfold the bellows several times.
It also adheres to metal easily, which may be a plus.

Update -
The bellows is well sealed again, I have opened/closed it several times and it seems flexible enough, even though a tad stiffer than before.
So I guess I'll have a fully functional camera after I clean that shutter.