Home built 4x5 Magazines - Have any other tinkerers played with Grafmatic style film holders?

[Luckless]

Grafmatic and other quick change 'bulk film' holders for standard sheet film are a bit of an arcane and outlier tech these days, so this thread may not get all that much traction, but I figured it may be something other tinkerer types have an interest in.

Just buying some used copies of an existing solution to go with a newly acquired press camera would take most of the fun out of tinkering with the problem, so I've drawn myself into a side project of exploring a custom design. I'll likely pick up 3-4 standard film holders to use most of the time, but custom hardware has a fun charm of its own.

Still in rather early 'vague concept' stages of my own project, but I figured it might be interesting to start a thread to ask if anyone else has ever tried to tackle such a project.

Has anyone tried their hand at their own design, or considered one at least?


I'm currently toying with a design centred around the idea of individual indexed sub-holders, kind of like septums but with a rolled over edge to hold the film and act as a running surface, but will see how the modelling/prototype works out for whether it is worth going with something that complex.

 

[michr]

I've never considered creating a clone of Grafmatics or Bag Mags or anything like it. If the parts are out their why not buy them? However, I have considered creating some kind of falling plate camera, but for film or more likely paper. I like the idea of having a big point and shoot, like an 8x10 and loading 10 sheets and being able to use them all, having them fall into a bag at the base of the camera, or lie down somehow (or even kamra-e-faoree style, just by grafting a changing bag onto the camera allowing me to put in my hand and drop the film or paper manually). Unfortunately I lack the skill and equipment to fashion something to the tolerances required to get something that is slick and automatic working. Even Grafmatics are finicky and Graflex had far more resources that I.

You can learn a lot from projects such as this, so good luck to you.

 

[BrianShaw]

I believe you may have the wrong screen name for a venture like that.

 

[Luckless]

Screen name is an old joke about luck vs skill, but really I should just stay away from casinos and workshops while overly clumsy people are there and I'm fine... I'm generally fairly decent with building mechanical things for the most part. I even still have all my fingers! (Barely any of them are missing any bits or chunks either!)


Having handled a Grafmatic and studied the action, I've kind of gotten the feeling that part of why they are a tad finicky is due to weight savings and production streamlining design decisions. - If I'm only aiming to make two or three of the things, then it really doesn't matter all that much if I use design elements that add a dozen or more steps to manufacture. Extra steps/cuts/folds/etc that would cost Graflex time and money, and translates into negatively impacting their bottom line, instead translates into me enjoying tinkering around with tools for a longer period of time.

As long as it comes out roughly on par for weight compared to an equal number of standard two-sheet holders and in a far more compact form, then I'm going to be very happy with the project. If it weighs less too then that's just a sweet bonus.


Hoping to get some concept sketches up over the weekend, but free time depends on others and currently vague plans.

 

[BrianShaw]

Can't wait to see your progress.