How to fix Bellows Sag?

[Gary892]

I have nothing to do with this auction but it made me think.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Empire-State-8x10-Camera_W0QQitemZ250244412273QQihZ015QQcategoryZ15248QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Incase the link does not work here is the item number.
250244412273

What are the best practices to correct this.

Thanks

Gary

 

[phaedrus]

What are the best practices to correct this.
Gary

A bent piece of wire?

 

[Bob F.]

I've seen people mention putting a match-box or similar under the bellows to prop them up, rather than using something on top to hold 'em up. Seemed a slightly left-field solution that appealed to me... A tag with a hole in it attached to the top of a centre fold with a thin rod through it from back to front seems a popular solution.

Cheers, Bob.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I like using cords with loops or ribbons with metal rings on the bellows that compress the excess bellows toward the front standard.

With my Sinar, the bellows is square and easily removed, so I just rotate it when it's sagging too much.

Another method I've used is to support the bellows with something like a box or a sponge.

 

[Gary892]

All good Ideas

For some strange reason I like the idea of supporting the bellows from underneath versus holding it up by a tab on the top with a rod for one end to the other.

The sponge suggestion seems to me to be very reasonable. One can compact it so it fits in a camera bag and when in use it won't scratch the camera finish, if it is a soft sponge.

Thanks for all the ideas.

Gary

 

[df cardwell]

For some strange reason I like the idea of supporting the bellows from underneath ...

Gary

Plaubel made a gadget for their monorail cameras,
that clamped to the rail, and could be set just-so,
to support the bellows. Works very nicely.

 

[mark]

On my 8x10 I prop up the bellows with the light meter. After figuring the exposure of course.

 

[WarEaglemtn]

Put part of the dark cloth under them. Put the carpenters level you use under them. Hire an assistant to hold them up?

 

[Vaughn]

My hat (base-ball cap style, or on cold days my wool cap) underneath, since wearing it under the dark cloth is a hassle anyway. I actually use first the method David mentioned, except for when I have the bellows stretched out too far to use it.

I was having the opposite trouble -- the bellows blocking the light when very compressed - a clothes pin on the top of the bellows which kept the bellows from sucking into the back of the camera worked nicely.

Vaughn