Korona Quarter Plate Bellows replaced

[Kino]

After a long delay in shipping due to the port/tariff confusion, the new bellows arrived and have been installed. I took the time to do a bit more cleaning and adjusting the pins on the reversible back (dropped in the past?), as well as giving all interior wood surfaces a new coat of flat black acrylic paint. Had to service the shutter, but now it runs like a top except for the self timer, which I simply never use.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

After a long delay in shipping due to the port/tariff confusion, the new bellows arrived and have been installed. I took the time to do a bit more cleaning and adjusting the pins on the reversible back (dropped in the past?), as well as giving all interior wood surfaces a new coat of flat black acrylic paint. Had to service the shutter, but now it runs like a top except for the self timer, which I simply never use.

A fascinating world I know nothing about.

Doesn't service and repair require the knowledge and skills of a cabinetmaker?

How does wood maintain its dimensions over the decades? Cameras, after all, have only minimal tolerances.

 

[Don_ih]

How does wood maintain its dimensions over the decades? Cameras, after all, have only minimal tolerances.

Wood is dimensionally stable along the grain. It expands and contracts with changes in humidity across the grain. For the purposes of a view camera, a stable wood (not prone to twisting) like mahogany or even cherry, maple. or walnut - even properly dried pine - is perfectly capable of maintaining the tolerances. The only location seasonal expansion/contraction could be an issue is in the ground glass frame, but that backset (~1/4 inch) is so small, whatever percentage of expansion occurs would amount to practically no measurable change.

@Kino -- great job! I have a Korona 5x7 that needs a new bellows but I'm going to make it when I get a chance. Mine also needs some structural repairs, since it was smashed apart when I got it. (I put it back together but it would benefit from some remanufacturing.)

 

[Kino]

A fascinating world I know nothing about.

Doesn't service and repair require the knowledge and skills of a cabinetmaker?

I had these bellow custom made by eTone photographic, as no one sells off-the-shelf replacements for this scarce camera.

Replacing the bellows was not particularly difficult; only detaching the front and rear bellows frames (interior to the bellows), peeling off the old bellows, gluing the new bellows on and reattaching the frames.

On these hand-made, wooden cameras, you really need to be careful to note where every screw went and put them back in their original hole. I take a bit of cardboard and number them going clockwise on the frame. I did not do this on the first camera I ever put on new bellows and discovered they were not exactly all the same length; poking through the wood finish in at least one place. Thankfully, it was on the bottom side of the rear standard frame and easily repaired.

Wood is dimensionally stable along the grain. It expands and contracts with changes in humidity across the grain. For the purposes of a view camera, a stable wood (not prone to twisting) like mahogany or even cherry, maple. or walnut - even properly dried pine - is perfectly capable of maintaining the tolerances. The only location seasonal expansion/contraction could be an issue is in the ground glass frame, but that backset (~1/4 inch) is so small, whatever percentage of expansion occurs would amount to practically no measurable change.

@Kino -- great job! I have a Korona 5x7 that needs a new bellows but I'm going to make it when I get a chance. Mine also needs some structural repairs, since it was smashed apart when I got it. (I put it back together but it would benefit from some remanufacturing.)

Brittleness is a concern on these 100+ year old cameras; gentle clamping is advised.

Luckily, my Korona 5x7 was largely intact, only requiring a bit of Cherry wood on the bottom to make it solid, some cleaning and a new bellows. Good luck, it's well worth the effort!

Now, if I can just find that elusive rear rail extension...