Making your own bellows

[barryjyoung]

Hello:

I just released my new book on how to make bellows from scratch. The book discolses a brand new way to make bellows using your computer to do the hard work. The book is 64 pages long and has 86 CAD drawings and 13 photographs showing step by step instructions on exactly how to design and build straight and tapered bellows. With this book and a free CAD program or just a yard stick if you would rather, anyone can build their own inexpensive replacement bellows or go into business making bellows for sale on ebay. The book is spiral bound (lies flat) high qualiity photocopies with wear resistant covers

I will trade the book for three Silver Eagle coins available for about $40.00 USD at this time from a coin dealer near you. Or if you insist on using cash, check, money order or PayPal I will sell the book for $75.00 USD. Either way, shipping and handling is an additional $5.00 USD payable in cash, by check, money order or Paypal.

Thank you.

 

[Jerevan]

Stupid question maybe (I am halfways through my first cup of coffee in the morning), but when you say "use a free CAD program", etc, do you mean it like you print out stuff from the program and then make templates to cut from?

By the way, you're doing a good thing here; anything that can help making bellows less of hassle is worth it. Would you care to give some more ideas of the contents of the book?

 

[Curt]

That would be good, maybe ten or fifteen dollars worth of tease. I like your choice of $75 and $5 to ship. Did you do your market research? At $175 people would certainly think there was something in there they just could't live without. Good information is hard to fine today. It's usually just the same ideas presented in a different manner. I bought a book that was loaded with information but after reading it I found that it was more like a college manner like bracket a lot and use odd film speeds and developing methods. The book was written by a man and woman who had illustrated it with some average photos. Proving that what you may already know is sometimes enough. And just because you travel all over the world doesn't mean you have learned anything. They just drag their opinions and failed successes with them.

Curt

 

[barryjyoung]

Hello Jerevan:

Not a stupid question at all. I guess I did not make it clear that's all. You are quite right, any number of trial versions of CAD applications available at www.download.com can be used in conjunction with the information in the book to rapidly and efficiently design bellows. Then the file is plotted or printed to produce the parts for the bellows. Not just templates, but the actual parts. The book takes you from no idea how to design your own custom bellows to being able to use CAD effectively to create custom bellows fast and right. The book will NOT teach you to use CAD, but it will teach you what you need to learn in order to design bellows and how to build a bellows for a specific application. This book also covers how to make bellows without CAD.

With the information included in the book, anybody can build a good looking and functional bellows the first time.

You asked for a peek inside the book. OK. There is an introduction that hopefully will convince the beginning bellowsmaker that they can do this thing. My aim was to destroy the myth that bellowsmaking is an art. It isn't, it is a technique, nothing more.

Chapter one covers how we the power of the computer can solve many problems inherent in the design and cinstruction of bellows. It is so much easier to do with a computer than without. It used to take me three days to construct a bellows. Using the techniques included in my book, I can now make bellows in less than three hours start to finish. Even on bellows I have not made before. Chapter one also covers making a pattern and stiffeners for a straight bellows. Every step in the entire process of designing and making bellows is illustrated with either a CAD drawing or a photograph. I mean every single line of the pattern.

Chapter 2 is how to make the pattern without a computer. That is right, all you need is a big piece of paper, a yardstick, a ruler and a pencil to make a correct pattern which can be used to make many many bellows.

Chapter 3 covers layout which is the next step after producing the pattern.

Chapter 4 talks about how to modify a cheap paper trimmer to produce accurate stiffeners quickly and easily. Also you will learn how to assemble the bellows.

Chapter 5 is when you see the bellows actually spring to life. This is when the assembled bellows are folded into the shape we all know.

Chapter 6 covers how to design and make a pattern for tapered bellows.

There is an appendix listing all of the materials required to make high quality bellows and where to find them via snail mail and on the internet. Even the correct glues are easily located with this information.

Hope that helps.

Barry Young
Young Camera Company

Stupid question maybe (I am halfways through my first cup of coffee in the morning), but when you say "use a free CAD program", etc, do you mean it like you print out stuff from the program and then make templates to cut from?

By the way, you're doing a good thing here; anything that can help making bellows less of hassle is worth it. Would you care to give some more ideas of the contents of the book?

 

[barryjyoung]

That would be good, maybe ten or fifteen dollars worth of tease. I like your choice of $75 and $5 to ship. Did you do your market research? At $175 people would certainly think there was something in there they just could't live without. Good information is hard to fine today. It's usually just the same ideas presented in a different manner. I bought a book that was loaded with information but after reading it I found that it was more like a college manner like bracket a lot and use odd film speeds and developing methods. The book was written by a man and woman who had illustrated it with some average photos. Proving that what you may already know is sometimes enough. And just because you travel all over the world doesn't mean you have learned anything. They just drag their opinions and failed successes with them.

Curt

Thanks for the interest Curt:

I have never read of this technique for bellowsmaking anywhere else. I invented it and it is a new method. I hope more people want to send me silver, it is way cheaper for them. The silver goes straight into the safe deposit box so I can buy a piece of land for my camera factory and home.

 

[Jerevan]

Thanks Barry,

for the peek inside the book. It sounds really interesting, but finding Silver Eagles over here would be difficult. $75 plus international shipping needs some deliberation. But I'll give it a serious thought, anyhow.

One thing is true, though, as Curt says: Good, solid information is hard to find. Many of the things I have learnt, I have had to "construct" out of various sources on various places on the net, piecing it together, so every fullblown, well-done how-to is always welcome.

 

[dlshaffer]

Hello Everyone...
My name is Deborah and I helped Barry with his book "The Modern Bellowmaking". I didn't have any problems making the bellows myself. When Barry wrote his book...I didn't know anything about bellows making. Of course, I read alot about making them, but just didn't make sense to me. Athough the book is short and full of illustrations, the new technique that he demostrates makes it very easy and quick. Again, it is not complicated like the other sites I have read. It is a GREAT investment if you really do want to make them yourself. GREAT JOB BARRY!!!!

 

[Peter De Smidt]

I plan on getting the book in the next couple of weeks, and I'll report back how useful I find it. I've got a big 8x10 Century #6 portrait camera that could really use some new bellows.

 

[barryjyoung]

Price reduction on bellowsmaking book

Hello:

I have decided to publish my book Modern Bellowsmaking myself. This has significantly reduced the production costs allowing me to offer the book at a substantially reduced price.

The book is now $35.00 plus $5.00 shipping to US destinations payable in cash, check or by PayPal please email me for instructions on how to pay.

Thank you

 

[Greg_E]

OK, you have mail. Not that I have a need right now, but it is probably something that should be on my shelf for the future.

Just a thought... Have you checked on places like Lulu for the self publishing? From wehat I understand they do a decent job, and I think they handle all the ordering and shipping for you. Not sure how much they want for all that, but it might be worth looking into.

 

[CRhymer]

Hello Barry,

Email sent.

Looking forward to the book.

Cheers,
Clarence

 

[barryjyoung]

OK, you have mail. Not that I have a need right now, but it is probably something that should be on my shelf for the future.

Just a thought... Have you checked on places like Lulu for the self publishing? From wehat I understand they do a decent job, and I think they handle all the ordering and shipping for you. Not sure how much they want for all that, but it might be worth looking into.

Hi Greg:

Thnk you for your email. I love that sort of email.

I have not heard from Lulu since high school. But I will check with her and see. Thanks for the tip. I am sure that Lulu would do a better job of selling this thing than I am.

 

[barryjyoung]

Hello Barry,

Email sent.

Looking forward to the book.

Cheers,
Clarence

Thank you Clarence: I can't wait to send it to you.

 

[Greg_E]

I just finished reading through Barry's book, and from the steps involved and the way it is laid out in the book it all seems very simple. Owning a large format printer will help keep the costs down, some of the patterns get pretty big.

Barry, I have some comments that I'll email to you sometime this weekend.

 

[barryjyoung]

I just finished reading through Barry's book, and from the steps involved and the way it is laid out in the book it all seems very simple. Owning a large format printer will help keep the costs down, some of the patterns get pretty big.

Barry, I have some comments that I'll email to you sometime this weekend.

Hi Greg:

Thanks for pointing out the things that needed fixing. I had three people proofread the book and none of them caught that the appendix had the same address for each supplier,,,1313 Mockingbird Lane which was the fictional address of the family in the 1960's sitcom The Munsters. I always use that address when I need to research a real address or when I am filling out forms which require an address but when I don't want to give mine. You are the first person ever to notice. Thanks again.

 

[Greg_E]

I guess that was why I kind of thought it was odd, couldn't remember where it was from though.

Just wanted to add that coming from someone that has never learned to make a bellows, this book does shed some much needed light onto the subject. I consider it money well spent, even though I have no immediate plans to make a bellows camera. When things slow down, I'll definitely try making some practice bellows just so that I can apply the knowledge. If you have ever thought of building a bellows camera, but had no idea how to start, this book would definitely get you the bellows part.

Once I get the time to get my printer repaired, I might think about offering the printing part as a service. Right now things at my regular job are far too busy to get going on this stuff, so it's going to be a while. My printer goes 44 inches on the short side, as long as the paper roll on the other side.

 

[barryjyoung]

Once I get the time to get my printer repaired, I might think about offering the printing part as a service. Right now things at my regular job are far too busy to get going on this stuff, so it's going to be a while. My printer goes 44 inches on the short side, as long as the paper roll on the other side.

Great Idea Greg:

Let us know when your large format printing service is available.

Thank you for the kind words.

 

[richard mellor]

I would like to buy your book sometime barry .

I made a 11x14 bellows for a banquet camera .
the instructions used ,were from the link bellow.
I am quite happy with the result .

http://www.cyberbeach.net/~dbardell/bellows.html

 

[barryjyoung]

I would like to buy your book sometime barry .

OK, I am here when you are ready.

Thank you

 

[couldabin]

Richard,

Glad you posted the link. FWIW, I found that to be the most useful guide I could find back when I was building a LF camera six years ago, but even so the task proved to be more formidible than I expected. The bellows I ended up with (and there were several) were workable but nothing like the quality of off-the-shelf products ...