New bellows

[StoneNYC]

I have a bunch of old foldies I use, mostly 120, 116, and 616 but they all have bad bellows, I've been covering them with duvey cloth but it's a pain and sometimes light leaks anyway.

So, anyone know how to get new bellows? Can they be hand made somehow? Is there a process that can be done by hand? What kind of material is it exactly and where do you get it?

Thanks guys!

~Stone

 

[R.Gould]

The only place I know of is Custom Bellows in the U.K.,you can, however, make your own, their is an article on it athttp://rolandandcaroline.co.uk/making_bellows_for isolette.pdf
Richard

 

[Ralph Javins]

Good morning, Stone;

I have received a reply from the Custom Bellows people ( www.custombellows.co.uk ) after asking if they can make a replacement for the bellows on an Eastman-Kodak Company Hawkeye Vest Pocket folding camera from about 1925. It will be about 40 New Pounds or pushing toward $60 USD plus probably the shipping both ways for the old one with the frames sent to them and the newly created replacement returned to me.

This camera does have some external emotional value to me, so it will be done. I found that storing it for at least 50 years folded up did allow the folds of the bellows to stick together, and it tore when I was trying to open the camera for the first time after removing it from the box where it had been for those 50 plus years. Now to find if there are any procedures to follow to prolong the life expectancy of older leather bellows.

Enjoy;

Ralph
Latte Land, Washington