pinhole repairs

mongo6407

except for replacing the bellows, what's the next best way to repair pinhole leaks at the corners of the bellows?

BTW: If anyone knows where to get a replacement bellows for an ansco speedex please let me know.
 

Ian Grant

Custom Bellows (formerly Camera Bellow) in Birmingham UK can make new bellows.

You can use PVA with black dye or a black flexible acrylic paint to repair pin-holes, but if you search the forums you'll find far more details etc

Ian
 

Bertil

I have used "Super Cloth tape" (www.stokvistapes.com) to repair my 5x7, 8x10 Sinar bellows. Works very nice. Stretch your bellows and you will see that it is not that complicated as it may appear. Just put the tape over the corners/edge all the way from front to back. Good if you can put your hand or fingers inside the bellows. After my repair my bellows are light tight and works properly, but they are quite large bellows I must add - perhaps more difficult to work with smaller bellows, have not tried.
Best wishes
//Bertil
 

Ian Grant

The links not working but I've used a virtually light-tight cloth tape (self adhesive) made I think in Holland, bought from a haberdashers in the UK, it's extrememly strong and thin with very good adhesion. I used it inside and out on a set of badly damaged Speed Graphic bellows, it's very difficult to spot the outside patch and it hasn't impaired the bellows folding normally. I did post the amke somewhere in an APUG thread last year.
Ian
 

Rick A

I painted a bellows with "liquid electrical tape" and after a thorough drying, is quite light tight. I've also read that fabric paint from a fabric or craft shop works equally well.
 

M.A.Longmore

.
Hi Rick,

Did you also paint the interior of the bellows with the " Liquid Electrical Tape " ?

Ron
.
 

vfalendysh

I can confirm that "Liquid Electrical Tape" works really well. Recently tried on 3 cameras. Worked just well. Sometimes need to coat more as 1 time but it it ok.. Also tried "elmer's glue" method - don't do that. Does not work well.
Vic
 

John Austin

Bellows repair is not recommended - Once bellows start to decay that is the end - Custom bellows in UK are very good
 

vfalendysh

"Bellows repair is not recommended" - I'm completely disagree with that. I recently got few folders - 2 ansco speedexes, 1 zeiss ikon, 1 bessa, and 2 agfas. Nothing that special but all 6 still may produce amazing pictures. All 6 had minor issues with bellows (minor I mean 3-4-5 pinholes). Replacement will be close to $300 when total price spent to purchase all these 6 cameras was little bit over $70. So my personal conclusion - it depends on what camera you would like to replace it and what is the reason (does it really worth "investment"?) . In my case replacement just is not smart move at all. I would better spent $$ buying more cameras IMHO
 
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