Suitable modern/available wood types for camera building

clayne said:

Nick, can you get access to reasonable amounts of Kauri or Totara? Both are native and quite resistant to rot of any kind.

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Yup - I'm working with Kauri right now, just pulled off a 18mm square, metre long section (I live in the metric universe), routed a groove right down its middle along the complete length, going to leave it for a while and see how it sits - have made chairs with it in the past

Ty, I'm no slave to period design - just taking classic elements of older cameras which might be easier to make (tailboard vs. the newer field camera type double extension) - and then combining newer design but only if I can see a way to make it effectively with the tools I have here ... Track saw, router/router table, mill, meagre hand tools - I really need a band saw, drop saw, table saw and a proper work bench and a CNC machine with laser cutter and a metal bender thingy a metal bandsaw, a kitted out lathe, an indexed head for the mill, a thingy I don't know the name of but I know what it does etc...

Yes I see a constant improvement cycle coming about - like me with bellows, I often decide I've come to a point where my process is rock solid, but then I try to build a different shape or there is a consideration or material issue I have not yet encountered and have to work completely inside out or otherwise - part of the fun for sure

As for the look of it, I might go for a complete anachronism and give it art deco styling (hopefully not too cliché, goal is that it would sit well in the background of the film Gattaca) - more black and silver than brass - the tone of Kauri sits well there also, but I'm not against staining it darker - we'll see...

Sounds so very interesting, can't wait to see what you come up with. We could all use a CNC machine, those things are amazing.

Nick I made the small one in the foreground when I was a student way, way, way back when I hadn't even seen one like that. I had a picture out of a catalog and a lens and film holder. I used the film holder to design the camera around. The t-depth and all was scaled up from that film holder. The camera was made in the evening in an apartment on a coffee table with a sheet of plywood to work on. I had a small table saw, the very small type and a 4 inch joiner. The rest was done with hand tools. Hand drills, files, hand saws, the type jewellers use, simple tools and a lot of patients. I used Cherry wood from a hobby shop and I got the brass there too. To slot I drilled a series of holes along a line that was punched and then enlarged them with first a small round file then a flat file. These were techniques I learned in Junior High School. Now I have a full shop with all of the custom equipment but still the best tools are the hand tools and the knowledge to use them. Put a piece of brass in a vise wrapped in a rag and with the eye of a perfectionist you can sculpt some fine work. I have a large buffer now, then I had to lap the brass and bring it to a finish in steps.

I made the bellow by simply trying to see how a pleated bellow could be made. I layered out some Kraft paper and over and over until I finally got it. Then I worked on a tapered one, I made the first layer out of Kraft paper, then a layer of aluminum foil and over it went a layer of cloth. On the inside went another layer of thinner cloth, all cloth in black. I used contact cement to glue it all together. Even today after sitting for decades it doesn't leak. I would never make one that way today but back then it worked. Rise, Fall, Shift, Tilt, and it folds up like a wood field camera should. At the time it was quite an accomplishment for me.

Many apologies for the old digital photo image here but you will get the idea.

Ty G said:

Sounds so very interesting, can't wait to see what you come up with. We could all use a CNC machine, those things are amazing.

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Heh heh, problem is I seem to be able to wait ! got a big chunk of work coming up also which will take me off the project - a lot of film in the freezer going off though (11x14" Provia) which is a good motivator... Maybe I didn't mention that it will be a 11x14" portrait only camera, rectangular bellows up to a point and then tapered, which should fold back into the rectangular section like my Sinar 8x10 bellows does - it'll be fun mating two bellows together cleanly, as will making a rectangle to square (lens end) tapered bellows, I have been getting my stiffener strips laser but recently and the guy has a 3 axis CNC machine also - I'd consider converting my mill but for the money and time maybe a new machine would make more sense...

There is a amazing machine up the road, actually very near to where Sean (APUG Sean) lives which has a gazillion axes, but in saying 'wow!' and all that I can't see where where it'd be useful for cameras considering the scale it works on (carving test boat hulls out of polystyrene for the Americas Cup teams for instance) but that is just a lack of imagination at play :rolleyes:

Curt - did you file out those slots in the brass ? is it a push and lock style focus, or did you get a rack and pinion in there ?

Yes, I filed them out, it wasn't really that hard, just drill the holes close together and the material in between can easily be filed out, and there is a rack and pinion gear on the front extension. The rear slots are on a curve, no harder than a straight slot. I'm not saying this design is that pretty or great etc.. and the front knobs replaced some wood ones. Making a camera today I would definitely buy or make some brass knobs. I'd get a small lathe and turn them or have someone do it. Either way the knobs would look better than these.

The camera is fully functional, one thing to remember is to try to standardize on a size of fastener, it makes it easier to build and assemble. The sizes I used on this are too small and makes the assembly tedious. I think 4-40 would be a good neighborhood. You will have different head types and lengths of course. All kinds of fastener finishes are available, I think either brass or stainless steel ones look very good and hold up well. Brass shafts along with brass pinions are easy to assemble. Brass racks and pinions work very well. There are plastic and synthetic racks as well as stainless steel.

Some cameras have been made from aluminum with great success and there are many different types of focusing too.

One thing to think of for the type of wood, is compare it to a gunstock.
A gunstock must support the barrell for a significant length, and any warpage will place pressure on the barrel causing it to shift it spoint of impact from shot to shot as the barrel temperature changes.
There is a good reason why most rifle stocks are made from quarter sawn walnut.
That said, there are Ash, Cherry, anda load of other timbers used in gunstocks from time to time, but walnut is the classic and most common.
Being a fellow Antipodean, I have had good success with rifle stocks making them from Highland Beech aka Tasmanian Myrtle.
Nice and stable, easy to work, nice colour.
Also for me quite affordable as I have half a garage full of it...

Nick , You can make hybrid wood and it makes rotting stop. You can buy wood from a wood supplier but wood become crystalized after 100 years.

I advise you to visit instrument makers and buy maple and mahagony , cut 2 cms strips and glue with natural instrument glue , when you become needed to disassemble the pieces , only you have to heat and voila , parts are at your hand.

There is two ways to dry the woıod , first industrial furnaces for this purpose.They heat the wood for 24 hours and every moisture escapes , some wood crystalinized.

And than apply some chemical sold under HEMEL name and its sucked by wood and stop the moisture effect.
And this process are used for wooden homes and increase the life of wooden plates.This technology called impregnation and best technology to make these parts life longer.

I think you must use the lightest wood possible to able to carry your machine faraway.

If I were you , I use balsa , carbon fiber hybrid plates. It is used by olympic rowing equipment makers and its lightweight and very strong.

Than you can apply the most exotic wood veneer on to balsa and be happy.

Balsa is lightweight and shipping cost is so low.

As you know , boat makers uses two layer of fiber reinforced plastic and a balsa , polycarbonate or paper core. The thickness and double layer is so strong and so low weight.

You can make a carbon plate , when wet add another layer of exotic veneer and vacuum bag and make hybrid plate.

You dont need to make these cameras from gorilla weight woods.

WEST is number one boat making epoxy and means wood epoxy saturation system.

If you visit boat builders and explain what you are after , may be you can get glass , aramid , carbon , borax fibers very cheap and use their vacuum back system and the oven for faster polymerisation.


If you have any question , I help.
Veneer , carbon hybrid lutes are coming from French maker and they are very handsom .

If you have no money and want the strongest and cheapest materials , look to www.duckworksmagazine.com and the store and use glass fiber , polyester hybrid.

Rolls Royce uses this technology at the interior of their cars and you can buy cocobolo , walnut , spalted maple veneers from their supplier , not expensive really.

If you want to see exotic veneers use , visit alembic guitars and have fun.

Best ,

Mustafa Umut Sarac

Istanbul

If you're not trying to be traditional, I'd go for some laminate wood like used in the custom rifle/pistol business. It can be as classy or wild as you want.

Google for laminate wood (stock, grip)

and see the beautiful variety. Laminated wood will have the most resistance to warping and be very stong.

I just had a new standard made for the Quarter plate camera I'm restoring and the joiner/carpenter used Oak. it took 2 attempts to match the stain of the rest of the camera, I ended up boiling up my Robilius tea bags (Red Bush) and got a perfect match.

Ian

Sapele is very sable. I use it to make violins. It is easy to work with and can be finished very nicely. I agree with Steve. If you have lots of wood working experience then you may already know that. Maple and Walnut are both stable woods.The moisture content is important for stability. around 10%

Ebony would be beautiful.

ebony is sameweight of steel , if you want to be a heavy weight champ , dont waste your money , start to halter