Western Cyclone No.5 4x5 falling plate

[JW PHOTO]

I have a couple of Western Camera Mfd. Co. No. 5 Cyclone falling plate cameras and have a question as to the thickness of the plates used in these falling-plate cameras. I have used one with cardboard shims and 4x5 film and really like the results. Now I would like to try doing some glass dry plates. I did some searching and see that 4x5 dry plates were offered in two thicknesses .040 and .060. Question is why two different thicknesses and which one for my No.5 Cyclone?

 

[jamie young]

I've been using a western camera 4x5 box camera with plate holders and having fun with it. I put septum's in the plate holders for film. I recently picked up a #5 cyclone as well and am going to try it with film. I have no idea what the reason is for the different plate thicknesses but don't think it will matter much at .02" since it's a fixed focus camera. I bet you'd be fine with whatever fit into the septums. There might be a very small focus shift but it probably won't be noticeable with that camera

 

[removed account4]

hi JW

i just use cheap window pane in mine, the cheapest and thinnest my glass maker sells.
i have a #5 and love it, i also have a #3 and wish i had more septums for it !

ingenius cameras they were, i love the ads they had for them " all LIVE dealers sell them"

i crack up every time i think of it ...

have fun!
john

 

[jamie young]

My cyclone 5 only came with 6 septums. I want to test it first but am planning on making a simple jig and making a bunch more. I'm only planning on using film so I'm going to do the septums to fit that. I'm thinking I might be able to get a few more septum's in the camera if they are thinner. I haven't seen a cyclone 3 yet. They must be more unusual to find.

 

[removed account4]

hi jamie

the #3 is like the low budget version of the #5
1 f-stop, instread of the big button and a shutter release for it
a knurled knob you wiggle for the plates to fall i( it always gets jammed ! ) instead
of that funky key you turn and the plates always fall ... and best of all, when you unload the plates and load them there is like a tray that pulls out
and a big bed spring to give pressure so they fall. the #5 has that ingenius design where the floor drops out so you can pull the plates out.

i originally got my #5 for the septums, thinking they were the same as the #3, but as luck has it, they are completely different. thin metal instead of the thick ones in the cheap version.

i have 12 septums for my #5, and 8 for my #3, i've also thought of making some but i'm too lazy and broke to follow through. i've never shot film in them, just paper negatives and glass plates
i'm thinking of switching to plexiglass dry plates so i dont' have to worry about the plates breaking after they fall. and i ALWAYS serach for septums, and never have found any, and i am too broke to
pony up the $$ for a whole new #3, someone must be reading my blog cause they cost about 3-5 times as much as i paid for the whole lot.

if i see any septums i'll send you a note !

john

 

[JW PHOTO]

Thanks guys for the replies. I have 22 septums/plate holders so I'm all set since I can only use one camera at a time anyway. I do like using 4x5 sheet film in mine, but wanted to explore a little with emulsion making this winter when things are slow. John, I also love those old ads and pictures of the cyclone cameras. I think you and I talked about this before a few years back and both agree that one can spend a large amount of time making these cameras light-tight enough for modern film, but it can certainly be done. I finally found the original threaded air-bulb release adapter that screws over the outside threads around the shutter release. I then adapted it to a standard mechanical cable release, which makes for a much better arrangement. I also installed/taped a light yellow gel filter inside just behind the lens, which improves the end results. These are very, very fun cameras of simple, but great design. I'm going to go to my local glass shop and see if I can get some glass around .045 inches thick or as close as possible anyway. John W

 

[removed account4]

wow, JW, 22 ?!
holy @&*$! !

i've tried to figure out a way to use that weird shutter release gizmo but ended up unscrewing mine
and just using my finger. the edges are hard and rough so it can be a pain ( litterally ! ) and while
i love the image quality of my #5 i am more drawn to my #3 because it has a cheap lever that is easy to operate ..
as i said it has trouble when the plates don't want to fall, so i have to wack it once in a while ...
someone saw me with it on a tripod making exposures one day on the side of the road and the next time i saw her
she said " wow, cool birdhouse you had there" .. cracked me up

good luck with the glass !
i have some sort of metal square that i sometimes
slide into the septums to make them easier to put glass into.
i think it is a repurposed ski wax scraper. if you have a sports shop see if you can get one, they come in handy.
there is that weird toothed piece that holds the septums from smashing on eachother ..
make sure it is free and not seized.

almost noting is as cool as a falling plate camera
( except 2 of them )


have fun !

john

 

[jamie young]

John how are the #3 septum's different? When I make septum's for mine I will be set up to make more if necessary. I'm going to do some simple jigs to do it so it shouldn't be hard. Shot a few sheets with mine yesterday and am going to process today to see what happened. I've noticed there a mainly two different price structures for these on ebay. The way overpriced "rare camera" buy it now price and the occasional "I just want to sell it quick" price which is the only one I pay attention to. $20- 40 seems about right for me
Jamie

 

[removed account4]

hi Jamie

off the top of my head, the septums for the 3 have 2 semicircular cut outs and 2 holes
they are from what I remember the 5's just have holes
the 3's fall onto 2 pins and the circular notches keep them aligned.
when I get a chance I'll post an image of the 3 next to the 5's septum.
I agree lots of overpriced out there, and your price point is the same as mine !
there was a 4 on the bay recently, it's septums look like the 5 too
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Mag...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
but smaller 1/4 plate 3:4 instead of 4:5 ... I've kind of gotten used to 8 exposures after all these years ..
I'm starting to think the extra 4 will mess up my buzz


Btw:

there were a whole bunch of long format tall&sknny fallling plate cameras made
over the years. I used to buy them and fix them and resell them on eBay ..
some were extremely sophiticated ... instead of 1 shutter speed, I had
one by a British maker that had a knob you turned. looser it was slow
tighter it was faster. I wish I still had some of the ones I sold, I've fallen
into tall and skinny more than boxy and square over the last few years.

 

[removed account4]

jamie

here is a quick snappie of the #3 septum
i was going to put a #5 in the image,
but you already have one of thems

good luck making more septums and have fun with your camera !
john

 

[jamie young]

Thanks John
I'll let you know how it goes. I have some work things going on now but will build the jigs in the next couple of weeks