Hello all,
I have recently acquired an aging and slightly out of shape B&J Commercial View tailboard (what can I say, it's a camera after-my-own-heart.)
I should start by saying that I want a shooter, not a collector. I'm going to flub some part names with grotesque descriptions...
I've fabricated a lens board bottom retaining rail/plate and screwed it onto the bottom of the front standard. It's not pretty, but it works. I've also fabricated the top sliding lock that moves up and down to hold the lens board in place. I won't be shooting any enormous Petzvals any time soon, so what I have will work for my lenses.
What I'm looking for is:
1. Back brackets / springs... (the ones that hold the rear standard together and the back in the rear standard.) I've begun fabricating the ugliest pair of these you ever saw with some sheet steel. I'm not kidding when I call this an epic kludge. They are ugly. I haven't drilled holes yet, but the right angles are banged into brackets that are long enough. I have the back and it's in decent enough shape.
2. I would like the slot covers (?) for the front rise and fall slots as well as a set of knobs. I don't consider them absolutely necessary, there are washers against the wood and I won't be cranking them down too hard. I feel certain that the 1/4-20 butterfly nuts & washer situation will undoubtedly present problems in the long term.
3. I would like to find a rear tailboard extension for it. One of the lenses I have is an old Turner-Reich convertible that I'd like to be able to use (at longer lengths and at closer distances) and I just don't think that's going to happen with my current bellows draw.
4. One focus knob (the one on the left from behind the camera, though I'm not sure that it matters). It's there, but its shaft is bent, creating a unique feel during focusing. The back springs are the biggie. This would be an indulgence.
I've Googled around a bit and haven't been able to find anything that seems to fit the bill, ergo, I have no idea what these items would be worth. I can and will muddle along making a monster which will likely come to resent it's owner, thusly throwing it from a tower into a group of townsfolk gathered with pitchforks and torches. But; I would also like to minimize the damage I could do to the wooden parts of the camera as much as possible by using any original parts that I can find. A trusted source told me that I could use the hardware off of a B&J 5x7, but if I buy one of those, I don't trust myself not to start kludging that together, too.
The good news is that the bellows are in fine shape!
Thank you for reading this far and anything you might be able to contribute.
-Craig
I have recently acquired an aging and slightly out of shape B&J Commercial View tailboard (what can I say, it's a camera after-my-own-heart.)
I should start by saying that I want a shooter, not a collector. I'm going to flub some part names with grotesque descriptions...
I've fabricated a lens board bottom retaining rail/plate and screwed it onto the bottom of the front standard. It's not pretty, but it works. I've also fabricated the top sliding lock that moves up and down to hold the lens board in place. I won't be shooting any enormous Petzvals any time soon, so what I have will work for my lenses.
What I'm looking for is:
1. Back brackets / springs... (the ones that hold the rear standard together and the back in the rear standard.) I've begun fabricating the ugliest pair of these you ever saw with some sheet steel. I'm not kidding when I call this an epic kludge. They are ugly. I haven't drilled holes yet, but the right angles are banged into brackets that are long enough. I have the back and it's in decent enough shape.
2. I would like the slot covers (?) for the front rise and fall slots as well as a set of knobs. I don't consider them absolutely necessary, there are washers against the wood and I won't be cranking them down too hard. I feel certain that the 1/4-20 butterfly nuts & washer situation will undoubtedly present problems in the long term.
3. I would like to find a rear tailboard extension for it. One of the lenses I have is an old Turner-Reich convertible that I'd like to be able to use (at longer lengths and at closer distances) and I just don't think that's going to happen with my current bellows draw.
4. One focus knob (the one on the left from behind the camera, though I'm not sure that it matters). It's there, but its shaft is bent, creating a unique feel during focusing. The back springs are the biggie. This would be an indulgence.
I've Googled around a bit and haven't been able to find anything that seems to fit the bill, ergo, I have no idea what these items would be worth. I can and will muddle along making a monster which will likely come to resent it's owner, thusly throwing it from a tower into a group of townsfolk gathered with pitchforks and torches. But; I would also like to minimize the damage I could do to the wooden parts of the camera as much as possible by using any original parts that I can find. A trusted source told me that I could use the hardware off of a B&J 5x7, but if I buy one of those, I don't trust myself not to start kludging that together, too.
The good news is that the bellows are in fine shape!
Thank you for reading this far and anything you might be able to contribute.
-Craig