Bellows

[clcolucci58]

My Toyo 45D bellows have worn on the edges, the end sections that attach to the standards and yes I have light leaking in: 😱 My question is before I search for a new bellows can I just patch the worn areas with black duck tape or some other tape, do most folks do the patch/cheep route first 🙂 As always thanks for the insight and advice.

Regards,

Chris

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

My Toyo 45D bellows have worn on the edges, the end sections that attach to the standards and yes I have light leaking in: 😱 My question is before I search for a new bellows can I just patch the worn areas with black duck tape or some other tape, do most folks do the patch/cheep route first 🙂 As always thanks for the insight and advice.

Regards,

Chris

Duck tape?
Mind = boggling.

Depending on how severe the wear is and/or how much clearance your bellows have when they are compressed, you could try either some black liquid electrical tape (adequate clearance when they compress) or flexible black fabric paint (less clearance) on the insides of the affected areas. More than one application of the latter, in particular, may be beneficial. In any case, you will need to let the product dry very adequately before collapsing the bellows again for obvious reasons.

If they're made of leather, I recommend applying some neatsfoot oil to them so it remains as supple as possible and minimises further wear in future.

Cheers,
Brett

 

[clcolucci58]

Duck tape?
Mind = boggling.

Depending on how severe the wear is and/or how much clearance your bellows have when they are compressed, you could try either some black liquid electrical tape (adequate clearance when they compress) or flexible black fabric paint (less clearance) on the insides of the affected areas. More than one application of the latter, in particular, may be beneficial. In any case, you will need to let the product dry very adequately before collapsing the bellows again for obvious reasons.

If they're made of leather, I recommend applying some neatsfoot oil to them so it remains as supple as possible and minimises further wear in future.

Cheers,
Brett

Thanks Brett, but doesn't duck tape fix everything

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

I have no experience of taping ducks. Duct tape, on the other hand may offer possibilities for excluding light from your camera. 😉

 

[02Pilot]

I have no experience of taping ducks. Duct tape, on the other hand may offer possibilities for excluding light from your camera. 😉

Actually, if you look up the etymology of the term, you will find that the original form was indeed "duck tape"; the modern "duct tape" came considerably later. The original form is still in common use in some places.

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Well, so it was. And, happily, seems to have little to do with ducks of the quacking variety. I've never heard the term used in Australia, not in my memory anyway. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[x-ray]

There's a Chinese company that custom makes bellows. I wanted a red bellows for my Deardorff special and bought one. It was well made but the solvent smell was so strong from the glue that I could smell it before I opened my mailbox. It was even coming through the package.

I went ahead and installed it but it was almost too soft and sagged. Not only did it say but the solvent smell remained very strong for a couple of years. I figured it would go away but it took a lot longer than I would have guessed. It remained so strong it was difficult to stay under the dark cloth to focus.

Now that a couple more years have passed the bellows is almost too stiff. I kept my old original bellows that was in good shape and think I'll put it back on.

My 8x10 V8 was restored by amen Hough before I got it. It has a really nice nylon feeling bellows. Unfortunately I don't know who made it and don't think Ken can be reached now.

Go to the Large Format forum to inquire about bellows.

 

[ptpdprinter]

I had UK Bellows make new bellows for my Technikardan. The workmanship was excellent, it only took them only a few weeks, and I thought the cost was reasonable.

 

[x-ray]

I had UK Bellows make new bellows for my Technikardan. The workmanship was excellent, it only took them only a few weeks, and I thought the cost was reasonable.

I've heard they make excellent bellows but couldn't remember their name. Bellows aren't something you have made every day. Unfortunately bellows makers are disappearing.

 

[Dwig]

... can I just patch the worn areas with black duck tape or some other tape...

One, it's "duct" not "duck", unless you are talking specifically about the brand that plays on the similar sound and then it would be "Duck Tape" with caps.

Two, even black duct tape is not light tight as the adhesive isn't opaque, not to mention the evil adhesive residue and occasional oozing.

Three, all users of LF bellows cameras should own a roll of 3M brand #235 black photographic tape; no substitutes exist to my knowledge. This tape is a stable black crepe paper tape with a long life opaque black adhesive that will seal light tight. It is very useful in many situations. I used to keep a small roll (about 10' wound onto a small dowel) in by field bag for emergency repairs. My enlarger, an ancient Beseler 45H, had many patches on its bellows done with this tape. They remained pliable with no adhesive oozing over the two decades I had it.

 

[farlymac]

You beat me to it, Dwig. After going the LET (Liquid Electrical Tape), and fabric paint route, I experimented with using border tapes from the fabric shop with some flexible glue. It just was too much bulk when the bellows was closed, so I gave up on that idea.

Fabric paint would still be good for something like a small bellows on say an Agfa Karat, but it doesn't last. And it takes so much for a large bellows you might want to buy it by the gallon. And LET, if not spread thin enough, can cause some binding later on.

I still haven't got a roll of the 3M tape, but that is on the list for when I do get back into camera repairs. Thanks for reminding me.

PF

 

[wes loder]

Back in the old days, we always referred to duct tape as "Gaffer tape." Photographers used it for securing lighting cords to floors and walls in studio settings and elsewhere.

 

[oftheherd]

Back in the old days, we always referred to duct tape as "Gaffer tape." Photographers used it for securing lighting cords to floors and walls in studio settings and elsewhere.

Back in the old days of RFF 🙂p) I think I remember someone saying that the adhesive on gaffer's tape didn't leave a residue whereas duct tape often did.

But if there is a gaffer's tape different from duct tape, I wouldn't know. I know some duct tape, or the hurricane tape (from my military days), could leave a residue. But as I recall, the hurricane tape was less prone to do so.

 

[summar]

Gaffer tape is different from duct tape. It's used by crews on movie sets (hence the name) to hold gear like lights etc. temporarily. The adhesive is very strong but doesn't leave any residue if removed in a reasonable length of time.
I've only seen it in black. It's probably light-tight but I've never used it on a bellows. It's thicker than duct tape so it might interfere with closing the bellows.
Very handy stuff for all kinds of purposes. I always have some on hand.

 

[charjohncarter]

I've used Black silicon adhesive from the inside and on the outside in the leaking areas. It has worked, be sure to close and open before the adhesive sets up. Then re check I don't consider this a permanent fix although I did it three years ago on a camera which I just finished a roll with today. I do check before each use. A new bellows is the best but you could give it a try.