Paper Camera Bellows

[sgoti]

TLDR:

Had an old Kodak camera that needed a cosmetic restoration, specifically the bellows, for another project I'm working on.

I apologize for the lack of design/in-progress pics, I have a habit of jumping in and forgetting to document my progress...

This was my first attempt at designing/building a set of tapered bellows. The rear measures five inches by three inches, and tapers to one and three-quarter inches square at the front.

Material is brown kraft paper, I will be spraying on black Plasti-Dip to seal/strengthen/simulate leather.

[Vermin_King]

Looks good, sir. Did you get it right on your first try? I imagine I would have had to have built four or five to get it to look that good

[sander1942]

Looks really good. I wouldn't even attempt it.

[SCEtoAUX]

Nice job on the bellows.
I made some paper bellows. They were not tapered, though.
I remember what went into folding them so I am really impressed on how yours turned out.

[Mike Stamper]

I've made bellows in the past, so I can appreciate the work involved. They look great!

"my" bellows were used to make three whistling birds !

Cheers
Mike

[sgoti]

Thank you all for the kind words!

VK: Yes...ish(?)

This was my first attempt at making all sides together from a single sheet of paper.

I did have several test attempts prior to this, but they were either just two sides together or a single side with tabs (I naively thought I could cut/fold individual sides and glue together afterwards...).

My first attempt was just two tapered sides, to learn the whys and wherefores of what changes from straight bellows to tapered ones. Once I understood, I had the "A-ha! It just falls together (almost)" moment.

As luck would have it, I will need to make these again. I got carried away when spraying the Plasti-Dip, and it's a wee bit too heavy in some of the folds. C'est la vie!

Perhaps when redoing these I will remember to slow down a bit and take some in-progress photos/do a proper design/build thread.

(Alas, I know that "real life" is rearing its head these next few weeks, so it might be awhile before I make a second attempt.)

I would like to take this time to thank the forum at large- The fine folk here have demonstrated over and over what CAN BE DONE with paper!

You just need patience, ingenuity, encouragement, and (in my case) sometimes a dollop or two of sheer dumb luck.

Take care, and be safe!

Glenn

[Philip]

The ingenuity of some folks here just amazes me.

[THE DC]

What a great idea!

I still shoot with a 1928 Graphlex and a late 1800s Graphic studio. I have several old mid 19th century pieces that would benefit from your great idea!

[sgoti]

Originally Posted by THE DC

What a great idea!

I still shoot with a 1928 Graphlex and a late 1800s Graphic studio. I have several old mid 19th century pieces that would benefit from your great idea!

While my approach might work, be aware that I did nothing to try and reduce glare on the insides of the bellows.

You might take a look at the following blog, it was one I found when researching how to construct bellows:

My Rangefolder Cameras: Bellows building in easy way

I decided that since I was only doing a cosmetic replacement, I could get away with only folding paper for my bellows.

Glenn

[Thumb Dog]

Hi All,

And hi, sgoti. Interesting project and nicely executed, too. If you know, what materials were your camera's original bellows made out of? In my button accordions and concertinas, the good bellows are made from jute, with kid leather used on the corners. It seems that for a camera's bellows, with no reinforced corners, heavy paper or cardboard wouldn't be durable enough.

Again, well done.

Score and fold,

Thumb Dog