| The first thing I needed to acquire was a big bellows. The size of the bellows would determine the size of the camera. I talked to a local bellows manufacturer, and was quoted $350.00 for a 12x20 bellows with a 24" draw. Even though this seemed reasonable, it was still a lot of money. Using the keyword "bellows", I began my internet auction quest. After some months of patiently searching, a large bellows from a process camera was listed. It looked almost new, and I got it for fifty-one dollars. |
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| The rear of this bellows measured 16-5/8" x 22". This would allow me to construct a back in any size to fit a number of film and holder sizes that are available: 11x14, 7x17, 8x20, 12x20, or even 16x20. With the bellows in hand, I began construction of the focusing rail. There are no exact measurements in this article because every dimension is dependent upon the size of the bellows. Two factors I always considered while designing the camera were rigidity and finished weight. |
©2001 by W. Underwood