Fixing leaky bellows

<p>I just discovered that the bellows on my Omega View 45E have several very tiny light leaks at the corners of the folds. They're so small that I haven't noticed them on the film I've shot through it- but they're definitely there.</p>

<p>How can I fix these leaks? Black finger nail polish? Haha... or is there something made for this?</p>

<p>Thanks for your help. Sorry if this has been covered a million times.</p>

<p>There are lots of sources about this on the internet. I have found that some of the black fabric paint will work on the really small ones. Also, some liquid electricians tape, black, is also doable. The classic fix is Elmer's glue, lamp black and a drop of dish soap--the formulas are on the web for this.</p>

<p>By the way, it is all done as minimally as possible to fill the holes, otherwise you might find issues with the folding of the bellows.</p>

<p>Many applicable solutions were in this recent post:<br>

<a href="../large-format-photography-forum/00WyV4">http://www.photo.net/large-format-photography-forum/00WyV4</a><br>

Washable black or ebony fabric paint available from art/craft/hobby stores or fabric stores applied to the inside of the bellows works well and is very durable.</p>

<p>Bellows must be fully extended before painting and left extended for 12 to 24 hours for the paint to fully cure then the bellows carefully refolded as the corners will be stiff at first.</p>

<p>Graham,<br>

Two things come to mind, either fabric paint (with a dusting of talcum after a few days), or good old fashioned black photographer's tape</p>

<p>The only real cure is a new bellows. If your bellows is starting to pin hole it probably will develop more. Additionally anything painted on or coated on may also flake off with use. To lose shots from leaks due to pinholes makes not replacing the bellows more expensive then getting a new bellows.</p>

<p>Gaffer's tape (photographer's tape) works very well for this. It is the same type of tape used for the hinges of 4x5 film holders. You can buy rolls at good camera shops, or order it online. It is a fabric based tape and comes in rolls like duct tape. I like it because it is super easy to rip straight lines of it with little effort, yet the tape is very strong. One roll would probably last a lifetime.</p>

<p>What Bob Salomon said, only all in caps.<p>It's ridiculous to try to repair pinholes in bellows.<p>Pinholes are like mice. If you see one, there are always more. <p>Do you think they even have this kind of question on an accordion website?</p>

<h4>It the late 1960's I brought my first 8x10 view camera at a garage sale for $1.50. The bellows was full of pinholes at the fold corners. I taped them all with paper photographic tape. I still have the camera with the same bellows. It works fine, no leaks. I haven't had to make any more bellows repairs.</h4>

<p>One can just use physical tape or liquid electrical tape too.</p>

<p>Many times one only has a pinhole or two and the liquid electrical tape/LET may outlast you.</p>

<p>I had a pinhole that I dabbed with LET back about 1997 on a Russian 2x3 folder. The Moscova V has been used many dozens of times since then with no issues; the camera cost about 40 dollars on ebay.</p>

<p>My dads old 1947 Vigilant 620 got dabbed back when Ford was in office.</p>

<p>A 1941 Speed Graphic got dabbed back in the late 1960's with something like LET; then it got another dab about 10 years ago. </p>

<p>If one want to replace bellows or car tires instead of patching; it is your right.</p>

<p>Folks have repaired tires and bellows for minor issues before any of us were born; it is totally ridiculous to rip an entire bellows out if it has a minor issue.</p>

<p>Noah; a bellows for an accordian has pressure on it; a camera does not. </p>

<p>In a way this points to a loss of info about repairs in society; folks are scared; wastefull. </p>

<p>In the press camera era folks used a dab of shoe polish from a kids shine stand; in an emergency.</p>

<p>Like tires; one at some point should replace them.</p>

<p>In the Katrina area by my summer home; post Katrina I placed over 2 DOZEN plugs in 4 brand new Michelin truck tires and another car in less than a couple tankfulls of gasoline. One had sheetrock screws all over the streets because of houses being torn down and houses gutted. It got to where one kept an airtank; compressor; plug/patch kits; windex to find leaks (bubbles). You just left the tire on the car; moved forward and sprayed; move forward and found the leak. You plugged the tire right on the car; then added air. The local places like Walmart or Firestone would have a 4 hour wait to fix flats; thus you did it yourself. If I got a new tire for each flat; that would be 2400 bucks worth of tires; and maybe a man week of time waiting to have them installed. BUT since there were so many folks getting flats; many places had few tires. </p>

<p>If one fixes a leak on a rotten tire; you are on borrowed time. The same goes if your bellows are really shot. Here I have Graflex slrs from 90 years ago that has great bellows.</p>

<p>If one haas an oil well; one can pay the shot and always get a new bellows. With many older cameras; you might have to have one custom made if old or weird. Thus if one buy a 200 buck 4x5 camera on Ebay; one has to ask whether one spends 1 cent on a dab of goop; or more than the camera is worth for a new bellows. One can often buy many cameras compared to the cost of a custom bellows. The custom job is often robust but now your rig will not close</p>

<p>The *RISK* with a bellows is that you fix it; and one gets another leak. That is why many of us use a penlight or Xmas tree bulb to check out cameras. One can have a new looking bellows get a leak too; looks are not everything.</p>

<p>Here in the National Camera Repair course on the 1960's; one had one booklete on making bellows; another part of one had one doing minor repairs. In that era it was considered poor to do major repairs when a minor one would last decades. Leaks in bellows are really not a black and white issue; nor are plugs on car tires either. One could say it is ridiculous to plug a tire; or repair any camera; you just buy new. </p>

<p>Our process camera's bellows from the 1970's has been taped and gooped a few times in the last 35 years.</p>

<p>A good part of Photo.net is folks are scared and helpless. Repairs of any kind are often shunned. Stuff that has been done before any of us were born is called ridiculous. This is because few folks here consider costs; they are artists. In a real business one cannot be so wastefull. When I sold Russian Moscovas on Ebay many were fixed with liquid electrical tape. On repair boards about cameras; using LET for minor leaks is common. To the typical LF shooter on this board; they do it for fun. Many may not want to get a new bellows installed; the same money will buy 1 or 2 LF lenses. For a bellows that is really shot; it is far far cheaper to just buy another one on ebay with many cameras. </p>

<p>Graham,<br>

<br /> If you use your Omega View 45E with a short 90mm or 120mm lens at infinity for months; then this winter use a 150mm and rack it full out for some macro shots, you might discover a light leak.</p>

<p>This type of problem goes back before any of us were born.</p>

<p>One is fat dumb and happy when the bellows is all compressed; then when extended a light leak ruins a shot.</p>

<p>That is why using a penlight is dinky flashlight every now and then helps avoid troubles.</p>

<p>Folks who check and patch their own bellows are often more versed in finding leaks; they have some fear. It is not uncommon for somebody who uses a long 300mm lens; or does macro to "discover" they have a leak the hard way; ie ruined images. The leak was there all the time; they were just sloppy and assuming.</p>

<p>"Noah; a bellows for an accordian has pressure on it; a camera does not."<br>

Except when a lens and lensboard are in the front standard and a non-ventilated back is on the rear standard. Then you create pressure as the camera is focused.</p>

<p>And most of your examples are on cameras that don't have full movements. The OP camera does. Start doing direct and indirect displacements and you can run into problems with a leaky bellows.</p>

<p>Better to just solve the problem properly and replace the bellows. After all, do you want to drive across the desert in summer with patched tires? To use your analagy.</p>

 

<p>and for 99% of the readers here, it's an inconvenience at best. The majority of the people here asking these questions are hobbyists just starting out. Those of us "in the trenches". actually having to produce a finished product within budget and on time,(and have enough profits left to actually pay your bills, eat, etc.) like Kelly and I have a slightly different approach than somebody who's job is (and has been for decades) to sell you something.<br /><br /><br />Both approaches are neither right nor wrong, there's risk associated with each (care and occasional checks for light leaks for our approach, the likelihood of not having grocery money/rent/insurance for the car, etc. in Bob's). Like most hobbies, you can pretty much buy your way into whatever you want, the true artisan adapts, converts and repairs, allowing him to fully understand the equipment he uses (and it's limitations)<br /><br />Weigh the risks, make a decision and just move forward.<br /><br /></p>

 

Again, what Bob Salomon says, but in caps.<p>

 

I really can't stand these, 'patch the bellows', threads.<p>

 

One ruined shot is all it takes.<p>

 

I had my Polaroid 110B in Washington Square Park when Christo had wrapped the arch in fabric. A once in all of eternity opportunity. The first photo I took had a light leak. Then the next, and the next.<p>

 

I was professionally trained to repair these cameras, and I didn't know what to do in that situation. I had no idea where the leak was, and couldn't open the camera and ruin all the film.<p>

 

When I checked the bellows later, with a lightbulb inside, I still couldn't find the leak. I had to go into a closet and wait for my eyes to get adjusted to the darkness until I finally found the almost invisible pinhole.<p>

 

Once you have pinholes, the bellows are in need of replacement. Period.<p>

 

To compare patching a car tire to patching bellows .... I patched or plugged many a tire in my day. That isn't the same thing! A puncture has nothing to to with the tire being old or new. I wouldn't patch a dry rotted-tire, then get on the highway with Aunt Rhoda in the back seat! Would any of you patch a dry-rotted tire?<p>

 

As a repair technician, I got to see these patched bellows when photographers finally came to their senses and sent their cameras in to be repaired the right way. (It was usually after a shoot where they lost the image.) What a mess! Bellows are paper, paper thin leather and cloth. All become friable with age. When you compound that with dried out gaffers tape residue and other such jury rigging, and realize you have a light leak when it's too late to do anything about it, you're really up a creek, because likely by then the perforations have progressed.<p>

 

So do what you want. Lose the shot at the worst possible time. Be my guest.<p>

 

When I find bellows with a light leak I crush them.<p><div></div>

...and I'm pretty sure the old woman in the picture below is long gone by now. Can't take this shot again.<div></div>

The light leaks in your Christo Shots do not matter...... he doesnt allow commercial use of them anyway!

Btw: i have done a lot of panoramas and 3dstereopanorama of wrapped trees at fondation beyeler in riehen near basel-switzerland. image will be online some day.

btw. 2:

I also have a huge special bellows-leak-problem. will open a new thread soon. or go to Large Format Photography on FB now to see how this unique Vintage shell-shutter is working. Michael Przewrocki