Diy Ebony style field camera help

[tim_shawcross]

I'm embarking on my first DIY camera attempt, and I'm trying to make

soemthing similiar to the Ebony RW45. I have a bit of experience in

DIY pro audio gear, and have enough word working an metal working

skills to get by (I think). I don't however have a background in

engineering, so I have many questions about how all the movement

controls work.

 

I've been looking over photos of the Ebony RW45 for a few days, making

sketches and trying to figure out how everything works. At the moment

I don't have access to one to actually physically check out as there

are no dealers that I'm aware of in Melbourne, Australia.

 

What I really need help with is the front standard and how rise and

centre tilt is employed. From the pictures I can see the following:

 

Screwed onto the front standard is a rectangular plate, that has a U

shaped grove half way up (to allow centre tilt.) This plate is screwed

down at both ends and can not move seperately to the front standard

itself. Attached to this is is a second rectangular plate. This

appears only to be attached at the top of the standard by a screw or

rivot, and is free to pivot about this point (ie it can move

independantly of the standard). Finally there is the front rise/fall

arm. This arm has a dual knob (one on top of the other) The bottom

knob allows rise/fall movement whilst the top knob allows centre tilt.

(this is from the manual)

 

I can't figure out how the rise/fall arm actually is phyiscally

attached to the front standard, and how the two knobs allow

independant movement of the rise and tilt. I can't see how either of

the two knobs can screw into the standard directly, as they would no

longer be able to slide along the U shaped grove on the first plate

attached to the standard. My thought was that perhaps the knob is

threaded onto the second plate that pivots, and then passes through

that plate into the U shaped grove. Then the front rise arm is only

actually attached to this middle plate, which is in turn attached to

the front standard. This seems wrong though as then the front

standard is only held in place be a clamping action from either side

rather than have being directly bolted into the rise fall arms. The

above described method would also require only one knob and would not

allow independant adjustmant of rise and tilt.

 

I guess if anyone has got an Ebony field camera, if you've got the

time could you maybe try and comment on exactly how the front standard

works. If anyone is feeling really charitable and has the time, a

couple of close up pictures of the front standard mechanisms posted to

the web would be brilliant.

 

tim

[User_503771]

You might want to check out the Cameramakers List over at Yahoo Groups.

 

Other than that, inquire and find someone in your area who has one of those cameras, see if they'll let you have a look.

[colin carron]

Have a look <a href="http://www.photo.net/photo/3121402"> here </a> for someone who has been there and done that. I'm sure Sandeha would be happy to help with how he solved these problems.

[Sandeha Lynch]

Ha - Colin pointed me out, did he? Well, he knows a thing or two about LF.

<p>

This link might help Tim if you download each of the images. They were the best shots I could find as models for my work. I had to give up on Ebony's double function knobs, but in the end it works anyway: <a href="http://www.largeformatphotography.info/cameras/ebony/ebony-sv45u-II.html"><b>Ebony SV45U Review</b></a>

<p>

Here are some more recent shots of mine ...

<p>

<img src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a119/Sandeha/link/closed.jpg">

<p>

<img src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a119/Sandeha/link/open.jpg">

[abrepsom1]

Hello Tim,

 

I'll try to send a few pictures to your email-address of the front standard of my Ebony SW23. Although smaller than the RW45, the mechanism should be more or less identical.

Hope it might you a little bit.

 

Good luck!

 

Best wishes from Luxembourg

[abrepsom1]

Sorry! It should say: Hope it might help you a little bit.