Installing 8x10 Deardorff Bellows

[richard_lingg]

Based on the advice I received from an earlier post, I purchased a replacement bellows for my 8x10 Deardorff from Camera Bellows in England. The bellows look great.

 

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My next question is how do I install the bellows?

 

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I'm pretty handy and can probably figure out a way to meld bellows and Deardorff, but would appreciate hearing from others on what has worked for them and pitfalls to avoid. Any advice or war stories would be much appreciated.

[scott_walton2]

Steve Grimes emailed me at one time and stated that the use of contact

cement (as I recall) is what is used today. Email him directly. Very

personnable and KNOWLEDGABLE!

[robert_cockrell]

I used contact cement and saved the small tacks and reused them, I

have installed new bellows on my 5x7 and 8x10. The contact cement

works well and has held up for several years.

[bruce_wehman]

I wouldn�t rely on contact cement exclusively if you plan on racking

it way out in the hot sun. A small screw on each of the corners is

cheap insurance.

 

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Consider what is at stake: A small light leak could go un-noticed

and ruin an entire trip.

[john_kasaian2]

Richard, I just got off the phone with Ken Hough, as I am replacing

the handle on my 'dorff and have to remove the bellows in order to

setthe rivets that hold the metal pieces and in turn hold the handle

on(I've got a loose rivet, but my bride has been telling me that for

years!) Here is how that back half of the job is(I hope) done.

There should be three small oval head screws on each of the four

sides of the body, either on the outside(they'll be nickled) or the

inside(they'll be blackened) Get a screwdriver that fits or you'll

booger the slots on the screws. If the screws are on the outside,

things should go smoothly. If they are on the inside, they have a

tendency to corrode and you'll need needle nose pliers to pull them

out. the threads will have probably dissolved! This holds the bellows

frame to the camera back. The bellows are stapled onto this frame.

No glue is used to hold the bellows on the deardorff. A thin bead of

window glazer's putty is applied to the outside of the frame with

bellows attached, sealing any gaps between the bellows and the body.

The putty can be painted black if any of it shows, and the seepage

can be cleaned with mineral spirits. Good Luck!

[chad_jarvis1]

John, where'd you get the handle? I really need to replace the one

on my 8x10.