Electrical Tape to Repair Bellows is an Abomination

[table1349]

This is awesome, I have a 1920s Kodak folder I would love to run a roll of film through but the bellows is cracked. Since I only paid $6 for the camera I figure I can risk destroying its value by using electrical tape to fix it.

You're also looking at the person who recently used liquid electrical tape on a Leica IIIa shutter to fix some pinholes and make it usable again.

One must keep one's repairs tasteful.

 

[unpopular]

I'm a photographer not a camera enthusiast. I use a d810 because I like the results.

wait, what??

 

[JohnFranklin]

This is how I once repaired the bellows on a Mamiya Six folder:

Mamiya

I don't know if the OP would approve but I think I preserved the appearance of the camera at least. I did use a small piece of tape in the process but it was gaffers tape which is a flexible, durable non-plastic product made of rubberized cloth and is not at all like most tapes. Only a small piece was applied to the inside of the bellows. I had to use something to cover the gaping hole. I tried leather at first but it did not work well for this purpose. I was not aware of mulberry paper before reading the OP's post and I will look into that. I believe silk is also used to repair bellows but I've never tried it.

Mulberry paper is incredibly strong and well suited for these sort of repairs. I use a medium weight Japanese Moriki paper, which is 90% kozo and it is fantastic to work with. I learned this from my days of repairing rare leather books, mostly for my own collection. I have many of them in my study. The entire room smells of rich mahogany.

Anyway, back to the subject of bellow repairs...I suggest you purchase some Moriki paper at a place like Hollander's for that unsightly hole you have in that Mamiya. You can also pick up some ready made rich starch paste. You may want to also get a nice set of conservation acrylic paints at a place like Talas, although you may only need black, brown, etc. and not every color. The trick to a perfect repair is to get the color just right, but this can prove difficult. If you are as serious about color matching as I am, you should consider a chroma meter, such as the CR-400 by Konica Minolta. It is a precise color measuring instrument often used in the food industry to keep colors consistent and exact throughout production. I assure you that a device such as this will take your conservation skills to a new level of greatness.

Here, let me show you some nuances. What I have laid out there is two strips of kozo. The one on the right was cut with a sharp edge like the X-Acto you see in the frame. This is not preferred, because the edges will leave jagged, straight ridges on the area of the repair and not blend in well at all. When you cut the kozo paper, you need to use your fingers to rip the paper apart so that it leaves the rough fuzzy edges like you see on the left. Those deckled edges will blend in exceptionally well to the surface of the repair and not leave a noticeable ridge.

I also have a container of methyl cellulose in powder form, of which I mix 5 tbsp of powder to 1 cup of water boiled to precisely 200F. For those unfamiliar with MC, it is often used to remove glue or paste from the spines of old books. It is quite remarkable how well it dissolves all types of glue. But one must remember that MC is not a glue at all, it is an adhesive. It is versatile and useful for many projects.

I hope this lesson has been enlightening and enjoyable.

 

[Designer]

JohnFranklin; I would like to see an example of a repair that you have done, if that is possible.

 

[480sparky]

Never once has anyone judged my images by the appearance of my gear.

 

[snowbear]

So where do you find this 'camo duct tape'? I've looked everywhere, but can't see where anyone stocks it.

Camouflage duct tape in stock at Tape Solutions.

 

[snowbear]

Meh. If it fixes the problem and he camera owner likes the results, then it's fine. There are so many more things to worry about.

 

[unpopular]

This is posted in the "collector's corner"

I do get what the OP is saying; this is more about restoring an antique than it is about photography - and for that it is good advice.

 

[compur]

^ +1

 

[vintagesnaps]

Since when do people care enough about antique cameras for four pages of conversation?? lol

I was thinking like Compur said, that using a small piece of gaffers tape inside the bellows is better than electrical tape all over it. Somewhere (can't think where) I saw bellows being made and sold to fit inside existing bellows to make the camera usable and keep it intact.

I have antique cameras, and it's not like they're valuable as far as money goes but I don't think I could do that to a camera (slap electrical tape all over it). It depends on the camera. I like to leave them in original condition as much as possible if they're in decent shape.

And I use cameras (my own, not that I've bought to collect) that look like they've been dragged all over hockey rinks (they were). So with a cheapie camera in crappy shape that's a dime a dozen I might make it usable because it wouldn't be worth it to do actual restoration. I know of someone who decorates the heck out of cheap crappy cameras and they're really cool! I think I'd do that just for fun with some hunk o' junk.

 

[table1349]

Sharon, one feels that you have mistaken the tenor of this thread as well as the responses to this thread. If one is truly interested in restoring a vintage camera one would contact such establishments as the following.

Re-Manufactured Bellows, Antique Photography Equipment: Turner Bellows: Rochester, NY
Custom Bellows
Camera Bellows | B&H Photo Video

This of course is only a small sampling of establishments that one could engage to acquire the necessary item to repair such a vintage piece of equipment.

 

[compur]

My feelings about the manner in which an antique is restored depends a lot on the antique in question. If someone glued sequins all over an old rusty Ford Pinto I would probably just laugh. But, if someone showed me a Rembrandt that had been “restored” with crayons and Sharpies it would probably ruin my day.

The same goes for antique cameras. My feelings about restoring an old cherry wood view camera wouldn't be the same as they would be for restoring an old Barbie Polaroid.

Some things are just more elegant than other things and it does pain me to see elegance ruined but I don't much care about ruining things that I perceive as cheesy to begin with.

But, not everyone puts the same values on things. I'm sure there are people who view Barbie Polaroids as the height of elegance and others who see cherry wood view cameras as worthless old junk.

 

[480sparky]

So where do you find this 'camo duct tape'? I've looked everywhere, but can't see where anyone stocks it.

Camouflage duct tape in stock at Tape Solutions.

I still don't see any.

 

[snowbear]

So where do you find this 'camo duct tape'? I've looked everywhere, but can't see where anyone stocks it.

Camouflage duct tape in stock at Tape Solutions.

I still don't see any.

You need a FLIR monitor.

 

[table1349]

So where do you find this 'camo duct tape'? I've looked everywhere, but can't see where anyone stocks it.

Camouflage duct tape in stock at Tape Solutions.

I still don't see any.

You need a FLIR monitor.

FLIR is that a fancy abbreviation for glasses???