Now that I’m comfortable with most of the machines at the hobby shop, the progress on the camera is definitely increasing in pace. This week I’m wrapping up work on the focusing rack and starting on the front standard.

• body
  
• base
• focusing rack
• front standard
• ground glass and negative holder
• finishing

I can confidently say that I’m finishing up the toughest and most complex part of the camera. I’m also hoping that my ground glass arrives soon so I can finish up some simple things on the ground glass and negative holder frames.

Here is what the camera looks like so far.

The metal piece on the side is eventually going to have a channel cut into it. The back of the camera will be mounted on this channel so that it can slide up and down the base, allowing me to compress the bellows as much as possible for a wide angle shot.

Also, the rod across the base is not mounted yet (the knob is obviously resting on the table). There will be a piece of brass holding the rod in the proper place so that the pinion can turn and move the focusing rack forward and backward.

A close-up of the rack and pinion. The goal of the focusing rack is (obviously) to focus the image that is projected onto the ground glass. This is done by compressing and stretching the bellows.

I’m really happy about these knobs. I couldn’t find any large brass knobs for this camera. So Ken Stone showed me how to make one from from a cylinder of brass.

The knob and pinion are held in place by tiny set screws, allowing me to make fine adjustments of their placements as needed.

This camera is finally coming together!

Posted under Camera Construction.
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