Me again regarding bellows replacement.

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soupdragon

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As the title suggests I would like to replace my Tachihara camera bellows.
I live in the UK and as such would like to have them replaced by professionals based on these islands.

Anyone know who can do this.

Cost is of no concern.
 
Custom Bellows in Birmingham, a family business, have been making bellows for over 100 years, although the name has changed a few times.

They should have the pattern for your bellows. They manufacture for many LF camera companies as the OEM supplier, over a million sets of bellows for Kodak.

Ian
 
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Email Keith at Custom Bellows - custombellows@hotmail.com
He did a new set for my Deardorff 10x8" last year. Turnaround was a couple of weeks and cost less than £250 all told if I remember correctly.
 
Keith is the man when it comes to replacement bellows. I've used him for loads of different cameras. Excellent service.
 
Ian Grant said:
Custom Bellows in Birmingham, a family business, have been making bellows for over 100 years, although the name has changed a few times.

They should have the pattern for your bellows. They manufacture for many LF camera companies as the OEM supplier, over a million sets of bellows for Kodak.

Ian
Click to expand...
Will they fit them though?

Tony
 
Fitting is straightforward, I queried what glue to use when fitting a set of new bellows from Custom Bellows to a Gandolfi. Evostick was the answer, and very straightforward it was too.
 
Paul Kay said:
Fitting is straightforward, I queried what glue to use when fitting a set of new bellows from Custom Bellows to a Gandolfi. Evostick was the answer, and very straightforward it was too.
Click to expand...
But which one? Evo-stik make a variety of different adhesives...
 
soupdragon said:
Just to be clear, did he make them or make and fit?
Click to expand...
I took the original knackered bellows off the frames, sent him the frames, and he fitted the bellows to the frames and posted them back. I then fitted these back onto the camera (2min screwdriver job).
 
Alan Clark said:
But which one? Evo-stik make a variety of different adhesives...
Click to expand...

Evostik Impact contact adhesive. That's what the company (previously Camera Bellows) have used for decades. They made me some bag bellows back in 1977, a year before Keith began working there. I had to make the frames, they made and fitted the bellows.

Paul Kay said:
Fitting is straightforward, I queried what glue to use when fitting a set of new bellows from Custom Bellows to a Gandolfi. Evostick was the answer, and very straightforward it was too.
Click to expand...

Having fitted at least half a dozen sets of bellows, I agree.

Ian
 
Yes, the ordinary Evostik. You just need to take your time and check check twice, stick once.
 
David M said:
Yes, the ordinary Evostik. You just need to take your time and check check twice, stick once.
Click to expand...

They did re-formulate the Contact Adhesive as solvent free version a few years ago, it was useless, and they quickly reverted to the original.

Ian
 
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