Renovating an old wooden camera will result in a functioning antique.
The 35mm compact film or digital camera we are familiar with today, didn't start out that small or made of plastic. In the early days of photography, cameras were large square shaped boxes that were mostly made of wood. Known as "Field" "Plate" or "View" cameras, they featured a wood enclosure where the single sheet of film or glass plate would be inserted, and an extendable bellows with flat board at the front where a lens would be mounted. Renovating these antiques takes time and patience.
Instructions
1. Inspect the camera and observe the condition it is in. Some of these cameras may be more than 100 years old. Finding parts or fabricating new parts for them may be more work than you want to take on. Once you have found a model that fits your requirements you can begin the renovation project.
2. Disassemble the camera by first detaching the bellows from the rear wood frame. The bellows may have been attached by being inserted into a groove or held in place with a metal frame. Remove the front lens board from the bellows which will be attached the same way. Remove the screws holding the lens into the lens board.
3. Remove the screws securing the ground glass at the back of the large wood frame and remove the film or plate holder as well. Begin by sanding the wood frame and front lens board. Repair the wood using filler as needed and apply varnish or lacquer to complete the job. Repeat this process with the front lens board.
4. Test the lens, by moving the adjustment tabs for the shutter speed and aperture. Look through the lens as you trigger the lens to observe changes in the size of aperture and changes to the shutter speed. While it is difficult to accurately visually assess the shutter speed, provided you see or hear a difference as you adjust the shutter speed, the lens should be in usable condition.
5. Inspect the bellows. If they need to be replaced, you find them online or in some cases at a local specialty camera store. Replacing the ground glass or film or plate holder may be more difficult, and may require you to carefully adjust and repair the grooves where the film plates slide into. Reassemble the camera and your renovated wooden camera is a functioning antique.
Tags: lens board, shutter speed, front lens, front lens board, wood frame, film plate, film plate holder
