What am I DOING?!

[Scott]

Well, going with my current bent into large format explorations, I pulled the trigger on a new toy:



This is a Seneca Improved View Camera in 8x10.  Egad.  In surprisingly good shape, there's a little bit of looseness to tweak and some small repairs to the wood to do.  Then it'll get stripped of metal (which'll get cleaned and polished), scrubbed with lacquer thinner, and relacquered.  Will likely sell the Packard.  There's a DIY bellows vendor on LFf now, who supplies pre-cut pieces for custom-sized bellows, which I'll try to build.  And this cam's got the extension rail (!!!).  You can see a video of the thing here (though the seller may pull the video at some point...).  And there's a darkcoth and a holder thrown in to the deal as well.  I'm geeked. :cool:

Planning an epic road trip for this summer.  I want to bring the 8x10 and developing gear with.  It's a romantic notion, shooting LF from the back of the car, but the opportunity is too good to pass up.

So, there you go.  Another fool's leap down an already-too-slippery slope.  Eek. :eek:

[wlewisiii]

Get a nice old fashioned station wagon and shoot from on top of it like Ansel did. You can build a small tent darkroom ala WeeGee in the back too!

I'll look forward to seeing what you do with it.


William

[Major Black]

Well now you need a proper  camera car. A photographer who I assisted in the early eighties built a platform on top of his van so that he could have a good vantage point and also shoot models from below. A great idea.

If you pull this off, you will be certified hardcore gangsta in my book.
Go go go!

[Scott]

Thanks, guys! 

You know, I do drive a pickup...  :cool:

Just got PM'd by the seller - camera's in the mail!  Woot!

[radiophoto]

You crazy nut!  Be mad, be carefree!  I certainly do envy you your camera budget.

[Scott]

Well, the camera's in-state.  Went through Philly at 7:14 this am.  I was hopeful that they'd be able to make the 45 minute trip up here and get it delivered today, but apparently not.  So, my camera is going to spend a day at the local post office for no apparent reason.  I hate parcel post.

Drat. :mad:

[Scott]

The camera arrived this morning!  Bittersweet, though: While the camera is a perfect project, with mostly cosmetic work to be done (save for some hole patching here and there), the ground glass didn't survive the shipping.  And a new 8x10 GG from Steve Hopf is about $90 shipped.  Might be grinding my own, depending on whether or not the seller feels any obligation (I don't think he insured the box).

Ah, well.

[radiophoto]

Poor Scotty, I could hear your scream of anguish all the way down here.    Sorry, pal.  Good luck with the grinding project.

[Scott]

No biggie, Pete.  I've resigned myself to grinding my own, again.  Actually somewhat enjoyable and satisfying.  Maybe I can get the seller to pay for the grits.  Damn sight cheaper than buying me a new GG... :rolleyes:

Ok, run-down on the new project: The camera is beautiful, first off.  Some scratches and a few chips that don't seem to affect anything.  Not sure if I'll be patching the chips or not yet.  There are a couple holes in the standard where the tubing for the Packard went through - those'll get patched with catalyzed plastic wood.  The finish is black lacquer - that will all get leveled by scrubbing with 0000 steel wool dipped in lacquer thinner after any patching and filling has been done.  Then, it'll get a few coats of new black lacquer sprayed on, a couple coats of clear instrument lacquer, then rubbing out.  The nickel is all in fine shape - some Flitz, or maybe just Tarn-X for that.  New bellows from DIY Camera Parts, a new ground glass (:rolleyes:), and some new lensboards.  Gonna be a fun project, and you can bet I'll be posting photos as I go!

[epatsellis]

Scott, I've got a 8x10 GG here that I'd sell inexpensively, well packed already!!!! drop me a pm or email if you are interested. If you do grind your own, use something finer than valve grinding paste, too coarse (but all I could find on a sunday afternoon)

[Scott]

Brief update: The camera's kind of in a holding pattern.  Everything (except refinishing the bed, which is likely to wait a while) is done and ready.  The bellows are coming along famously, and I'm hopeful there'll be a post about it when they're done ().  I've sourced some recently-expired Arista.EDU Ultra 100 in 8x10 for $1 a sheet (half the normal cost) and sent the check off this morning.

Now, here's the rub: The roadtrip is on.  Our current route is taking us through Virginia and along the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC.  Across Tennessee and Arkansas, and through north Texas.  We're renting a ride, but only one-way, opting to fly on the way back (my wife is concerned for my sanity right about now).  Logistically, it's gonna be a nightmare handling the 8x10, assuming the bellows are done in time, but I'm willing to do it.

So, I'd entertain hearing experiences of shipping gear, 'cause there's no way I'm checking an 8x10 and Ries.  I'll likely just bring extra boxes and film bags and hold off on developing (I was going to bring the Uniroller and HC-110, but that seems pointless if we're flying back). 

What'chall think?

Oh, and considering we're going to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway, I'm seriously considering some 8x10 color print film.  OMG.

[sandeha]

She gets her blue dress fitting tomorrow morning. 

[wlewisiii]

First: rent, buy, borrow, etc a hard case big enough for your camera and all the holders.

Second: UPS is your friend for something like this. You can find drop off places everywhere and all you sould need to do is just wrap a box around the hard case.

Third: E6 if you can find it - an 8x10 color slide is an insanely beautiful thing...

William

[Scott]

Sandeha, please do send photos, if you get the time.  I cannot wait to see it!

William, the hard case is a good idea.  I may start trolling eBay for suitably sized suitcases.  And, much as I'd like to shoot some 8x10 slides, unless I come across someone really generous, it's just too stinkin' expensive.  $10 a sheet is the going rate for all of it; I can get 8x10 C41 for less than $3.50 a sheet.  Still insane, but if I sell some more cameras, quickly, doable.

[sandeha]

For colour neg sheet you need to check if you can find someone to dev it, or home brew.