A short while ago (mid-January?) I posted a few questions soliciting information so I could build my 7x17. I am very grateful for feedback I got, because it helped me push this project along at a satisfactory pace. Andy Schmitt expressed curiosity about it back then, so I thought that I would give him and any hardware geeks/voyeurs a quick note on my progress.
I have completed two holders and a focusing screen holder, as well as the body, which is about 8H x 18W x 6"L. On Saturday, the UPSP delivered my ground glass, so I'm very close to testing the camera. About all that stands in my way -- "all", ha ha -- are several light leaks in the body and some rather serious light leaks in each film holder. Oh and wooden darkslides do NOT work AT ALL with this camera. But yesterday in Ace I found sheets of thin-gauge aluminum. I got one and cut it to size, and I think this is going to work fine. So I have to get some more of these, prime and paint, and I'm set, except for leaks. Also the pinhole may turn out to be a problem. I got a nice old Cronos shutter on eBay a few weeks ago. I cannot believe how COOL it looks on the black lensboard. The shutter is entirely black, with only hints of silver lettering. Regrettably its diameter is a mere 7/8", so the tunnel it makes does appear to produce vignetting. Either I have to live with this or russle up a bigger shutter, or just tape the pinhole to the front. Not the end of the world. That accolade goes to the dramatic light leakage in the film holders. But boy, the camera just won't look the same with a piece of aluminum foil taped to the front. Maybe I can hire someone to paint a trompe l'oeil shutter on it... I also have assembled fake BTZS developing tubes from ABS pipe. These should have been fun to make, but each one is about 24" long and 4" wide. Sanding and assembling on the patio over the last few days made me nervous. I kept expecting the FBI to show up, investigating reports of a guy preparing to launch ground-to-air missiles at a plane trying to land over in Phoenix. If they know about me, though, they're still only watching and updating my file. Today I am going to test a developing tube with six images of HP5 in 4x5. These occupy about the same area as a 7x17 sheet, so I should be able to achieve rudimentary tests of tube, developer, and film w/o going through half my supply of 7x17 film. When I finally use the camera, I intend to test it w/ printing paper first, again to avoid squandering the film. Hopefully this will be w/in a week or ten days. When it works, some of you might actually hear my scream. Anyhow, I will post again when it's done. I think I have plenty of time to get this up and running by Pinhole Day! Next I have to figure out a way to scan one of these suckers with an Epson 2450... Mike
