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A Rebuild of A Burke & James "Watson" 5X7 View Camera
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Jan 13, 2019 10:33:01   #
James R. Kyle Loc: Saint Louis, Missouri (A Suburb of Ferguson)
 
I found a Burke and James “Watson” - Five by Seven inch - Field View camera at a local antique mall, after a friend told me about it, for fifty dollars.
After looking it over, I made the quick decision to buy it, remove the paint, and rebuild to restore to a working condition. Already having a lens with a pneumatic operated shutter (In case this lens, shown, will not work). I knew that it would not only be workable, but also practical for the design.

While I awaited the arrival of the Bellows from an overseas Bellows Maker - I made used that time to build a carrying box for the camera.

(Thus = This became my “Winter Project” for 2018.)

Here are a few photos of the progress of the endeavor.


=0=

Before
Before...



(Some Assembly Required)
(Some Assembly Required)...

After Stripping and Applied Stain and Varnishing
After Stripping and Applied Stain and Varnishing...

Bellows Attachment.
Bellows Attachment....

Finished.
Finished....

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Jan 13, 2019 10:39:09   #
imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida
 
WOW, that is a LOT of work - but yes, a good winter project ! starting to look nice !

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Jan 13, 2019 10:53:54   #
James R. Kyle Loc: Saint Louis, Missouri (A Suburb of Ferguson)
 
imagemeister wrote:
WOW, that is a LOT of work - but yes, a good winter project ! starting to look nice !


===========

Not really "work" - However it can get rather tedious at times :-)

This is my fifth "Rebuild" of a View Camera.

(That last photo is of the completed project)

Now I have to find something else to do. -- ((Oh Look ..... There is a Completely FULL Bottle of Single Malt Scotch in the cabinet over there.))

LOL!!!

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Jan 13, 2019 11:10:30   #
olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida
 
James R wrote:
I found a Burke and James “Watson” - Five by Seven inch - Field View camera at a local antique mall, after a friend told me about it, for fifty dollars.
After looking it over, I made the quick decision to buy it, remove the paint, and rebuild to restore to a working condition. Already having a lens with a pneumatic operated shutter (In case this lens, shown, will not work). I knew that it would not only be workable, but also practical for the design.

While I awaited the arrival of the Bellows from an overseas Bellows Maker - I made used that time to build a carrying box for the camera.

(Thus = This became my “Winter Project” for 2018.)

Here are a few photos of the progress of the endeavor.


=0=
I found a Burke and James “Watson” - Five by Seven... (show quote)


Looks to me to be a labor of love....and a great project.... enjoy !!

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Jan 13, 2019 11:16:52   #
John Lawrence
 
I admire what you’ve achieved with your time and talent. Enjoy the camera and the scotch and thanks for sharing.

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Jan 13, 2019 11:22:18   #
A10 Loc: Southern Indiana
 
Nice work.

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Jan 13, 2019 11:53:09   #
rlaugh Loc: Michigan & Florida
 
Amazing...excellent job!!

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Jan 13, 2019 12:12:22   #
PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago
 
James R wrote:
I found a Burke and James “Watson” - Five by Seven inch - Field View camera at a local antique mall, after a friend told me about it, for fifty dollars.
After looking it over, I made the quick decision to buy it, remove the paint, and rebuild to restore to a working condition. Already having a lens with a pneumatic operated shutter (In case this lens, shown, will not work). I knew that it would not only be workable, but also practical for the design.

While I awaited the arrival of the Bellows from an overseas Bellows Maker - I made used that time to build a carrying box for the camera.

(Thus = This became my “Winter Project” for 2018.)

Here are a few photos of the progress of the endeavor.


=0=
I found a Burke and James “Watson” - Five by Seven... (show quote)
James, Great job. Now use it to create some awesome images and post them here.

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Jan 13, 2019 12:12:46   #
ChrisRL
 
Beautiful!

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Jan 13, 2019 13:36:41   #
James R. Kyle Loc: Saint Louis, Missouri (A Suburb of Ferguson)
 
PixelStan77 wrote:
James, Great job. Now use it to create some awesome images and post them here.


=============

Thank you - And YES!

This IS a working camera. I do intend to make use of this before I sell it.
Currently, I do NOT use film, in this - or any of the Large Format cameras I have. I am using up over 3000 sheets of Photographic Print Paper as the recording medium. The ISO is Low (Very Low = like in the "basement of the house of ISO".) Depending on the paper used, it can be from 3 to that of 10; I have to experiment with each paper I use. Then the Paper Negative, recorded, is Chemical Developed - Fixed, and Dried. Next I scan, and Invert to a Positive - do a little editing - and Print (or display) the results.
It is snowing here in STL, MO today = However = Tomorrow I shall give the 5X7 B&J a test run of 12 exposures. (Being that the ISO is so low, the exposures can be from 1/2 Second to that of 8 Seconds (depending on the light available == Longer indoors).

I have made a few Contact-Prints - However - for most of the print-out process, I scan and print digitally.

I am getting some really good Orthochromatic Prints from this process. ( this was the "standard" from 1898 to about 1930 when Kodak came out with Panchromatic Film. )

By The Way = This Paper Negative Process goes back to William Henry Fox Talbot of the U.K. in the late 1830's -- 180 years of the photographic process.

=0=

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Jan 13, 2019 13:41:47   #
ChrisRL
 
Yes, I'm very familiar with the process - but ole Bill Fox T would have a fit if he only knew about digital image inversion!
You using Ilford print paper?
Chris

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Jan 13, 2019 14:24:02   #
James R. Kyle Loc: Saint Louis, Missouri (A Suburb of Ferguson)
 
ChrisRL wrote:
Yes, I'm very familiar with the process - but ole Bill Fox T would have a fit if he only knew about digital image inversion!
You using Ilford print paper?
Chris


=============

Yes - Ilford for one. And I had an old still unused supply of all sorts of B&W paper from 1965 up to 2010 that is - of course - out of date. Seemingly this does not matter as I am getting really good results. (I have not experimented with color prints as yet.)

I keep careful notes as to my progress. Without the keeping of good records - I would be just empirically "fooling around" with the chemistry. That would not be very scientific of me, would it?

Also, I am experimenting with different developers, and dilutions and mixes of different developers. (Keep my mind from going NUTZ).

So - This and the digital process keeps me very busy.

=0=

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Jan 13, 2019 15:11:41   #
ChrisRL
 
Hmmm... the old Cibachrome i paper seems to spring unaided to mind... :-)

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Jan 14, 2019 06:47:45   #
rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona
 
That's fantastic, James. You did a great job restoring that one. Excellent work.
--Bob
James R wrote:
I found a Burke and James “Watson” - Five by Seven inch - Field View camera at a local antique mall, after a friend told me about it, for fifty dollars.
After looking it over, I made the quick decision to buy it, remove the paint, and rebuild to restore to a working condition. Already having a lens with a pneumatic operated shutter (In case this lens, shown, will not work). I knew that it would not only be workable, but also practical for the design.

While I awaited the arrival of the Bellows from an overseas Bellows Maker - I made used that time to build a carrying box for the camera.

(Thus = This became my “Winter Project” for 2018.)

Here are a few photos of the progress of the endeavor.


=0=
I found a Burke and James “Watson” - Five by Seven... (show quote)

Reply
Jan 14, 2019 06:51:09   #
waegwan Loc: Mae Won Li
 
James R wrote:
I found a Burke and James “Watson” - Five by Seven inch - Field View camera at a local antique mall, after a friend told me about it, for fifty dollars.
After looking it over, I made the quick decision to buy it, remove the paint, and rebuild to restore to a working condition. Already having a lens with a pneumatic operated shutter (In case this lens, shown, will not work). I knew that it would not only be workable, but also practical for the design.

While I awaited the arrival of the Bellows from an overseas Bellows Maker - I made used that time to build a carrying box for the camera.

(Thus = This became my “Winter Project” for 2018.)

Here are a few photos of the progress of the endeavor.


=0=
I found a Burke and James “Watson” - Five by Seven... (show quote)

Wow! Congratulations on the find and your skill! :-)


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