My Deardorff

I haven't been posting much in here as I have been busy with, well, life.  Not through any lack of desire to post, just haven't had time or a chance to.

The one thing, though, is that I have started a much needed repair and refurbishing of my late grandfather's Deardorff 5x7 Wooden Field camera.  I don't think he ever used this camera, as I have sifted through his negatives and there were many 620 6x9 negatives, but nary a single 5x7 negative.  No back and ground glass, or lens board or lens came with it.
So I am having to do a lot of the work by fabricating parts, or buying from the Deardorff factory in the USA.

So far I have made a new lensboard for it, and realigned the focusing racks.  I am in the processed of acquiring new hardware for it, and making a new front focusing rack for it so that I can have it a little more sturdy.

As it stands now, it is not yet usable.  Without the rear ground glass and film holder, I am unable to use it to take a single image.
Hopefully within this year I will have the camera in service again finally.  But as of now, here is how it looks..

The lensboard is not yet finished, as I have to sand it smooth, add another coat of paint, sand that again smooth, using some 600+ grit sandpaper, then protect it with some clearcoat lacquer.
The lens is off a Kodak Autographic Folding Brownie Hawkeye No. 2A.

Very impressive lens indeed!

Until next time, fellow bloggers...

Keep those shutters firing!