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I used to force bellows flat with weights, now I just let them sit overnight
For years I'd stack lead shot bags on bellows to get them flat after replacing pleats. Last month a customer at my shop in Portland told me to just lay them open on a shelf for 12 hours. Tried it on a Kodak Retina and the pleats settled perfectly without creasing. Has anyone else ditched the weights for the slow method?
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carr.willow10h ago
I had a Mamiya C330 bellows that always fought me with weights, so I sympathize. I left it open on a shelf for about 14 hours last month, and it settled perfectly with no creases. @claire_ramirez22 I get what you mean about control, but I find the slow method lets the material relax evenly, especially on older leather that might be brittle. Might be worth trying on a test piece if you have a stubborn one in the shop.
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