alright any one know andything about making water proof housings? i want to make one so i can video in the water. how does epoxy work in this application?
Plexiglass, with O-ring seals. Eddie Shafer made a number of housings for Nat’l Geo when he was living on the North Shore in 1962. Joints were done with a solvent which melted the plexi together. What you seek may also be commercially available.
I’ve never made one, but I’ve read that you can also make them out of resin and cloth.
Sounds like a really fun project. Make a post with pics if you go for it!
Plexiglass is “glued” together beautifully with Methylene Chloride (Dichloromethane) to make a very strong bond between two cleaned pieces. DCM is toxic and really bad for the environment so wear nitirle gloves (latex does nothing) and don’t breath too much of it. The best way i found to join two pieces is pour some into a disposable metal tub and dip one edge into the solvent, have the other piece on the benchtop and then take it right out of the solvent and hold together until all solvent has evaporated (usually under a minute). A final seal can be done with a medicine dropper down the joint. Any plexi that DCM touches will go opaque so keep it away from the front where the lense will be.
Acetone in a syringe will work too.
I still want to try what my brother told me … surround the camera in thick glad wrap [plastic] , vaseline the outsides .
Then , lay up your cloth and resin around that . I think you can do it in two halves , join with an o-ring … [I’ll have to 'phone him again at some stage , to clarify the details exactly.].
Dive shops could be helpful with the info too , and George Greenough or , if in america , Scott Preiss or Chris Dyball . [I forget the name of the guy in Hawaii who makes housings , but he is featured in the extras on [I think it is?] the "Step Into Liquid " d.v.d. , from memory …he makes Larry Haynes’s waterhousings.
oh , and also , maybe a plasticine or similar [thin polyurethane foam * , even?] mould of the camera , with plastic over it , and vaseline , would work to glass over ?
The o-rings and plunger for the shutter mechanism I’m pretty sure dive shops , if they have a camera / photgraphy section , should be able to supply.
- if you used polystyrene foam , and glassed with epoxy , then when it was set , poured acetone or maybe a bit of polyester resin on the inside , THAT might do the job of removing the foam quickly …[as long as it doesn’t ignite the glass !]… Otherwise , you can scrape away , labouriously , the inside foam .
okay mate , hope that helps !
cheers !
ben
…when / if I ever do the above with a cheap disposable camera , for practice , I will be sure to photograph the process as it …er…'develops ! [pun] , and let you know how it goes …
I’ve thought about building one for a while. Just some ideas here. I was going to build a model of the camera with sculpty modeling clay. Then I would glass the whole thing at once, completely sealing it. Right where you want the o-ring seal, glass it extra thick and saw it in half when it’s dry. This would give you a good marriage between the front and back.
that was similar to what i was gonna do but leave the front open to put on the plexi glass or what have you.
Do you know where the button seals are found?
try dive shops , or camera shops which specialise in underwater photography , or camera repair places , or hardware stores …
ben
great link , great photos …
thanks for that , “N.W.”!
…Dale Kobetich …that’s the guy !
ben
Yea, there was an article about him in The Surfers Journal about 6 months ago. Seems like an obscure guy. It sounds like he knows what he’s doing.
I’m really into the idea of having a housing for a digital camera. Instant gratification!
…I would LOVE to read that article !!!
cheers !
ben
OK, I’m gonn atry to upload a pic the right way. Here goes nothing.
oops!
okay , I hope this will help somebody …
it’s the re-useable underwater camera / housing hicksy bought around christmas 2004 [from memory …was it $29.95 ? reduced from $60?]
anyway , for an el-cheapo camera , it’s okay …it can take a shot every second or so , which is handy when you’re swimming around on the shoulder , and someone pulls in !
[the camera’s name reminds me of "board crazy’'s signature …]
They were $15.00 Chip…remember I bought 3…
this is moulded from some kind of plastic …? plexiglass ? ? perspex? …not sure …
but I thought it might give ideas for the mould around the camera…
Also , I just remembered …
somewhere here in the depths of my flat , I have an interview / article of George Greenough’s on …yep…making a waterhousing …
If / when I find it , I will post it here …
cheers !
ben
