Can Anyone help by telling me of suitable materials (other than leather) that can be used for making bellows. And where I may purchase such material.

-- George DeSaxe (georgedesaxe@freeuk.com), November 30, 2001

Answers

Check out this site:

http://www.cyberbeach.net/~dbardell/bellows.html. If you dig around on the site you'll find some info on material he used to make bellows.

You may also want to check out http://http://www.flexproducts.com/.

I also remembering reading somewhere about using a material called UltraSuede, or ballistics cordura with a liner.

Try searching on groups.google.com. Lots of info there.

Hope that helps!

-klm.

-- Ken Miller (andawyr@hotmail.com), November 30, 2001.

This is so cheap I'm almost embarrassed to mention it, but over the years, I've folded several bellows by layering ordinary Kraft paper and dark-colored Contact paper. The Kraft paper holds creases nicely, and the Contact covers pinholes and gives the final product a "leather-like" look. End results have held up under moderate use for quite a few years. I lay out the fold pattern on Kraft paper, and fold a few "prototypes" to be sure I'm getting it right, then before folding the final, I stick a sheet of Contact to the side that's not marked with the fold pattern. Obviously, you can buy these materials just about anywhere.

-- Lyle Aldridge (dridgee@aol.com), December 01, 2001.

A material called "Pleather" is exellent. I found it at JoAnn Fabrics.

-- Dennis Gazso (dgazso@southbendnc.com), December 05, 2001.