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DIY Truck Bed Rack

For those not interested in the details, here’s the video:

For years we used a Subaru Forester as a utility and travel vehicle. We could throw kayaks on top and bikes on the back, or haul a boat or utility trailer. Apparently, adding in coolers and camping gear, and us, far exceeded the load capacity it was designed for. This spring we broke both rear springs and struts. I got a finger wagging from my mechanic.

So we traded in the Subaru for a used truck that could handle the loads – a Honda Ridgeline that we’re really happy with.

The bed is too short for 17 foot boats, though. It came with a soft tonneau cover, but no roof rack. I could use the 3 ton utility trailer; but many of the local river launches aren’t big enough for that. And hooking up the utility trailer means no boat trailer, or bike rack. We need something more compact.

I looked at off the shelf ladder racks. These are heavy duty steel structures geared toward construction work, meant to stay permanently installed, which means wind noise and a hit on gas mileage all the time, whether you use them or not. It would also mean removing the bed cover. What we need is something lightweight for the kayaks and occasional long lumber, that’s quick to install and remove, so is only on the truck when needed.

Example of a perfectly serviceable wooden rack

The obvious quick and cheap solution is a homemade rack made of 2x4s that just sits in the bed. You can find examples of these online, many are well done. I don’t have a garage to store it in, though, so after sitting out in the weather I’d have to rebuild one every year, or disassemble it for storage. Pressure treated lumber would help with rot, but is heavy. All little annoyances that add up to too much hassle to just go for a short paddle or to fetch something from the lumber yard.

Searching deeper for ideas, I found a small company called Maker Pipe. I came across them years ago when they were running a successful Kickstarter campaign. They manufacture connectors to build all sorts of things out of EMT Conduit. Seemed like a cool idea at the time, but I had no idea they had spun up into a permanent business. Good for them! They’ve taken the idea further. They now make a variety of connectors for different needs, and their website and Youtube channel are chock full of useful fun ideas and helpful info, all geared to small projects like this.

EMT Conduit is galvanized pipe used for running electrical wire, especially in commercial construction. It’s mass produced in 10 foot lengths, which keeps the price low, and is readily available at any hardware or big box store. It’s rigid and strong, bendable, cuts with a simple pipe cutter, and because it’s galvanized inside and out, is rust proof. Maker Pipe’s connectors are also galvanized, so anything you build with these components can stay out in the weather. The whole idea was interesting enough to give it a try.

I started with a sketch, then made a model with sticks and hot glue to see how it would all come together.

There were some things to sort out, like access to the trunk, leaving the rolled up cover in place, clearing the roof and shark fin antenna, etc. Then I printed a diagram to count up the various connectors and pipe needed.

Initially, I was going to use 1 inch conduit. Based on some fun non-scientific tests by the Maker Pipe team, it’s roughly twice as strong as ¾” pipe.

But 1″ pipe is also twice as heavy. Doing a little math I realized it would be pushing the limit of something I could lift and move around easily. Since I still have the utility trailer for heavy duty jobs, going lighter for this rack makes more sense.

The box of connectors arrived in a few days, everything nicely packed.

I did some mockups on the truck with clamps and pipe to get final measurements. Then the whole thing went together in couple of hours. Only tools needed were a pipe cutter and a 5mm hex key Allen wrench.

Next day I tested the fit and locked it in with turnbuckles to the existing tie down cleats in the truck, and went for a drive. There’s some wind noise at highway speeds, but not as bad as expected.

Final test was to throw a kayak on top and go for a paddle. Works great. Only takes about two minutes to lift it in and lock it down. And bonus, it fits nicely in the trailer.

With no further adjustment needed, I dabbed Loctite on all the nuts. Between temperature changes and vibration, don’t want anything jiggling apart at 70mph.

Overall I’m very happy with it. If it lasts 10 years I’ll be even happier.

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First Test with a Kodak No. 1 Autograph Folding Pocket Camera

Another old camera in the heirloom collection that I had not tried before. This one has a fascinating history I’ll definitely share in a longer post soon. But for now, here are the first results from this century old piece of camera design hardware. Light leaks, misfires, double exposures, lens flares . . . it has it all.

Light leaks in the bellows

I tried to patch the gaps in the bellows, and shot a roll of test film. It’s clear from the film I did not get them all, but the images are strangely appealing – especially for all the flaws.

I have more work to do on this one. And more research on the provenance.

More to come . . .

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More Bronica S2A Photos

Got more photos processed from several old cameras now. The most recent rolls developed at home with good results.

This Bronica is a beast, but it’s a terrific piece of analog engineering. Some photos are taken with the 6×6 film back, and some with the 6×4.5 back; but both are remarkably consistent.

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First Bronica Photos

Local Venue ~ Crozet, Virginia

Got the first rolls developed from the new/old Bronica S2A. Very impressive.

These are from a roll of Ilford HP5 pushed two stops.

Cherry Blossom Lane ~ Batesville, Virginia
Repeating Patterns

Because it’s a “reflex” camera, it’s a little easier to use than the Graflex. A mirror lets you see through the lens in the viewfinder to focus and frame; then the mirror flips up automatically as you trip the shutter.

With the Graflex, you either have to swap in the ground glass viewfinder for critical focus and framing, then swap in the film cartridge and try not to move while doing that – or use the rangefinder to focus, sort of, and use the guides or the view-peeper-thingy to frame while you shoot. You sort of have to embrace the serendipity of the process.

That said, the Graflex is more portable and compact. It folds up into a tidy package with a handle. The Bronica is a brick, weighing 4 pounds. No handle, only prongs to attach a strap, which would get really old in a short time hanging around your neck.

More to come.

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Cracker Box Camera Obscura

First image from the cracker box camera

This must be my technology regression phase.

An old family projector found its way to us, along with several carousels of slides from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. . I scanned the slides, and put them up in galleries for distant relatives to enjoy.

But examining the projector, it was clear the mechanical parts no longer work. No surprise, given its age. But still a shame. These were staple appliances of many families when I was growing up. In the age before digital cameras and cellphones, before online galleries and social media sharing, places like Facebook and Instagram, slide shows were the way people shared their family photos. It was a rare event, often held decades apart, but a truly social one. Something people usually did together, sharing stories of separate but braided memories.

I pulled the lens out, mostly to have a look inside the case to see if there was an easy fix. Setting it aside, an inverted image of the window streamed through the lens and across the table. Picked it up and saw I could project a view of the yard on the palm of my hand.

Hmm.

A short time later, using only a cracker box, piece of white cardboard, and a utility knife, I had a rudimentary Camera Obscura in my hands.

A smallish hole cut in the front above the lens, allows the lens of my phone to peek inside the box. Sliding the projector lens in and out by hand adjusts the focus.

This first prototype is pretty finicky, but with a bit of juggling: Presto! I have an old style view camera, with that super narrow depth of field, vignetting corners, and light-struck images from leaks in the seams.

Just like a vintage camera from the early 1900s.

Might be fun to make a more permanent wooden box, maybe even salvage the focusing knob and gear and some other parts from the old projector.

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Zenza Bronica S2A

Bronica S2A kit from

A good friend, a lifelong professional photographer, still had his old film camera kit from back in the early 70s. We share a fondness for old tech, and hang onto things longer than most rational people. When he saw that I was playing with my grandfather’s Grayflex, he offered to give it all to me. Just wanted to see it used again. I had some old computer hardware I no longer use, so we worked out a nice barter.

When I went to pick it up, I found a whole pile of stuff in boxes. He threw in a bunch of other old gear, too: Developing tanks, a darkroom timer like the one I had, light kits, a meter, cases, even the original boxes, film, winders, some Holga plasticams, etc.. Quite a haul.

I won’t have film developed from this for a few more days, but the camera is an amazing piece of brilliant engineering. Like the Grayflex, there are no electronics. Everything is mechanical. And it’s completely modular. The film backs are interchangeable, and can be removed mid-roll so that different types of film can be used for the same shots, moments apart. The view finders are interchangeable, as are the lenses and even the focusing ring. The dang thing weighs 4 pounds.

I’ll be posting photos from this one soon. This will be fun.

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First Graflex Photos


Selfies are a real challenge. Guess at focus and framing, guess at exposure, trip the shutter with a long cable, and hope for the best.

I’ve started getting back the first photos from that old Graflex camera.

These Black and White images were all shot on Ilford HP5.

I say first photos, but it’s 75 or 80 year old camera. It took a LOT of photos through the 40s and 50s. Then a few more in 80s when it was handed down from my grandfather to me, and I first played with it in college. So these are the first photos taken with the camera in about 40 years.

I no longer have my darkroom equipment, or even a scanner, so sent the film out to a mail order place in California. They develop the film and post the high res scans online for download. I should get the film back in a few days. It’s a good way to see if the camera still works, before considering replacement of any darkroom supplies.

I had no idea if any of these would come out. What a pleasant surprise.

The camera has certainly been through a lot over the better part of a century, including a fire. It was stored in a camera bag on a shelf in my office. The bag melted, along with everything else on the shelf. But what was inside the bag was remarkably well preserved. A few accessories were stored in tubs in the basement, and those came through fine, aside from some mildew. It’s all been sitting in the new bookcase for the past two years, and looks nice there; but I grew increasingly curious to try it again recently. Mostly inspired by reading the remarkable autobiography of Sally Mann, Hold Still.

But wow, it still works amazingly well. The light meters are toast, so I have to take readings with my phone and translate, sort of. And the mechanics of all the old analog dials and knobs and buttons is a charming challenge. But it clearly works.

I still get confused. There are so many things to remember. More than once I got everything carefully set up and took the shot, only to realize I forgot to remove the protective light shade from the film pack. So no exposure.

Or forgot to wind the film between shots, resulting in double exposures. Some of which are interesting duds.

Or trip the shutter by accident, while trying to figure out the cable release.

But overall, it’s amazing how well the camera still works. I sent out another three rolls today. They should be ready in about a week.

It’s definitely not an “everyday shooter” but fun to experiment with. A creative diversion from the easy and always perfect iPhone photos, the magical camera always ready in my pocket.

I’ll also be curious to see what’s on the rolls of those expired-30-years-ago rolls that I shot when Doug and I first went out with it. Those won’t be ready for another month or so. A couple of those rolls were already exposed, and may have been shot by me long ago, or even by someone else – I won’t know until I see the results, if any.