PinBox by Hamm Camera Company: A DIY Pinhole Camera

PinBox Shipping Update
almost 6 years ago – Sat, Dec 01, 2018 at 12:20:10 AM

Hello Lovely People,

Today I want to talk about shipping. A couple of weeks ago I completed shipping all of the PinBox orders. However, that wasn't exactly the case. I made a mistake. 

Two things happened:

1- I shipped out some overseas orders and received a word from customs that the recipient would have a fee upon receipt. This is no good, so I had them returned. The issue here was that I put a too high of value on the form. Suffice it to say, that now all customs forms will list your rewards as gifts at $1 USD each. I find it ridiculous that marking a $20 price per unit would incur a tariff, but that's another story. 

2- Going through the customs labeling issue was pretty tedious. I thought that all orders shipped from what my inventory system showed, but I was wrong. I misread the information. 

Impact and Solution:

Simply put, about thirty orders have not been fulfilled at this time. However, I will be working on this this weekend and next week to ship these orders out. I am sorry about the delay. I'm working on it for you. 

I would like to thank a couple of people who contacted me about their order recently (you know who you are). You guys helped me find the problem.

I'd also like to thank each and everyone of you for your patience and good spirit. It gets tough sometimes and I appreciate your backing, support, and cheer. 

If you are wondering about your PinBox, please contact me by email at [email protected]

Cheers,

Rob

Updated build information
about 6 years ago – Sat, Nov 10, 2018 at 07:41:00 PM

Hello Lovely people!

Thanks for backing the box! PinBox is alive and well in the wilderness and I have been receiving lots of emails with images and stories about using the camera. If you have any images you would like me to share just email them to me and I'll give you a big shout-out!

Let's go over the recent changes to PinBox design that have caused some confusion.

 This small change impacts the camera build only, and about 33 units shipped before the update. Image quality is the same between the models. PinBox will perform great no matter which one you received.

Note- It does not matter which way you fold PinBox, you will end up with a working model. The only noticeable difference is that you loading and film number window will be on opposite sides if you compared a PinBox built by folding on the lines compared to folding against the lines. In any event, there will be no effect to image quality.

Those that ordered wraps: Wraps come glued onto the flat pieces of PinBox for your convenience. This will obscure some of your score lines. Although unseen, the score lines will still help guide your fold. Fold so that the wrap is on the outside (visible side).

Final note, I have not updated the build video yet- I'm swamped. However, the build video still contains great information. It will show the older layout with the two reinforcement pieces for the lids. Disregard that part if you have the updated version.

With regard to glue, I suggest several kinds. However, you can use whatever adhesive you like. My reasons for suggesting the glue are listed in the video. Remember, you are building a precision do it yourself camera. Take your time, build accurately, and have fun. I suggest building and decorating your PinBox with a friend.

Cheers,

Rob

Apertures are in and shipping updates!
about 6 years ago – Wed, Oct 03, 2018 at 07:54:39 PM

Hello Lovely People!

I am very excited to tell you that the pinhole apertures are in (high fives all around)!

Enjoy the photos. You'll notice that I need to take the "raw" pinhole disk and attach it to the mounting board with a piece of vinyl. All of this is done by hand and takes a little time. I'll work on this now through the weekend. 

Also, This means that there is a little variation between pinholes and being perfectly centered on the mounting board. Don't let this bother you. When you build PinBox center the pinhole on the inside body window when you build PinBox. Should you even need to salvage the pinhole, just pull it out of the housing by lifting the vinyl off of the mounting board. It will come right off. The pinholes are made out of stainless steel, and are reusable along with the winding keys.

A note on shipping: A massive hurrucane hit the East Coast of the USA during the week of September 11th and continued to cause flooding and heavy rainfall until the 20th. This has caused enormous damage and impacted shipping times. 

Unfortunately, some packages that have already been shipped have been caught up in the delay. The USPS is very specific not to confirm or deny damage of any package because there are so many packages that they don't have an answer one way or the other. 

Fourteen PinBox kits may have been effected by this delay and, although shipped, may not have been delivered yet. Please be patient. If your PinBox arrives damaged, I will send you another. 

In the event that your package is undeliverable I will send you another. Please just contact me through email with a photo of the damage or information about an undelivered package.

Cheers,

Rob

Shipping Update: Typhoon!
about 6 years ago – Tue, Sep 25, 2018 at 08:44:18 PM

Hello Lovely People,

I wanted to share some updates with shipping, explain the delay, and let you know what has shipped so far.

Shipping Delay:

Long story short- the area where I ordered the pinholes was hit by two typhoons back to back. I don't know all the details, but having first hand experience being hit by hurricanes, I can relate (Hurricane Florence just came through my area).

During this time my pinhole manufacturer did not contact me (although I reached out to them several times). I finally got an email with tracking and an update as to the status. Good news is the pinholes are expect to arrive in about a week. They have to pass through customs, so that could add an extra day or two.

What Has Already Shipped:

I have shipped orders for 150 micron and 200 micron PinBox kits only. All recipients were notified. If you have not been notified your order has not shipped. Many orders for PinBox included an aperture kit, or single apertures of values not listed above. None of these orders have shipped because I have not had the pinholes available to ship.

What do you do to the apertures once you receive them?

Once I receive the apertures I have to finish them so they can be used in PinBox. The apertures are finished by hand by sandwiching them between a piece of vinyl and sturdy craft board. This "sandwich" makes the apertures easy for you to apply when building PinBox and keeps them from being damaged in transport and during use.

This will likely take me two days to complete once I receive the apertures.

That's all the news that is fit to print. Once I receive the apertures I will let you know. Of course, if you would like to reach out to me directly, just send an email.

Cheers,

Rob

Order Finalization and Shipping
about 6 years ago – Tue, Aug 28, 2018 at 01:12:13 AM

Hello Lovely People!

PinBox is about to ship. Addresses are being verified and any final charges for things you have ordered (but have not been charged yet) will be charged soon. 

I have 150 micron pinholes in stock and ready to ship. Orders for wraps, extra winding keys, and 150 micron pinholes will begin shipping between Friday (Aug. 31, 2018) and Tuesday (September 4th, 2018).

Orders that contain complete aperture kits or single apertures that are not 150 microns will ship when the apertures arrive. I expect that to be around September 7th-12th. They are being produced now. 

If you have any questions please email me Rob @ Hamm Camera . com

I look forward to seeing what you make with PinBox!

Cheers,

Rob