And while opening/closing

Opening and closing the Tachihara is pretty simple, it uses the same basic
system followed by many other manufacturers of wood field cameras including
Deardorff and Ebony.  I say it's simple, not to imply that there's something
wrong with you if you think it's a pain but because your statement makes me
wonder whether you're doing it correctly. Just open the back and put it in
the vertical position, with the front stadnard laying flat in the base grasp
the two knobs that control front rise and fall, use them to pull the front
standard upright to its vertical position, use the same knobs to raise the
front  all the way up as far as it will go then drop it down into the center
position, tighten the rise and fall knobs and the tilt knobs and you're
ready to go (this is from memory since I no longer have a Tachihara, if I'm
wrong someone will correct me I'm sure). It takes maybe 15 seconds maximum.
If this is what you're doing already then my apologies for telling you
something you already know. If that's the case it might just be a matter of
getting used to the camera.

I don't know of a way to lreduce the depth of the base board.  Perhaps
someone here who is more mechanically inclined than I am can tell you how to
do it. FWIW, I've owned cameras that allowed some of my lenses to be left on
the camera but I stopped doing that because it seemed like half the time I
needed whichever lens wasn't already on the camera so I was just creating
more work for myself.  But I know many people do like to do that and if it's
really important you might investigate smaller lenses. Since yours are both
F5.6 I'd guess there are smaller versions in the same focal lengths but with
slightly smaller maximum apertures that might fit if all you're lacking is a
third of an inch.

You can use normal lenses as long as 300mm if you're willing to give up a
few feet of close focus and telephotos as long as 400mm. I tested a 65mm
lens and it could be used though with limited if any  movements. That's a
pretty nice range of lenses to be able to use with one bellows.

Congratulations on your purchase, the Tachihara is a very nice camera. I've
owned several more expensive cameras since I owned mine but I don't take any
better photographs with them than I did with the Tachihara.

Collin,
I don't know of any replacment bottom for the Tachihara.  It would be nice
to be able to fold it with larger lenses in place but the bottom also holds
the metal tripod mount plate so I think a modification might not be trivial.

Mine does fold with a 150mm 6.3 Geronar in place but a standard 150mm 5.6
ala Rodenstock Sironar N won't fit.

BTW a simple mod you can do if you are adventurous is to clip the two little
tabs at the bottom of the front standard that slide in the grooves of the
front supports.  Snipping them and the filing them smooth allows you to have
axis tilt on the front.  I did that about a year ago on mine and think it is
one of the best things I've done.

I also just built an extension back that provides an additional 4" of
extension so using a 360mm lens should now be possible (as soon as I find
one I can afford!) albeit with the loss of rear movements while the
extension is mounted.

Sherman
http://www.dunnamphoto.com