Where's the best place to go to get a lens board cut?

[Wilson Cheung]

I'm thinking of getting a lens that is already mounted in a lens board (horseman 14cm) that is too big for my camera (takes 4 by 4in) so I am thinking I could get it cut down smaller. What kind of place would I look for? For example if you want to get your keys cut you can go to key cutting place on the high street, what would be the equivalent I would be looking for?

[Joanna Carter]

Would you not be able to use a hacksaw yourself; it's cheaper

[IanG]

I'm thinking of getting a lens that is already mounted in a lens board (horseman 14cm) that is too big for my camera (takes 4 by 4in) so I am thinking I could get it cut down smaller. What kind of place would I look for? For example if you want to get your keys cut you can go to key cutting place on the high street, what would be the equivalent I would be looking for?

Sell the Horseman board as it is, it's worth more, then tell us what 4"x4" board you need, what camera it has to fit. As it happens I may have a 4x4 inch board which would be a fraction of what the Horseman board should sell for

I also make lens boards when I need them for my own cameras so if no-one on the board can help you with the right lens board that's another option.

Ian

[Wilson Cheung]

Joanna I would think it would be a rather long time before I get anywhere with a hacksaw and a metal lens board

Ian thanks for the help will definitely keep it mind, although it is bit of a moot point now. There was a Komura 152mm f/2.8 on a dealer site that I was thinking about, but by the time I decided some hours later it had already gone, I should have pulled the trigger earlier The camera I have is a Gowland Pocket View.

[patawauke]

Slightly different subject, I've got two undrilled original KMV metal lens board that I was going to get drilled. Could anyone suggest an outlet/source for that in UK please? Or will I also be sent into the shed with a hacksaw or whatever? Thanks for any suggestions.

[Charles Twist]

You need to look for a precision engineer really. There are a couple around here I use occasionally but they seem to be very busy with other, larger projects. Let me know if you need help. SRB Griturn in Luton would be able to sort you out.
Regards,
Charles

[IanG]

As it happens I do have 4"x4" boards, wooden and aluminium and thanks to your question I've realised the aluminium one fits my pre-Anninversary Spped Graphi so thanks

As an aside I had some aluminium sheet that I made lens board and bag bellows mounting frames from in the mid 70's. It's approx 3mm thick and ideal for lens boards for many cameras, Sinar, Cambo, pre & Anniversary Speed Graphics etc, it's easily cut with a jigsaw, filed and then painted. Unfortunately I've only one small piece left just under 4" square so I need to get some more.

It's worth bearing in mind as well that many of us accumulate odd and unusual boards etc that come with lenses we buy

Slightly different subject, I've got two undrilled original KMV metal lens board that I was going to get drilled. Could anyone suggest an outlet/source for that in UK please? Or will I also be sent into the shed with a hacksaw or whatever? Thanks for any suggestions.

I've always drilled my own, I tend to use a hole cutter slightly undersize then file out to the final size. It's very quickand easy.

Ian

[Joanna Carter]

… Or will I also be sent into the shed with a hacksaw or whatever?

Heheheh I'm sorry, that's my latent Yorkshire roots coming though I guess

[Wilson Cheung]

Great stuff Ian. I got confused by all the different graphics out there. My lens board appears to be the graphic view one in the link below

http://www.skgrimes.com/products/lens-boards/graphic

However that comment about sheet metal is genius. I have managed to locate a supplier on ebay who do pre-cut sheets of 4x4" and thickness of 2 or 3mm so I think I will try them out. Anyone know which would be the best material for a lens board out of aluminium, brass, copper, galvanised or stainless steel in terms of strength, weight and finish (I would be wanting to coat/paint them in black). Thanks.

[IanG]

Great stuff Ian. I got confused by all the different graphics out there. My lens board appears to be the graphic view one in the link below

http://www.skgrimes.com/products/lens-boards/graphic

However that comment about sheet metal is genius. I have managed to locate a supplier on ebay who do pre-cut sheets of 4x4" and thickness of 2 or 3mm so I think I will try them out. Anyone know which would be the best material for a lens board out of aluminium, brass, copper, galvanised or stainless steel in terms of strength, weight and finish (I would be wanting to coat/paint them in black). Thanks.

Only aluminium or wood

Actually the Grimes site's not that clear because the Graphic view boards also fit the pre-and Anniversary Speed Graphics which are different, so the wood version looks like a larger version of the Graphic A. Ideally you need the lip like the Graphic view or the plateau like the Graphic A and that will depend on the camera as well, this helps form a better light trap. So ideally you need 2 bit's of aluminium.

Ian

[Neil Barnes]

One caveat: while playing with wooden lens boards for my homebrew camera, I originally used two pieces of 2mm spruce ply to make the board (different sizes to make the light seal) and discovered that I had to cut one layer away completely to get a good mount for both the lens collar and the back element, for a number of different lenses or various vintages. I found basically more than 2mm thick wasn't going to work well, if at all.

Neil

[IanG]

One caveat: while playing with wooden lens boards for my homebrew camera, I originally used two pieces of 2mm spruce ply to make the board (different sizes to make the light seal) and discovered that I had to cut one layer away completely to get a good mount for both the lens collar and the back element, for a number of different lenses or various vintages. I found basically more than 2mm thick wasn't going to work well, if at all.
Neil

That really depends on the camera as well, my 10x8's have lens board that are much thicker but then the lenses are mounted via a flange screwed to the front, but in this paricular case I'd make the light seal piece and then cut out a larger circle to allow plenty of room for the retaing ring and the araldite them together, your right to raise this point Neil. I've had no problems with the marine ply I use which is a touch thicker than the aluminium boards, I'd guess it's 3.5mm and there's plenty of room to mount modern Copals and Compurs (rimset) and even the earliest Compurs - I have a 1913 16.5cm Tessar in a dial set compur, - would easily fit a 4mm board.

The aluminium sheet I use is approx 2.5mm thick, the wooden and aluminium Graflex boards are the same at the lip. Neil where do you get your 2mm spruce ply, I could probably use some.

Ian

[Neil Barnes]

Ian, I got the wooden materials from Balsamart, I think - but the site appears to be sulking at the moment.

Other model aircraft shops can probably supply.

Neil

[dennis]

FWIW - when I was putting my microlight together I needed some small pieces of aluminium sheet about 1/8" thick & found that a local sign maker had some scrap pieces & he invited me to help myself. They would probably have been amply large enough for most lens boards. Dennis.

[Wilson Cheung]

An update to this, I bought some lens with Wista/Linhof type boards and although they were smaller and had a raised ridge on the inside (which mine didn't) they managed to fit okay and didn't seem to suffer from any light leaks.