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DIY Lensboard for Crown/ Speed Pacemaker Graphic?

 
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Negative Energy



Joined: 14 Sep 2005
Posts: 17
Location: Philadelphia

PostPosted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 1:19 pm    Post subject: DIY Lensboard for Crown/ Speed Pacemaker Graphic? Reply with quote

I have some funky lenses (like a 75 mm Agnar and a 105mm tessar) I want to use on my Crown Graphic. Please! no comments about the advisability, images circles etc. I know and have my own direction for these.

I don't want to sink a lot of cash into buying a bunch of used lens boards. Can you make your own? Would a flat aluminum plate cut correctly to size work and be light tight even though it was missing the lip? Put some thin foam on the back? I guess an alternative might be making some special rings to hold smaller diameter lenses in a larger hole?

Thanks all. This is a great forum!

RA
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Dan Fromm



Joined: 14 May 2001
Posts: 2119
Location: New Jersey

PostPosted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 4:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

For very light use and trying lenses out, try black foamcore cut to fit (just) inside the front standard's light trap. Crude, ugly, works.
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troublemaker



Joined: 24 Nov 2003
Posts: 715
Location: So Cal

PostPosted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 5:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do you have access or a helpfull friend with a lathe?
For my 4x5 Pacemakers I had one lens board with a pretty big hole, and spun stepped spacer washers to fit a couple lenses I wanted to use.
I'll make a couple more for my smaller 2x3 series cameras as I found it worked real well and supported the bigger stuff nicely.
My idea here was meant to be a semi permanent mount so it is aluminum and solid.
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45PSS



Joined: 28 Sep 2001
Posts: 4081
Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 3:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have used 3/16 ABS and Acrylic. I like the acrylic better. Take sheet of acrylic and mark outline of existing pacemaker board or mark measurements of the front standard opening and cut out with a jig saw using a fine metal couuting blade. Test balnk to fit the front standard opening. Measure and mark the bellows opening on the blank. Using a Dremel in a router base, Rotozip (Craftsman Rotary tools are Dremel and Rotozip rebadged) or small router fited with a straight cut router bit trim the outer edge down so that the blank will fit into the bellows opening and the lens board locks will enguage fully. Remove the paper on the inside and sand the glossy surface until it is flat. Drill the mount hole and mount the lens. The outer edge will be very thin but acrylic is strong enough to support a 12 inch focus lens in a #4 Ilex shutter. There is no need to form the lip or add foam, just have the inside edge relatively smooth and the board should just fit snugly, not loosely.
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john wilton



Joined: 26 Aug 2008
Posts: 26

PostPosted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In case anybody is interested I've posted pixs of my DIY by apartment dweller with a drill Pacemaker boards: http://ragarecords.com/photo/
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Henry



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 1636
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania

PostPosted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice, John! This would work for my Century Graphic as well. I also enjoyed looking at your comparative scans (and conclusions!), as well as the wide angle viewfinder that you fashioned from the Kodak disposable camera. I bet this would work for my 65mm Optar on the Century, too. Thanks!

P.S. Great egrets and black-crowned night herons in Central Park---wonders never cease!
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Les



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI

PostPosted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I"ve used black mat board. I trace a metal lensboard and cut to size. For heavy lenses I may use two layers.

I used this technique to mount a heavy 152mm baltar f2.8 when I didn't want to pay for a flange. It worked very well. I just cut the hole for the lens a bit tight and the lens "cut" the threads in the board. A little gaffer tape on the back for insurance.
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