quick lensboard replacement?

[Emre Yildirim]

I need to quickly make a lensboard that will fit a copal #0 shutter. Does anyone have any suggestions? this is for a Toyo Field camera, so the dimensions will have to be 110mm x 110m. I have an existing toyo lens board for #1 shutters, and I wish I could somehow make it work with this #0 lens.

Any suggestions? Should I use cardboard or is there a better way? I sort of need to find a solution as soon as possible...not later than today, actually.

Thanks

[Eric Biggerstaff]

I know some people who make their own out of black plexiglass available from your local home improvement store or glass shop. This might be an option.

[John Layton]

About the easiest material that I can think to work with in a hurry - which is also quite durable - is the particle board called Masonite. Pretty cheap, and your local building supply place may have some small pieces of this. You can to a really quick and dirty job on this with a saw, a drill, a flat file and circular file. You can blacken the backside of this with a black magic marker if you're worried about reflections.

[Bill_1856]

I second Masonite.

[Ernest Purdum]

Model shops carry plywood in thin sizes. These are usually birch, strong and easy to work. You can also get thin (1/32" to 1/4") sheets of mahogany or walnut at www.micromark.com. These are particularly useful iin laminating up to an odd required thickness and when the board needs an interior light-trap.

[Alan Davenport]

I'll add a vote for the model-shop plywood. I've made several lensboards for my Calumet monorail camera. At over 6 inches square, a board from 1/8" plywood remains very stiff and dimensionally stable.

[eric mac]

I've used Baltic Birch plywood backed with masonite. I remember going to a big box store lumber yard and asking for masonite. The guy didn't know what I was talking about. I then asked for tempered hardboard which is the generic name. Still no clue. Finally being a little exaspirated, I asked for pegboard without the holes. At least he knew what pegboard was and in the next rack was the masonite.

Another suggestion I have heard is the circuit board material sold at Radio shack. No experience using this stuff.

[John_4185]

I need to quickly make [...] I have an existing toyo lens board for #1 shutters, and I wish I could somehow make it work with this #0 lens.

I read this as you wanting to make-do with the #1 hole lens board. Well, there' s only about 6mm difference. You might be able to use a piece of brass (hobby shop) of, say, 70mm per side, cut with a #0 hole. Put it under the jam nut and be happy. The shutter should still cover the #1 hole.

When time is not so critical, you can get something else.

[Emre Yildirim]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I made a square lens board out of plywood. It looks ugly, but does the job for now, until I get the real deal in the mail.

[CXC]

For testing purposes, I made a board out of plain brown corrugated cardboard, and it was perfectly light tight. I'd do it again if I needed a board for a couple of days -- who wants to throw away a nice piece of masonite? ;-)

[Richard Kelham]

Emre

Next time you pass a model shop (just in case the need for a home made lens board hits you again) check out their sheets of modelling plastic/styrene – Evergreen, or Slaters in UK. I bought some in black 60 thou thick and laminated three thicknesses together (one smaller to allow for rebate) to produce a couple of lensboards for an old MPP Micro Technical camera.