needing to make lensboards...for a complete idiot with tools

Hi all,
I have a B&J 5x7 in great condition. Problem is that I have a single lensboard for it, and it's not the right size for the lenses I have. So I need to make lensboards. But I am a complete idiot with tools, etc.

What's the easiest way to make some lensboards, or have someone make some? I can probably find someone with a hole drill, though I don't know how accurately I can get those openings with the "bits" available out there.

I appreciate any advice. I'm in the SF Bay Area FWIW. Anyone local?

Hobby or craft shops will have aircraft plywood in 6" X 12/24/36" lengths. Pretty easy to cut with a fine tooth saw. If it requires a stepped light trap use two layers. IE 4" sq outer piece & 3 3/4" inner, glue them together & use a hole saw to drill the shutter cutout.
If you have a hand drill, hole saws are inexpensive & a fine tooth saw is a long time investment.
Don't worry too much about accuracy I've seen holes that look gouged out with a bayonet.

thanks John. That sounds very manageable even for me.

If you make your own or drill a blank one, sandwich it between scraps of wood when drilling. This will prevent the lensboard from getting all splintered. You can buy a hole saw kit or a single high quality bit for several times the cost of what someone is selling new drilled lensboards on here right now. Check out the classifieds here.

A dealer on the big auction site makes undrilled lensboards for many different cameras. Search for photofinder. I have bought several boards from him for my Linhof III; they work well.

http://cgi.ebay.com/5-1-4-Burke-Jame...item3a5becb813

I'd actually advise against hole saws for drilling your boards...

As mentioned earlier, they can be quite expensive and are typically limited to standard diameters....(and can be difficult to properly use in thinner, softer woods)

A simple coping saw, and normal 1/4" drill bit to start the hole is more than adequate...

Drafting compass, or similar, to scribe/draw the hole size required...

Thanks,
Dan

Dan's advice is good, as it allows you to cut any diameter hole with simple tools. A hole saw only drills one size hole, and usually not the size you need. If you have a lens without a flange you can cut the hole tight and screw the lens into the wood.

For people that make a lot of lens boards its worthwhile to invest in an expansion bit, but remember to clamp the board tight to a bit of waste to insure a clean hole.

Cheers!

My method - using either hobby shop plywood or sheet aluminum:

Find the location of the hole to be drilled. If it is centered in the lensboard then draw diagonals from opposing corners. They will cross in the center. Use a compass or scribe and using this center mark the circle you want to cut.

Drill a pilot hole to put the saw blade through.

Use a coping or jig saw starting at that hole and work around just inside the circle that you have drawn.

Using a scrap of sandpaper wrapped around something round chucked in a hand drill, sand the hole right to the line that you have drawn.

Bevel the edge as necessary where the board fits into the bottom slot and where any locking device engages at the top.

If the lens isn't some brass monster, there is an easier for way for us with no crafty skills... Buy some foam board - it's a poster board with a little foam sandwiched between 2 pieces of black poster paper. I get mine at Walmart, but then, Walmart is the only store IN this town.

Use an exacto knife to cut out a rectangle to fit your camera where the board goes. Them smash the rear of the lens into the center of your 'board' to get the circle you need. Cut it out with the knife. Then either screw the lens right into the board (if you did a nice cut) or use some Blue Tack to hold it in there.

Five minutes, no skill, nearly free.

Cheers, Richard