Wood monorails have been attempted frequently, but all I've ever seen were very wobbly - try to change the design to a base plate or dual rail construction. Or make the U frames solid metal.
Wood monorails have been attempted frequently, but all I've ever seen were very wobbly - try to change the design to a base plate or dual rail construction. Or make the U frames solid metal.
I would make the standard frames out of wood and the u-shaped parts of the standards out of aluminum. I'd then make the squares that lock onto the rail out of brass because it will hold threads better than aluminum. While you're at it, I would make the back a bail back, too, with brass inlays where the bail itself rubs inside the back.
-Chris
Thanks a lot for comments
I've resized front frame to be the same as rear frame so bellow will be square now.
U-frames are now made of aluminium. Maybe rail should be bigger? I'll have to check how stable 30x30mm rails are in reality.
So now only hardwood parts are ground grass frame and frame connectors.
I'll check what kind of wood I can get. Maybe maple will be available here?
you could make asymetric swings by offsettnig the focus rail.
I have started to put something together using square section extruded aluminium for the rail. The type which a lot of industrial equipment is made with.
http://www.aluminum-profiles.com/products/33.jpg
It takes captive nuts so it's easy to mount a block in the middle with a tripod thread and also to use them as focusing locks.
Steve.
Can you obtain the hardware ? The wood should be of stable quality such as mahogany from Honduras, cherry or Koa from Hawaii. They all have hardness of 820 on the scale, or above. If you can get some Euro pear....you're in for a treat. You can probably get beech too. Nonetheless, try to obtain the wood from a woodworker (if possible), since most likely it will be stable and with v. little moisture. The wood needs to be dried to 8-8.5%, and similar in moisture to one o a kind fine cabinet. Even if the wood is properly dried, it needs to be cut to rough measurements and allow the pieces to sit (inside) for couple of weeks.....before you cut them to the final measurements. Applying finish coats (to all surfaces equally) will keep things steady. Sorry about all this science, but if you want to have an object of beauty and to be practical as well, it requires lots of patience and some work.
High quality table saw can do many different cuts for you and the accuracy can be 0.001" or better (depending on a model). However, you don't need to spend XXXX amount of zlotych, so long you do a rough cut within 1-2 milimeters (even with a sharp hand saw :>) of what your final dimension is, and the rest can be done with precise cut of a router....using a lead rail made out of alum or some other type of metal + clamps.
Good luck.
Les
If you're going to make the front so large ... make the lens board as large as possible (some of the old lenses are HUGE) ... but make it a standard size ........ unless, of course, you're going to make all your lens boards yourself.
I already have hand router so I need simple table saw. It just need to have possibility to set angle.
I'm still looking for wood. I've already asked few people and waiting for info.
I've already made two lenses by myself and I'm going to make lens boards by myself too. But I'll look for standard lensboard sizes for 8x10 lenses and I'll try to keep standard lens board dimensions.
A small cheap table saw will be fine for this (make sure you use a push stick cutting the small stuff, or you might lose a piece of your finger, like I did!). I liked the original design, and I think oak would be lovely. Plenty of fine furniture was made in quarter sawn oak 100 years ago (google quarter sawn to learn how to make it).
Optionally, any fruitwood would probably work, as would maple. The suggestion to salvage wood from old furniture was a good one, as you don't need much, and that wood would be well seasoned
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