My New Antique Lens: A Question About Screws

[Drew Bedo]

I have just received my first brass petzval lens. It is unmarked in any way, but looks great cosmetically; glass is clear, inscratched and unchipped qnd the brass looks pretty good all around.

It is my intention to use it to shoot B&W film at first, and then try dry plates.

While I bought it with eyes wide open, I may not have thought through a thing or two. The rack and pinon works smoothly, but there is only one screw holding it al together . . .I knew this before buying. But I now am wondering if it will be difficult to get screws to fit.

This lens is not a museum quality piece of historic importance, so I am not too concerned about the new screws being "period correct". . . .but will I be able to find anything at the big box home improvement store that will thread on and hold?

[mhayashi]

Good evening from Tokyo, Drew.
You can check the sides of lens elements to see if there is any sign to get a clue on any brand. They may not exist though.

Maybe you can ask
local machinist to tap a custom brass screw made for you if it is special.
Otherwise, use screw gauge to see which screw you should buy.
https://skgrimes.com/services/how-to-measure-threads/

[Drew Bedo]

Thank you for that. Thjs is not a special item in any way. This is a generic shooter. It is my entry into vintage or antique optics. I just do not want to damage the lens.

I am looking for local technicians as you suggest. I am hesitant to disassemble this myself. I know it looks easy, but when I attempt a CLA on old optics, the result is often sub-optimal to disastrous.

[Drew Bedo]

So I was trying to find a repair shop here in Houston to do a CLA on the glass elements . . .someone with good eyes and hands without a tremor . . .

My favorite guy in Houston, Mike Hakeem, has retired. Good for him, it was about time. The kid that answered the phone at Precision Camera had no idea what I was talking about, checked with someone else, and told me they don'[t work on antiques. there is an operation here in town called "Rileys Cameras and Repair" who's website advertises that he only works on non-electronic mechanical cameras . . .but his website has no contact info other than Facebook and Instagram . . . no phone number, no e-mail.

I have contacted SK Grimes to see what they will say and sent off an e-mai to Precision Camera as well, despite my disapointing phone call this afternoon.

[Chauncey Walden]

And you want to take it apart because???

[RichardRitter]

You could use the lens as is. Do the focusing with the camera. The reason there is a rack and pinion on the lens, it was used on a box camera that had no focusing.

[Tin Can]

And be very careful cleaning any lens

I don't clean lenses ever

Some where on the net is a 35mm lens with very cracked lens, looks like garbage

Makes perfect images

[Drew Bedo]

And you want to take it apart because???

The glass elements need to be cleaned. With this type of lens, this means that they have to be dismounted to remove dust from the sir space in the rear group and to effectively clean the front cemented group.

The rack and pinion housing is now held on with just one screw. It needs three more screws to keep it together. I would like to use period correct screws. I will settler for screws that work. I do not want to force in screws that will destroy the original threads.

[Drew Bedo]

You could use the lens as is. Do the focusing with the camera. The reason there is a rack and pinion on the lens, it was used on a box camera that had no focusing.

And of course you are right about that.

In my view, I am not the owner of my Kodak 2D and associated antique or vintage gear, but just the custodian or curator, holding them to be passed on to another.


With that said, I want to the refurbish this 120-year-old lens to bring it new life. Brass and glass could have another 100+ years with several photographers as yet unborn. I hesitate to try this myself, as I am n ot as adept as I used to be and do not want to damage it.

[Chauncey Walden]

Drew, there are lots of new brass screws available along with the appropriate taps to thread a hole. Someone in the future might thank you for replacing the remaining screw and taping all 4 holes to fill them with modern screws. The fact that 3 screws are missing may indicate that the holes the screws were in were damaged to the point that the old screws simply were unable to stay in them and do their job. Carefully measuring the existing screw and getting the next size larger with appropriate tap would make the camera happy and all the future users of it.