3D Printed Lens Boards Anyone?

[Tin Can]

How much was the printer?

I buy hobby wood and glue

I have about twenty 3D printed lens boards, all but two were designed and made here at home. I use ABS. They work beautifully (let’s face it, they’re not complicated) and cost very little. No, they’re not pretty, but that’s irrelevant. My first ones, I glued wood veneer to the fronts and stained them to match the Deardorff but I don’t bother doing that these days when I need a new one.

[malexand]

How much was the printer?

I buy hobby wood and glue

I have an Ender 3 v2 that I got for less than $200 about 9 months ago. I had no 3d experience before then.
In that short time, I've learned simple CAD (TinkerCAD) and with that have designed and printed...
Many lens boards
+12 5x7 double-sided plate holders
several unusual size Step-ring filter adapters - (press-fit / slip-on)
new plate holders for my enlargers
Many parts / adapters for Dry Plate making and processing
A sensitometer device
I have a 5x7 camera spring-back printing as I type this...

It has more than paid for itself in a very short time

[Graham Patterson]

I have been using SUNLU's PLA+ filament a lot lately. It is a little stronger than regular PLA and has a higher glass temperature. PETG tends to be finicky for me - I just don't have it dialed in fully, I expect. I still use ABS variants when I need to do acetone vapour smoothing.

My printer was my retirement present to myself - it came out of my sick leave back-payment, so I sort of earned it 8-) Now I just have to cover materials, some maintenance, and electricity costs. Within the limitations of an FDM device it is a fairly compact way to make smallish parts. But I'll use wood or metal if it is better suited and my limited tools are adequate.

I tend to use OpenSCAD a lot, but then I am more of a programmer than engineer by background.

[jga]

I also use openSCAD, I have designed and printed several parts, including a replacement part of my grafmatic, a cover part of my M.P.P., since I removed the rangefinder, the gears of my omega enlarger, the holders, etc.
I think it is important that, as any other tool, it is good for some things, and not so good for others.

[Beevo]

Well, I found some PETG filament that is a reasonably close match to the wood of the camera.

[Beevo]

You would really have to leave it in a hot car or our in the hot direct sun, neither of which any of us is likely to subject their gear to.

I actually found some brown filament that nearly duplicates the wood on my Nagoaka 4x5

[xandr]

I made some lens boards for Horseman 970.
You can download them from thinkinverse here:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6166858

[ic-racer]

I think just the software cost more than ten lensboards. Assuming one send the file away for printing.
Maybe I'm mistaken. Which software is needed to make these?

[Daniel Unkefer]

I have bought about 15 or so (for my Plaubel Peco Jr) from the Guy in Italy $10 each. Like 'em a lot

[Beevo]

I think just the software cost more than ten lensboards. Assuming one send the file away for printing.
Maybe I'm mistaken. Which software is needed to make these?

I use Simplify 3D to slice and create the GCode files. Design for the lens boards was done with TurboCad