Home-Brew Super Graphic Lens Board...

[Brian Wallen]

Scott, the tale of the muffin tin board for the 65mm Angulon is my page. Apparently that adventure had the effect of circumscribing my thinking about the problem, since I was considering the only way to make a lensboard for a Graphic was to use the original extruded design. Your example got my thinking moving again outside the box. Working with wood and the possibility of using a flat lensboard opens up some new possibilities. So now I am going to offend the sensibilities of the classic audience and the precision audience.

I've used .64 and .90 mil aluminum stock for flat lens boards. Whichever is the right thickness for the SG mount, that could make the basis for a strong front apron. A tub wall could be made of thin strips of walnut or cherry, sized so that its external dimensions were slightly smaller than the CG's "well" creating a bit of a light trap as well as a tub. Even with butt joints, it should be possible to make a lighttight tub. The lens board could be aluminum. .64 mil would be strong enough and it is easy to make lens openings with ordinary hole saws and a basic drill press. Some combination of adhesives and small wood screws could attach the wood frame to the aluminum parts. Even painted black to hide the dissimilar materials, this would be the ugly sibling of your cherry board, but for those of us who have restored Graflex models, this marriage of metal and wood seems natural enough.

I asked Bruce Wehman about the recessed board shown on his page that describes creating a SG back with movements. He said he started with a stock board, then made the tub from brass sheet stock. I think he said that he had a 65mm Super Angulon mounted and the tub looks to be more than an inch deep, enough that he said he had to make some control extensions.
http://www.wehmancamera.com/modification.htm

[Scott --]

Ok, Brian, I'm chuckling at myself now. I am the king of keen observation. Duh.

Well, for what it's worth, I was impressed with the muffin tin recessed board. I hate metal work, though. Always cut my fingers. What I was actually envisioning for my first pass at a recessed board was to take a thicker piece of wood ('cause I have a bunch of it lying around) and excavate the recess. I'd take a guess at how deep it'd have to be, based mainly on the geometry of the Super Graphic. Would drill out the recess with a Forstner bit on the drill press. Don't know as my drill press can manage such precision work, but it'd be worth a try. Once the tub was sized and excavated, I'd attach to a flat board, probably with some polyurethane glue. Paint and varnish.

Coincidentally, I also emailed Bruce Wehman. Great minds.

On your new design, I'd think that butt joints would be more than adequate. Again, I'd use poly glue - stronger'n all get-out, and bonds wood to metal. If there were any gaps, you could essentially fill them from the outside (film side, that is) with plastic wood. Gonna be painted over, anyway.

Let me know what you end up doing, and document it while you work. I'll do the same. At the very least, it'll be a good exercise.

Scott

[Salty]

If I needed to make a recessed lensboard out of wood, I'd use a plunge router to evacuate the center of the wood. (I do have the clamps to hold the wood safely)

I've made a number of wood lens boards in the past, I first use my power planer to get the right thickness, then stick the original lensboard to the wood stock with double sided tape, then use a Pattern bit on the router table to cut the board. From there it's either a Rabbiting or Straight bit for the back side as needed.

I've also gone down to the sheet metal shop and had them cut aluminum sheet to the sizes I want, then glue felt (obtained at a hobby store) to the back of the board. The felt is cheap and makes a nice light-tight seal.

[Scott --]

You're right, Salty, but I don't have a plunge base for my router...

What I do have, now that I think about it, is a hollow chisel mortiser. Might be a better way to go about it, but the mortiser is buried, and the drill press is already on the bench.

I'm not 100% convinced that wood cmilled that thin is going to be resilient enough for this. Guess we'll find out.

[Salty]

Most of my wordworking stuff is buried also. It was a special occasion last year when I dug out almost everything to make new base moulding. I wanted to make some new lens boards at that time, but by the time I got done with the mouldings I decided I didn't need the lens boards that badly.....

[Scott --]

My wife's all over me to clean out the garage. About the only thing motivating me to do it right now is the thought of making this lensboard thing work. That's sad...

[Ralph Barker]

If making a recessed board from solid wood, I, too, would be concerned about the strength of the side walls of the recess. The thin cross grain at that thickness isn't going to be very strong, even with tight-grained woods.

One solution would be allow a bit of extra clearance, and laminate the bellows side of the board with fiberglass and resin.

[Salty]

My garage is clean, yet I don't have the room with all the stuff I have. It's a nice problem unless I forget where I put something and have to dig through everything.

I need a "hat" lens board for one of my longer lenses and was thinking of making it of wood some day. The other option is that I bought some of those aluminum "welding" rods that are supposed to be used with a propane torch. In the very back of my mind I was thinking that I could go to the sheet metal shop and have a bunch of aluminum cut, then use the rod to put it together. I haven't tried the rods yet, but it might be an easier solution than wood. I also have some high speed grinders and die grinders to clean up the unsightly welds.

[Ralph Barker]

I tried welding aluminum once, having had some experience with welding and brazing steel with an oxy-acetylene rig. It didn't take long for me to see I didn't have the knack for aluminum. If you use aluminum, I'd cut and shape the components and then take them to a pro.

Of course, you could always make a steam chamber to make the "hat" with wood and mitered finger joints.

[Scott --]

Uh, oh - I have a steamer. Was into making Windsors for a while. That's an interesting thought...