I've just ground my own glass

[vickersdc]

I recently bought an 18cm x 24cm FKD camera, and when it arrived the lens had not been securely packed; during transit it had smashed the original ground glass into hundreds of pieces.

To be fair to the seller, he is sending me a new one, but in the mean time I thought it was a good opportunity to make my own. My wife has just taken up making stained glass, so she cut some 2mm glass to size and clipped the corners.

Using 600grit Silicon Carbide, it took about 1/2 hour to do, all that's left is to draw the lines on. The glass is really bright and it'll be interesting to compare it against the new one that it on it's way to me!

[Robert Hughes]

Very nice! Sometimes those DYI projects are the most satisfying...

[Uncle Jim]

Hi Vic,

I've made a number of ground glasses for various cameras. 600 is a little course, and you might want to try refining it with some finer grits, as it can make quite a difference. I still have a lot of grits left from when I was making telescope mirrors an use a much finer grit.

uncle jim

[Pete Watkins]

Hi Vick,
Where did you get the silicon carbide? I assume that it was in the U.K.
Best wishes,
Pete.

[vickersdc]

Hi Vick,
Where did you get the silicon carbide? I assume that it was in the U.K.
Best wishes,
Pete.

I got it from a stone polishing place down in Cornwall. The guy's name is Paul Jeffery, and I would buy from him again; the first lot that was sent out never arrived, and after phoning him about it, he just sent another lot the same day (which arrived the following morning).

The link to the silicon carbide is here. I ordered the 250g bag as I just know I'll be making more screens in the future, but 125g is more than enough for several screens anyway. Postage was £2.

Cheers,
David.

PS: (Uncle Jim), Would Tin Oxide polishing powder do the trick?

[Mike1234]

Anyone ever tried attaching a metal plate with raised edges to a randon orbit sander, mounting the contraption plate-side-up, and setting the glass onto the dry powder? It sure seems like an easier way to make a GG.

[vickersdc]

Here's a quick shot taken with a point & shoot this morning of the result...

[Pete Watkins]

Thanks for your help.
Pete.

[vickersdc]

Actually, if anyone is interested I'd be willing to grind some glass if someone needed one for their camera (although you'd have to cover my costs!). I've since learnt a couple of new things about grinding glass and 1) I don't need anymore ground glass right now, but it might help someone out, and 2) I'd be interested to see what other people think about it.

If you might be interested, PM me.

[Uncle Jim]

Hi Vick,

Sorry to be so long answering, but I've been away. I have been using Aluminum Oxide in grits of
15 and 5 micron. I also have some 30 micron, which is about 600 grit, that I am going to try on the three 8 x 10 ground glasses I will be working on tomorrow. I'll see if it is faster than 15 micron stuff that I have been using, but I still plan on finishing with the 5 micron powder (which is about 1200 grit). Tin oxide is a polishing compound not a grinding one, and would just polish your glass again.

uncle jim