Cutting metal lens boards

[psychoanalyst]

Hello,

I hope this is the right place for this question.

I wonder what tools I would need to cut my own lens board holes? I have a 4x5 Speed Graphic and would like to get some barrel lenses (over time), but I find that its not that cheap to get a machine shop to do it for you.

I looked up amazon and saw that the entire cutter kit from Dremel would cost me $60
http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-300-1-2...5311513&sr=1-1

Does it make any sense to purchase or are there simpler ways of cutting holes in the lens boards?

I am currently giving my boards to a local machine shop that waterjets them for me.....and that costs me $35 per board. Add the cost of the board and I am already at $55.

Advice would be appreciated.

Thanks a lot.

Avi

[jp]

I use a drill press. Clamp the lensboard to a piece of scrap wood, put some oil where you're going to drill (if it's a metal lensboard), and use a normal holesaw at slow speed. Lacking that, wear boots and stand on the edges of the lensboard and drill it with a portable drill.

If it's a wooden lensboard, just sandwich it between two pieces of scrap wood and drill.

You're probably looking at $150 for a drill press and hole saw kit, but a drill press is a very handy tool.

[Bob Salomon]

The proper way to make the hole in a lensboard is to have the hole milled. This won't bend or warp the board as drilling or other cutting methods (Greenlee punch) can do.
That is one reason why a machinist charges more. He has the right tools.
Yo might give Quality Camera or KEH a call to see if they have any pre-drilled ones for sale since you are in Atlanta.

[Allen Rumme]

Another "proper way" to cut the hole is on a lathe.

[Jim Jones]

Starting with no tools at all, a reasonably handy person might buy a hand drill and appropriate bit, a hand jig saw and a few fine-tooth blades, a fine cut half round file, and a C-clamp to do it cheaper than having just one cut by a professional machinist. Cutting by hand is neater than using a Dremel tool. Dremel does include a circle cutter in their kit, but it may be for 4" or larger holes. Perhaps one could be improvised for smaller holes in lens boards.

With a drill press, one can clamp the lens board to a layer of wood on the press and use a fly cutter or circle cutter http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...5X-_-100659792. A really patient craftsman can even use the cited circle cutter by hand. A hole saw kit may include the size you need, and would be better and safer to use than a fly cutter. With care a hole saw can be used iwth a hand drill. For frequent use, I made a jig to hold the flat lens boards from older Speed Graphic and other cameras securely on the drill press. It can be adapted to the later Pacemaker series Graphic boards and Linhof boards.

[Nathan Smith]

The main thing for any of these methods is to make sure the board is clamped down tightly - even more important if you're using a hand drill or Dremel. If you're using the hand drill or Dremel you can also buy inexpensive rigs for these so that they operate like a drill press. I use a fly cutter in a drill press and have had no problems.

Starting with no tools at all, a reasonably handy person might buy a hand drill and appropriate bit, a hand jig saw and a few fine-tooth blades, a fine cut half round file, and a C-clamp to do it cheaper than having just one cut by a professional machinist. Cutting by hand is neater than using a Dremel tool. Dremel does include a circle cutter in their kit, but it may be for 4" or larger holes. Perhaps one could be improvised for smaller holes in lens boards.

With a drill press, one can clamp the lens board to a layer of wood on the press and use a fly cutter or circle cutter http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...5X-_-100659792. A really patient craftsman can even use the cited circle cutter by hand. A hole saw kit may include the size you need, and would be better and safer to use than a fly cutter. With care a hole saw can be used iwth a hand drill. For frequent use, I made a jig to hold the flat lens boards from older Speed Graphic and other cameras securely on the drill press. It can be adapted to the later Pacemaker series Graphic boards and Linhof boards.

[Scott Walker]

I use a lathe because it is quick, acurate and I have one.
If you don't have a lathe or a milling machine the next best solution is to center punch the board and scribe a circle for the exact size of hole needed and cut it out with a jewellers saw.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

If I recall there was a lens-board-drilling-with-hole-saws-gone-wrong-thread not long ago that might be Googled. I'd steer clear of using one except on a drill press with very sturdy clamping. With the slightest misalignment and/or when they finally break through the piece they tend to get stuck. This will often either fling the piece or torque the drill severely (with damage to whoever/whatever the piece hits, or risking a wrist injury with a hand drill given enough horsepower).

Without that hassle, if you've got a Speed Graphic that takes the later exceedingly common boards, why not first put up a WTB request on the For Sale section here, or scour eBay? With literally millions of these boards in circulation, you're likely to find either an exact match or at least something close enough to the hole size you're looking for that you can slightly enlarge a smaller one with a file or a Dremel to fit. (Dremel sanding drums work great for this, incidentally).

I've fit lenses to boards with a milling machine and boring tool, and I've also done it the hobo way with a Dremel. Bridgeport with a boring tool wins hands down over the Dremel for professionally smooth close-tolerance bores that won't leak light.

[goamules]

I've used both the hole saws for smaller holes and the double fly cutter for larger. Never had a problem with anything getting stuck, but I have only cut wooden boards. By the way, you can easily use masonite or plywood to make your Graflex boards, as the old ones were wooden. I assume their later cameras could use the standard wood graflex boards?

[jp]

I've used both the hole saws for smaller holes and the double fly cutter for larger. Never had a problem with anything getting stuck, but I have only cut wooden boards. By the way, you can easily use masonite or plywood to make your Graflex boards, as the old ones were wooden. I assume their later cameras could use the standard wood graflex boards?

Newer speed graphics (and crowns) use a slightly smaller metal board with curved edges that form part of a light trap.