Mounting lens without the original flange~

[Tracy Storer]

For "flangeless" lens mounting, there is always the famous "Universal Lens Mount" aka "Iris Lens Clamp" aka "Lens Chuck".
Steel hose clamps could damage the threads on the lens. (I've never seen a steel lens barrel, they're always something softer like brass, aluminum, etc.)
The rubber timing belt option is safer for the threads, but maybe more likely to stretch and fail.

I'm with EVH above, doing it right is always best, get a proper flange made, or at least, use a ULM which won't damage the lens for the next guy.

[Len Middleton]

I guess I pay too much for my lenses (or too cheap) and therefore risk adverse.

Everything I have either has a flange that I can use, or failing that I have that big Iris Lens Clamp (sorry Tracy cannot really figure out what to call it) I bought from eddie to use.

I tried to buy my lenses with the flanges wherever possible, although I have purchased flanges as well. Once I found what it cost to buy a flange from the manufacturer's, then I ensured that the lenses I got had flanges, or would not buy without a significant discount.

Maybe I need to buy cheaper lenses to get out of my risk aversion, or maybe not...

[IanG]

I took my flange-less Petzval lens to a Camera Fair to try and find it a mate and as luck would have it found one.

One member of this foum recommends MrCad in the UK (Croydon) who carries quite a stock of old flanges however you have to sort through for yourself which means it's impractical for people who can't travel there. One or two other UK dealers have a selection of flanges, MWClassic sorted one out for a TTH Cooke lens for me last month.

There are people on this forum who can make flanges, so E. von Hoegh's suggestion is quite valid, but ideally the person making the flange needs the lens to do their own measurements.

Over the past 2 or 3 years I've acquired a few flanges which none of my lenses fit and I guess I'd be willing to swap these.

Ian

[CP Goerz]

I once came across an old flange that was pretty large and had been saw 'open' at one point, the previous owner then took a pipe clamp and soldered it onto the flange allowing it to be adjusted slightly with a screwdriver. I think this idea may work for other lenses but only if you have a flange thats a few MM's off in size.

[CP Goerz]

PS:I also have a big @ss box of flanges but I'd need the barrel to try them on....

[E. von Hoegh]

I once came across an old flange that was pretty large and had been saw 'open' at one point, the previous owner then took a pipe clamp and soldered it onto the flange allowing it to be adjusted slightly with a screwdriver. I think this idea may work for other lenses but only if you have a flange thats a few MM's off in size.

I had one lens which came with an oversize flange, a few turns of teflon plumber's tape made it fit securely without graunching anything. I later found a flange to fit that shutter in a box of odd flanges at a camera shop.

[E. von Hoegh]

For "flangeless" lens mounting, there is always the famous "Universal Lens Mount" aka "Iris Lens Clamp" aka "Lens Chuck".
Steel hose clamps could damage the threads on the lens. (I've never seen a steel lens barrel, they're always something softer like brass, aluminum, etc.)
The rubber timing belt option is safer for the threads, but maybe more likely to stretch and fail.

I'm with EVH above, doing it right is always best, get a proper flange made, or at least, use a ULM which won't damage the lens for the next guy.

One could cut one of the timing belts to the proper length and use it to cushion the steel hose clamp, while deciding whether it's worth going out to the garage and cutting a proper flange on the lathe.

[rjmeyer314]

I have mounted lenses on a few home-made wooden lens boards by cutting a hole with a hole saw and threading the lens directly into the wood. It is obviously very dependent on finding the right size hole saw. You can also use a fly-cutter to make the hole if no hole saw is available in the correct size.

[rdenney]

One could cut one of the timing belts to the proper length and use it to cushion the steel hose clamp, while deciding whether it's worth going out to the garage and cutting a proper flange on the lathe.

I've done that, but even simpler. I wrapped the threads with black photo tape. I then took some small pieces of sheet metal and bent them into an "L" shape, like a shelf bracket, but only perhaps a quarter inch on a side. I put three of those under a radiator hose clamp, and slipped it over the threads on the back side of the board. Covered it all up with photo tape to reduce its shininess, and used it that way for a long time. That was before the Internet, and I had no money, so I had to make do with what I could find.

Since that time, awareness and disposable income has provided me with a very nice flange for that lens made by S.K. Grimes. But I paid about $75 for it.

Rick "who did not bugger up the threads by doing this" Denney

[Jim Galli]

I have mounted lenses on a few home-made wooden lens boards by cutting a hole with a hole saw and threading the lens directly into the wood. It is obviously very dependent on finding the right size hole saw. You can also use a fly-cutter to make the hole if no hole saw is available in the correct size.

I do it this way with a router and router table. You can get pretty precise so the threads are engaging the wood. Then I put a bead of hot glue on the other side. Hot glue can be peeled off later. A large-ish good quality tie-wrap can give some extra insurance also with this scheme. This is one reason I love the old Kodak 2D. Lots of home made boards, lots of old lenses without their flanges, lots of images made that way.

But CP Goerz has given me an idea. I also have a big-ass box of flanges that consistently never fit a d@mn thing I buy that needs a flange. Maybe if I traded my big-ass box with CP's big-ass box we'd both find some winners for our losers.