What tools do I need to make a metal lens board?

[wallrat]

Was this supposed to be in the For Sale forum?

[Ari]

No, I'm hoping the mods will move it soon.
My apologies for taking up space in the FS/WTB ads.

[Carl J]

Ari,

The magnesium Eastman Commercial View (assuming that's what you have) takes 2D-style 6x6" (but with square corners) boards. Easiest to stick with wood. There's a guy on ebay who makes what looks like nice wooden 2D style boards for around $20 or so. He also offers a Technika to 2D adaptor board for, like, $25. He said he can make boards for the Commercial View (again, square corners). They're pretty simple. I did a hatchet job with mine using some 1/8"(?) pre-cut, gessoed one-side, 6x6 masonite board used by artists for painting. I had to cut out my own hole, a pain since I didn't really have the right tools (or, rather, I had the wrong size hole saw). At that price I'd probably just buy one pre-made for a slightly more professional look.

[Jim Andrada]

I find it works better to bore the hole in aluminum on my woodturning lathe - I chuck the bit (or actually the much maligned fly cutter) in the tailstock and advance it into the spinning board. Works quite cleanly and much better than on the drill press.

Would use a mill if I had one but the lathe works just fine. Hands are nowhere near the business end of the cutter, which is not revolving.

[ROL]

Ari, You have to be really careful drilling metal. The bit will have a tendency to grab the metal with unforeseen results, and whatever you do, don't use one of those adjustable (wing cutter) drill bits, you will lose a finger, or worse in a split second.

And from that point on you will never again be perplexed at the MRI pre-exam question, "Ever had metal bits or shavings in your eye?"

[wombat2go]

Trepanning a lens board in a lathe
https://www.box.com/s/3o99vlqmz9myv3d71f2c

[civich]

Trepanning a lens board in a lathe
https://www.box.com/s/3o99vlqmz9myv3d71f2c

That's how it's done! A wing cutter in a drill press is do-able but the piece has to be securely anchored and cut very carefully at slow (250 rpm +/-) speed. If you're not comfortable working with powerful tools on the edge of mayhem get your local machinist to do it - like wombat showed.

[Ari]

Thank you, everybody.
I can make a wood board, I did so for a B&J 8x10, but a metal board would suit me (and the camera) better.
I would not likely attempt any metal work without some practice and hands-on assistance, thanks for the safety tips.

I wish this would get moved to the Lounge, where it belongs.
Sorry again for bothering everyone who's trying to sell or buy.

[Scott Walker]

Milling machine & knowledge to use it

[Jim Jones]

When drilling the hole in a lathe as wombat2go shows, consider backing the lens board with a piece of plywood slightly smaller than the lens board so the cutting tool can't push the lens board back towards the headstock. This also helps to mount the lens board flat in relation to the face of the chuck. I've also made a frame to mount on a faceplate that tightly clamps 4" boards with less damage than the four chuck jaws may do. A similar frame that clamps in a drill press vise makes using a fly cutter in the drill press relatively safe. These frames work with aluminum boards as well as plywood and MDF.