Crown Graphic Lensboards

[Alan9940]

Hello All,

Just recently bought a 4x5 Crown Graphic from one of our forum members and I need another lensboard with Copal #0 hole drilled. Does anyone know where (or if) these are available? I've looked at the current offerings on eBay and everything looks pretty much like junk to me.

Thanks for any help provided.

Kind regards,
Alan

[CedarMesaPhoto]

There are often brand new ones listed on there, I just saw some the other day. The new ones are usually anodized black in color.

[Dan Fromm]

Junk? They look like used lensboards to me. Perfectly usable for your purposes if drilled for #0.

Just make sure you get a stamped metal board. There's at least one wooden board offered as for "Genuine Graflex Lens Board Anniversary Pre-Anniversary Crown Speed." The seller is confused, it is a wooden board not for Pacemaker Graphics.

Some have holes for mounting a solenoid. I have some like that, just cover the holes with darkroom tape.

If you must have a new board, www.skgrimes.com sells them and www.mpex.com used to sell them, may still.

I have some modern reproduction black boards for my 2x3 Graphics. They're thinner gauge metal than original issue. This sometimes causes problems with retaining rings that have a centering ridge; the ridge hits the back of the shutter before it contacts the board, leaving the shutter free to rotate on the board.

[Alan9940]

Junk? They look like used lensboards to me. Perfectly usable for your purposes if drilled for #0.


OK, maybe "junk" was a poor choice of word. I don't mind used, but I don't want something that looks like its been beat with a hammer. :) I was wondering what those extra holes were for... I saw some plastic ones from Italy, but not sure that's a good way to go, unless its carbon fiber like the ones Chamonix produces. Thanks for the suggestion of skgrimes...I forgot all about them.

Kind regards,
Alan

[Neal Chaves]

I have several of the newer black boards from various vendors. These are made from much thinner stock than the originals or some of the earlier black clone boards that were sold by Midwest, etc. (some of those had their own problems). With the recent production boards, you cannot tighten the shutter jam nut of Copal 0,1 and 3 properly because the board is so thin, the jam nut ridge bottoms out on the shutter before the shutter is tight on the board. My solution is to work the jam nut on a flat sheet of medium sand paper until the ridge is about half the original height.

[IanG]

Heavystar on ebay regularly has brand new Pacemaker lens boards and they are cheap but excellent, you couldn't get better, they maybe a touch more now but 3 for about £20/$30 was very reasonable, I bought 2 sets all #0 but very easy to file out to #1 or larger.

I've never had a problem with thin board. You just turn the jam nut over :D if there's an issue !!!!!!!!

Ian

[Old-N-Feeble]

Dan, where does that seller claim those wooden boards fit Pacemaker Graphics?

[Martin Dake]

Look for columbuscameragroup on eBay, they have lots for sale.
They are listed as used but they look new, maybe NOS.

[Alan9940]

Thank you Ian and Martin. I found both the suggested dealers on eBay and have put 'em on my Watchlist.

Kind regards,
Alan

[Neal Chaves]

Heavystar on ebay regularly has brand new Pacemaker lens boards and they are cheap but excellent, you couldn't get better, they maybe a touch more now but 3 for about £20/$30 was very reasonable, I bought 2 sets all #0 but very easy to file out to #1 or larger.

I've never had a problem with thin board. You just turn the jam nut over :D if there's an issue !!!!!!!!

Ian

If you turn the jam nut over, then the hole is over sized and lens centering will not be accurate.

[Jim C.]

+1 with what IanG recommended, I've bought lens boards from heavystar and they're pretty damn good
and un-bored to boot.

[Jim Jones]

While the factory pacemaker boards have the bent-over rim, that feature is not really necessary. A flat board made from about 1/32" aluminum works well if it is backed by a light trap that functions like the back side of the older wooden Speed Graphic boards. That light trap can be improvised from felt, mat board, foam rubber, or many other materials. Paint the back side of the board black.

[rjbuzzclick]

Heavystar on ebay regularly has brand new Pacemaker lens boards and they are cheap but excellent, you couldn't get better, they maybe a touch more now but 3 for about £20/$30 was very reasonable, I bought 2 sets all #0 but very easy to file out to #1 or larger.

I've never had a problem with thin board. You just turn the jam nut over :D if there's an issue !!!!!!!!

Ian

I have five or six of the Heavystar lens boards myself and have no complaints. They are well made and reasonably priced.

[IanG]

If you turn the jam nut over, then the hole is over sized and lens centering will not be accurate.

Usually makes no difference, add a spacer washer and use normally if needs be. Any garage has suitable shim washers.

Ian

[Alan Gales]

I've seen plenty on Ebay that were in good shape but just looked bad because the paint was real ruff. Just lightly sand them and spray them with a rattle can and they will look like new again.

[Alan9940]

I ordered from Heavystar today. Thanks for the tip!