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lis boa
26-Mar-2018, 11:48
Hello all

I plan to make (or have made) a few of these in wood. I don't intend to bother with the curved bit that wraps around the light trap - i'll cut it straight. I have the following questions:


These are normally made in aluminium and they have small bumps on them over which the 2 holders slide applying pressure to the board by forcing it against the light trap. My plan is to cut the wood to the about the same thickness as the aluminium plate + the bump such that the holders are a snug fit when they slide over the wood. Does anyone know roughly what this thickness (or even the thickness of the aluminium plate alone) is?

When screwing in flanges are there any woods that are better than others?

Are there alternatives to wood (aside from aluminium) that a) can bear the weight of heavier lenses and b) are fairly easy to cut using a tool such as this (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000BK7NWC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)?


Thanks in advance

ps - i have researched this at some length and still have the above questions. Please feel free to feed me even if you think i could have fed myself better. I will have my bib on.

Dan Fromm
26-Mar-2018, 12:22
All kidding about feeding aside, please check graflex.org. I don't have a spoon long enough to reach you so won't look for you. Use google advanced search to search the site, the answer you probably want is there.

Screws may not be the best way to attach a flange to a thin wooden board. Think about using short bolts with a nut and a small washer. Blacken the nuts and washers after they're in place to control reflections.

I have seen discussions about making wooden boards for Pacemaker Graphics. If I recall correctly -- allow, please, for failing memory -- the recommended approach is simply to cut a square piece of board that will fit over the front standard's light trap. Round the corners as needed, back off the bolts that hold the lensboard sliders as needed (but carefully).

lis boa
26-Mar-2018, 12:26
All kidding about feeding aside, please check graflex.org. I don't have a spoon long enough to reach you so won't look for you. Use google advanced search to search the site, the answer you probably want is there.

Screws may not be the best way to attach a flange to a thin wooden board. Think about using short bolts with a nut and a small washer. Blacken the nuts and washers after they're in place to control reflections.

I have seen discussions about making wooden boards for Pacemaker Graphics. If I recall correctly -- allow, please, for failing memory -- the recommended approach is simply to cut a square piece of board that will fit over the front standard's light trap. Round the corners as needed, back off the bolts that hold the lensboard sliders as needed (but carefully).

Thanks very much for the tip Dan. Got a slew of hits.

LabRat
26-Mar-2018, 19:15
Please excuse if this is not the totally correct dimensions , but I made some from hobby store basswood that worked very well... I think the outer piece is 1/32" thick, and you can cut a piece for the inner opening from I think 1/8" to 3/32" basswood... It is easy to cut with a razor knife, you can round the corners with a sanding block on a table, just use contact cement to join the 2 boards, you can apply a little superglue to the edges to make them strong under the sliding lock sections, and paint...

But lay out the wood pieces for cutting so the grain goes across each outer so there will be no flex...

Sorry I don't have a pix or my dimension notes handy for you, but not hard to think through how to make very nice, cheap lensboards...

Ask ??? and I'll try to help...

Good Luck!!

Steve K

jp
26-Mar-2018, 19:39
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Graflex-lens-board-for-cameras-4x5-inches/183124903110

This seller makes carbon fiber lens boards with any hole size you want. A good alternative to wood and aluminum.

I make wooden lens boards for older speed graphics but for the pacemaker you should just get the aluminum or carbon boards.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8541/8669974874_3f5300a0d2_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ed8Ttq)
DSC_0056 (https://flic.kr/p/ed8Ttq) by Jason Philbrook (https://www.flickr.com/photos/13759696@N02/), on Flickr

Jim Jones
26-Mar-2018, 19:55
The thickness of the aluminum is about 0.050 inches, and the bumps raise the thickness to maybe 0.0625 inches, or 1/16 inch. To improvise a light trap in a home-made aluminum board, use black hobby store foam or felt of an appropriate thickness glued to the back. You could also use thin plywood for the light trap, which would provide more security if you chose to use wood or sheet metal screws to attach a lens flange.

Merg Ross
26-Mar-2018, 20:20
The thickness of the aluminum is about 0.050 inches, and the bumps raise the thickness to maybe 0.0625 inches, or 1/16 inch. To improvise a light trap in a home-made aluminum board, use black hobby store foam or felt of an appropriate thickness glued to the back. You could also use thin plywood for the light trap, which would provide more security if you chose to use wood or sheet metal screws to attach a lens flange.
Jim, I made mine from Formica, and used the foam that you suggest glued to the back. Never a problem.

lis boa
28-Mar-2018, 04:46
Please excuse if this is not the totally correct dimensions , but I made some from hobby store basswood that worked very well... I think the outer piece is 1/32" thick, and you can cut a piece for the inner opening from I think 1/8" to 3/32" basswood... It is easy to cut with a razor knife, you can round the corners with a sanding block on a table, just use contact cement to join the 2 boards, you can apply a little superglue to the edges to make them strong under the sliding lock sections, and paint...

But lay out the wood pieces for cutting so the grain goes across each outer so there will be no flex...

Sorry I don't have a pix or my dimension notes handy for you, but not hard to think through how to make very nice, cheap lensboards...

Ask ??? and I'll try to help...

Good Luck!!

Steve K

Thanks so much Steve, for your help and offer. I think I will end up using this method. Will get in touch if I need to. Thanks again for the offer.

lis boa
28-Mar-2018, 04:48
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Graflex-lens-board-for-cameras-4x5-inches/183124903110

This seller makes carbon fiber lens boards with any hole size you want. A good alternative to wood and aluminum.

I make wooden lens boards for older speed graphics but for the pacemaker you should just get the aluminum or carbon boards.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8541/8669974874_3f5300a0d2_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ed8Ttq)
DSC_0056 (https://flic.kr/p/ed8Ttq) by Jason Philbrook (https://www.flickr.com/photos/13759696@N02/), on Flickr

Thank you very much for the tip. Unfortunately, as I have about 7 lenses to mount (some projection ones that weren't expensive), I am loathe to spend $45 per board. So I'm probably going to either make one out of wood or 3D filament. Thanks again for the helpful advice.

Dan Fromm
28-Mar-2018, 07:18
https://www.etsy.com/listing/542037845/speed-crown-pacemaker-graflex-4x5-camera?ref=related-6

I've bought a couple of his 2x3 Pacemaker boards. They work well.

lis boa
28-Mar-2018, 08:34
The thickness of the aluminum is about 0.050 inches, and the bumps raise the thickness to maybe 0.0625 inches, or 1/16 inch. To improvise a light trap in a home-made aluminum board, use black hobby store foam or felt of an appropriate thickness glued to the back. You could also use thin plywood for the light trap, which would provide more security if you chose to use wood or sheet metal screws to attach a lens flange.

Thanks for this very useful information. I had picked up a set of figures that were different from the graflex.org website (.49 inches rather than your .05 - the author left out a significant zero). S/he went on to give other dimensions that also don't match yours so I'm a bit confused as to which is correct. For example, the figure I got from the post in question (https://graflex.org/helpboard/viewtopic.php?t=6333) (first response) gives a bump size of .210 (small speed graphic bump) or .245 (large super graphic bump). I have assumed inches as that is what s/he started out with but i can't get these figures to match your figure for the thickness including the bump (0.0625) whatever i do (insert an extra significant zero to the other figure, assume mm, etc.). As you're closer, I thought i'd ask you to re-confirm your number, if possible.

Thanks again for your help and advice.

lis boa
28-Mar-2018, 08:40
https://www.etsy.com/listing/542037845/speed-crown-pacemaker-graflex-4x5-camera?ref=related-6

I've bought a couple of his 2x3 Pacemaker boards. They work well.

Thanks Dan. I already tried this - unfortunately the holes i will need are non-standard (as far as i can tell) - 2 seiko shutters (slightly larger than copal 1) and a bunch of projection lenses. The seller doesn't do custom holes. I couldn't figure out a way to widen the holes (seems more complicated than boring a blank) so I left it. I am useless at diy so instructions to simply use this or that tool don't really resonate. Unless it's the kind of thing a machine shop would do easily.....

Thanks again.

Jim Jones
28-Mar-2018, 19:44
Lis -- I remeasured all four bumps more carefully, and the total thickness of board + bump averaged very close to 0.065". The board has no play on the Graphic that I checked. If I was making boards for these cameras, I'd use standard 0.0625" ( 1/16") material. If there was any play, a strip of tape on the back of the board ought to take care of it.

Bob Salomon
29-Mar-2018, 03:19
Lis -- I remeasured all four bumps more carefully, and the total thickness of board + bump averaged very close to 0.065". The board has no play on the Graphic that I checked. If I was making boards for these cameras, I'd use standard 0.0625" ( 1/16") material. If there was any play, a strip of tape on the back of the board ought to take care of it.

Adding a strip of tape at one end on the back of the board would create a parrallism problem for the lens, add it too the front. Not the back!

Jim Jones
29-Mar-2018, 07:22
No, add evenly around all of the the back. The sliders would tear it up on the front.

lis boa
31-Mar-2018, 07:15
Lis -- I remeasured all four bumps more carefully, and the total thickness of board + bump averaged very close to 0.065". The board has no play on the Graphic that I checked. If I was making boards for these cameras, I'd use standard 0.0625" ( 1/16") material. If there was any play, a strip of tape on the back of the board ought to take care of it.

Hi Jim

Thanks very much for taking the time and for the advice.

mainoo