Tutorial: convert regular cable release to work with Horseman/Seiko shutters

[Jack_Luke]

Describing this as a tutorial is perhaps over-egging things but, hopefully, any current or prospective Horseman camera users will find this helpful.

Context

Most Horseman lenses are mounted to Seiko-SLV shutters. Among other quirks, these use an unusual clamp to attach a shutter release cable as opposed to a typical threaded mount.

This hole is approximately 7mm in diameter and 9mm deep. The swivelling portion of a normal cable release is approximately 4mm in diameter.

Solution 1

As a quick hack, wrap your cable release with a few layers of electrical tape to suit the shutter. This works, but is unsightly and, if you're unlucky, stops the 'trigger' of the cable release from lining up with the small opening at the base of the hole.

Solution 2

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My preferred (and much neater) method is as follows:




Grab a sacrificial cable release that you're happy to modify
Grind/file off the threaded end of the cable release
Glue a bicycle brake ferrule onto the end of the cable release. I used superglue ,but some kind of epoxy solution that would fill the void between the ferrule and cable release would be better.
Ensure your cable release can still move, then cover the end of the cable release in heat shrink



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The combination of the ferrule and heat shrink is *exactly* the right dimensions for the clamp – I cannot describe how satisfying this is. The heatshrink also has the added bonus of adding some extra grip.

I hope that helps!

[Tin Can]

It does help!

I have the correct Horseman cable

But I have the bicycle part too and will make one

Thanks for posting!

[Facey]

Sorry to revive this thread again. I describe below what I believe to be a good way to overcome a problem.


I have a Horseman 985 with three lenses: the first thing I discovered was that it is impossible to fit a normal cable release as the Horseman lenses do not have the tapered female thread for the release cable that other cameras do. If you find a Horseman cable, it will cost you about half what you would pay for the lens followed correspondence in a number of LF forums concerning the impossibility of finding or buying the tiny tap needed to cut a thread and make an adaptor. I did try and it does seem to be impossible or ferociously expensive to get a tap made.

However, if you or a kind friend have a lathe with a compound rest which allows you to change its angle, then there is an easy way to adapt an ordinary cable release. If you cannot do it yourself, then search for someone to do it for you.

First, file off the tapered thread. It does not matter if you are filing the very end off the inner cable at the same time.

Second, drill, in a 6mm brass rod, a hole about the size of the narrow tip of the taper at the end of the cable. For me, a Number 17 drill was perfect (0. 436mm).

Third, turn the compound slide to about 5° degrees and cut an internal taper stopping when the edge becomes very thin. You will need a very small boring bar… mine is about 4mm across the tip. (Check the taper by mounting the metal end of the cable in the chuck and changing the amount you turn the rest until a tool exactly follows the taper. I have found them to be anything from 4.5° to 6°.)

Fourth, part it off at about seven or eight millimetres long

Fifth, glue the adaptor to the taper on the end of the cable.

I realise that many people will have worked this out for themselves, but so far I have not found a description. My apologies if everybody with a Horseman knows how to do the job.

Stuart

[Facey]

I wrote,
Second, drill, in a 6mm brass rod, a hole about the size of the narrow tip of the taper at the end of the cable. For me, a Number 17 drill was perfect (0. 436mm).

God knows what I was thinking: Number 17 is just under 4.4mm or 0.173 inches. Sorry!

Stuart

[Paul Ron]

how about 3d printing an adapter?

[landstrykere]

how about 3d printing an adapter?

not sure smelted plastic will hold long repeated screw in/out of cable release bits. And in the first place if such small thread is doable.

another way is also to take the release button of one of these old Zenit found everywhere and tweak it a bit to the size of the Horseman hole. This (here a Zenit-V):

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