Blueberrydesk
21-Mar-2008, 19:09
So I got my 8x10 Tachihara in the mail on Tuesday, only to realize that it didn't come with a lensboard. I was going to order some from MPEX (where I got the camera) but then I thought, "Wait...$90 for a master board, and then another $45 or so for Technica boards, and I will still need to get one custom bored for the Petzval lens I got off Jim, which is really the lens I wanna use first."
I tallied it up; I was looking at at least $240, just in lensboards. I figured I could make some for a helluva lot less than that. Let's see, what do I need?
$99 for a cheap drill press from Home Depot
$15 for some 1/4" x 6" x 2' poplar boards from Home Depot
$69 for a cheap scroll saw from Harbor Freight
$20 for a cheap router from Harbor Freight
$45 for some router bits and some various sized hole-saw blades for the drill press
$30 for some small clamps
$20 for some more small clamps
$ 5 for some wood glue
$10 for some sandpaper
$ 8 for some black spraypaint
$ 4 for some brass screws
$10 for a cheap micrometer (I know, a ruler works too, but it was on sale!)
$35 for a jigsaw, because I bought it before I got the scroll saw.
There's more, I'm sure, but I finished my first home-made lensboard, and the paint is drying on it now, while 3 more blanks have their glue drying, in preparation for a hole being drilled.
So, Total spent over 3 days to make a lensboard: $370
But now I can make some for the D2 8x10 too! :)
I think the best part was talking on the cell phone to a friend of mine who is a hardcore digital fiend while I was walking through Home Depot. He asked me what I was doing, and I said "shopping for some camera supplies." He asked me where I was and I told him. :D There was silence on the line.
I tallied it up; I was looking at at least $240, just in lensboards. I figured I could make some for a helluva lot less than that. Let's see, what do I need?
$99 for a cheap drill press from Home Depot
$15 for some 1/4" x 6" x 2' poplar boards from Home Depot
$69 for a cheap scroll saw from Harbor Freight
$20 for a cheap router from Harbor Freight
$45 for some router bits and some various sized hole-saw blades for the drill press
$30 for some small clamps
$20 for some more small clamps
$ 5 for some wood glue
$10 for some sandpaper
$ 8 for some black spraypaint
$ 4 for some brass screws
$10 for a cheap micrometer (I know, a ruler works too, but it was on sale!)
$35 for a jigsaw, because I bought it before I got the scroll saw.
There's more, I'm sure, but I finished my first home-made lensboard, and the paint is drying on it now, while 3 more blanks have their glue drying, in preparation for a hole being drilled.
So, Total spent over 3 days to make a lensboard: $370
But now I can make some for the D2 8x10 too! :)
I think the best part was talking on the cell phone to a friend of mine who is a hardcore digital fiend while I was walking through Home Depot. He asked me what I was doing, and I said "shopping for some camera supplies." He asked me where I was and I told him. :D There was silence on the line.