Leather lens cap in progress

[John Kasaian]

My new old pretzel lens needs a lens cap as there is no shutter on it (being a projection lens salvaged from a busted up turn of the century McIntosh Stereopticon) After going though my stash of lens caps there were none that fit! I reckoned the cap needs to be 70mm and it just so happens Equinox Photographic has a old leather one listed, but they're on the road so I figure I'd make my own using these directions
http://www.lungov.com/wagner/DIYLensCap.html
Now cutting a perfectly round puck for a mould proved to be more of a challenge than I planned not having the correct tools, so I found a package of 3" wooden disks at Michaels craft store which are slightly largerwhich according to the instructions, is still do-able, and glued them together to make my puck. They also had heavy cardstock so I bought a sheet of that and used roughly half of it to build up the form of the lens cap holding it together with contact cement.
I also went to Tandy and picked up a scrap of thin black leather trim and soaked it for an hour. While the leather was soaking in water (in an empty coffee can) I sanded the cardstock form and spread some glue on it. I wrung the water out of the scrap leather and with the puck on top of a can of Campbell's Tomato Soup I stretched the wet leather over the best I could, smoothing out the wrinkles and gathers and then flipped the puck over with the leather still tight and shot a few staples through the leather and into the wooden puck to hold it until dry.
So far, so good! Now I need to find a bit of velvet to glue inside and turn the leather over the rim,but that will have to wait until its good and dry---perhaps tomorrow night.

[c.d.ewen]

John:

Sounds good, so far. Turning a puck on a lathe gets the exact size you need :-)

Check out a local sewing/fabric store for two items: a pair of small, rounded blade scissors - very handy for surgically trimming edges; and adhesive-backed felt. Felt will last longer than velvet, and won't throw tiny bits of fluff around as it wears. Comes in flashy colors, if that's your style (see the lenscap in my post in this thread. (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?91594-Ilex-Shutter-or-Luc-type-Shutter-for-my-19-quot-Apo-Artar)

Charley

[sumo]

Finding the correct diameter of the puck for a snug fit on the lens after leather and felt/velvet have been wrapped seems like it could be a frustrating trial and error process...?
I'm going to have to give this a go.
Previous to reading this, I had the idea of just bending wooden strips like in the cardboard above and lining that with felt. Or just turn a wooden puck and line with felt. I think a wooden cap would look great!

[alex from holland]

Mayby this can help?
http://collodion-art.blogspot.nl/2010/08/making-your-own-lenscap-isnt-that.html

[RichardSperry]

Isn't leather considered a culprit in the formation of fungus on lenses?

[sumo]

I don't think leather itself is bad but rather the moisture it is prone to hold onto and release in your bag/case which then provides a nice environment for fungus.

[alex from holland]

Isn't leather considered a culprit in the formation of fungus on lenses?

Many old lens caps were made with leather. Just make sure you never store them in a unventilated, closed bag.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Mayby this can help?
http://collodion-art.blogspot.nl/2010/08/making-your-own-lenscap-isnt-that.html

Alex, I am following your instructions right now to make some caps for my Voigtlander Portrait Euryscope and big Darlot. Thanks.

Jim

[Bill, 70's military B&W]

Good luck with it John,
Post a picture

[ghostcount]

Here's a couple of mine using Alex's method. :cool:

I used velvet for the inside lining on one but it frayed quite a bit. Felt is cheaper and easier to work with.

76555 76553 76554

[John Koehrer]

Mayby this can help?
http://collodion-art.blogspot.nl/2010/08/making-your-own-lenscap-isnt-that.html

This is the same method used in Tomosoy's "Repairing Classic Cameras" and it works very well. Use plastic wrap over the lens first to protect it from moisture.

[John Kasaian]

This is the same method used in Tomosoy's "Repairing Classic Cameras" and it works very well. Use plastic wrap over the lens first to protect it from moisture.

That looks a lot easier than fabricating a wooden puck to work from! The hardest part I had was finding thin enough leather---the thinnest I could find (for upholstery)was still a bit too thick but it worked anyway

[Hugo Zhang]

Jim and Randy,

Where do you get your leather? I have a lens with 95mm front rim and I have a plastic container cap slightly larger than that and I think if I wrap a piece of leather over it that should fit.

Thanks.

[ghostcount]

Hugo,

I get them from Fashion Leather in San Diego. Their website is http://fashionleather.com/flimerchandise/flimerchandise.html
(http://fashionleather.com/flimerchandise/flimerchandise.html)
Let me know if you need help.

Randy



Jim and Randy,

Where do you get your leather? I have a lens with 95mm front rim and I have a plastic container cap slightly larger than that and I think if I wrap a piece of leather over it that should fit.

Thanks.

[Hugo Zhang]

Randy,

Thanks for the link. I only need a small piece for one lens cap. Maybe I will find something on ebay. BTW, your caps are beautifully made. :)

Hugo

[ghostcount]

Thanks Hugo - it's all because of Alex's fine article.

PM sent.

[John Koehrer]

Source leather from thrift stores. A smooth leather purse or skirt/jacket will last for several lens caps.

[ghostcount]

...or old leather belts.

If you're on collodion.com check "frederickavery"'s post (http://collodion.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=8313&KW=&PID=59401&title=finished-wet-plate-holder-modification-18x24#59401).

[Barry Kirsten]

Years ago I bought a bag of garment leather offcuts from a leather merchant to replace worn/missing trim pieces on a Technika. I ended up re-doing the whole camera. Later I found out you can buy the pre-cut patches :rolleyes:. The bag cost me $5 and I've dipped into from time to time for various projects. I still have some left and plan to use it for a few lenscaps using the method described here. I think the important thing to keep in mind for most photographic purposes is to use garment leather, as other grades would certainly be too thick. In a bag of offcuts, you get a mixture of colours and textures, but usually enough of each for what you need. (For those near Melbourne, I got mine from Lefler.)

Barry.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Hugo, I got my thin leather from Tandy leather in Oxnard. Got the pieces out of their scrap pile.

[Graham Patterson]

Bookbinders often sell bags of scraps. It helps if you live in or near a university town, since a lot of theses are bound even now.