Wow it’s been a long road but I'm finally ready to take my recently acquired Gundlach Radar 8x10 f6.3 lens out and actually photograph with it. The lens was a Craigslist purchase and came with a Ilex No. 5 which needed a CLA because the low speeds were hanging up. It took a little time but I was able to get the shutter serviced by Carol at Flutot’s and the shutter is purring like a kitten. In the meantime I bored out a lens board for the mounting flange and it mounted. So now it need a a shutter release cable, no problem I have at least a dozen, but none of the have a long enough throw to fire the Ilex No. 5. So after a little research I determine that a Gepe Pro will probably work. Order the Gepe Pro and wait for it to arrive, then test it and yes it fires the Ilex just fine. Now it’s Sunday morning and I thinking let go try out the lens, dig around in RPT stash and find the perfect case for the lens. But wait the lens doesn’t have any lens caps and the glass is coated and in really nice condition. No problem I’ll make a couple of quick caps to use until I find the time to make nice leather one.
I used card stock and PVA glue to make the caps and then covered them with the Tesa tape the Tin Can mentioned in the bellows tape thread. The tape is nice quality cloth and is quite thin. This allowed me to simply put a piece of waxed paper over the lens secured with a rubber band and then use the lens as a form to make the cap. The caps turn out nice enough that I doubt I’ll make leather ones to replace them.
I should add that my film drying cabinet worked great for drying the PVA glue and I’ll give the caps some time out-gas before I start storing the lens with them on. I didn’t get to photograph with the Radar today but I should be all set now.
Roger
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Originally Posted by Bob Salomon
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