My New Antique Lens: A Question About Screws

[Drew Bedo]

Update: Joel at SK Grimes has informed me that the flange has solder on the underside (facing the lens board). I had thought it was dried sealant of some sort. It may even be soldered onto the threads. This is a part of the job that I will have to deal with myself, I guess. In the end, I'll settle for removing it from the underside and leaving the flange on.

I saw this lens on e-Bay. It looked to be complete with hood and flange, except for the pinion housing screws. The glass looked to be cleanable. What made me jump on i was the flange. I'll just have to find a way to make it all work without obviously messing it up.

This is not an historic piece or a family heirloom. This lens is to be a shooter . . .so a full period correct restoration is just not needed.

JEEZE!

[Daniel Unkefer]

Drew,
I have an olde unmarked brass lens -very- similar to yours, I suspect it is an olde "Magic Lantern" lens?? Anyway, leave the flange as it is! Find some brass screws and nuts that will fit the flange holes, and mount the lens to your board. It's worth some money but it's not uber rare or uber expensive. Look through it and start shooting with it

My lens is missing three of the focus knob screws, just like yours! I'd love to find or have made someday, screws that you fit and complete the lens. For now I just use it AS-IS. When you sell it on later maybe the next owner will be able to address it's issues. It's perfectly useable as it sits.

I buy micro brass screws and nuts (hobbyists use these) on Ebay and Amazon. They are not 'spensive LOL. Sometimes I drill out flange holes and use brass or stainless mounting screws from Lowes or Home Depot

[Drew Bedo]

Hi Daniel,

My lens has a slot for drop-in Waterhouse stops, so it is not a projection lens. I have a previously orphaned set of stops that fit it perfectly. The folks at SKG say that the screws will not be a problem. I have told them to leave the flange alone if it won't come off easily. There seems to be gobbets of solder on the underside of the flange though and I'll have to scrape or chip most of that off before mounting it on a board. I just can't afford for them to do that.

This is an unmarked generic Petzval and not a family heirloom either. I will be satisfied to get it looking good and optically clean for shooting.

[Daniel Unkefer]

Sometimes I use a single edge razor blade, clamped in a set of vice grips, to "plane" off crud. If the solder is not too dense, it might work. A small hammer can sometimes add "persuasion"

[Drew Bedo]

I am thinking of first doing dome grinding with burs on a a Dremel tool.

[Daniel Unkefer]

I don't know why that wouldn't work. It dosen't have to be pretty, just flat on the backside of the flange