help making some lensboards - SF bay area

[kmack]

I made a few for my 5x7 Korona out of black phenolic sheet.
I like to use phenolic because it is very stable and easy to machine.

I have at least one 4x4 3/8" blank that I have not drilled yet.

Unfortunately I'm on the other coast but I'd be glad to help you out if I can.

[walter23]

In lieu of a router you can often glue two sheets of the proper thickness of plywood together to get the rabbet edge or whatever it's called. I've made lens boards this way using nothing but hand tools (okay, and a dremel / drill for the lens hole).

[John Kasaian]

Slip a box of doughnuts to the local High School wood shop teacher with the demensions for your lens board.

[dellos]

Is it possible to make it for Cambo 4x5 ?? I don't want to spend 70$ for Cambo oryginal used.

[BrianShaw]

Is it possible to make it for Cambo 4x5 ?? I don't want to spend 70$ for Cambo oryginal used.

Anything is possible, but it wouldn't be as easy to do as to, say, make a Graflex board. Shop ebay, be patient, and you'll easily pay less than $70.

[dellos]

the oryginal lenses board for Cambo is made from what ?? metal/steel ??

[jdaivpmed]

Speaking of making your own lensboards, I have a couple of questions on this subject as well...

1. Does anyone know of a list or database of lensboard dimensions by camera make and model?

2. From an engineering standpoint is it better to make the lens board out of plywood or a solid piece? For example, my Zone VI is made of Black Walnut... am I better off cutting and milling my lensboard out of a piece of walnut plywood or an actual solid piece of walnut? I can get either locally, and while the solid wood is a bit more expensive it's really only adds about two bucks to the cost of a piece big enough to make five lensboards.

Thanks,

John

[Jim C.]

the oryginal lenses board for Cambo is made from what ?? metal/steel ??

They're aluminum, like BrianShaw said look on eBay, sometimes there's none to be had
sometimes it looks likes everyone is ditching Cambo equipment ( I like my SC )
so they come in waves, save a search on eBay and you'll find them for less than $70.00.

[Tim Meisburger]

You can easily make a simple lens board out of quarter inch stuff, plywood or sawn, by chamfering the edges as you would a raised panel on a door. I made one at my dad's house a few weeks ago in about fifteen minutes with a hand saw and a super cheap block plane. Drill a tight hole and screw the lens right into the wood, if the threads are not long enough to go though, and you are too lazy (like me) to countersink.

Tim

[Steve M Hostetter]

I use 1/2" birch plywood using a 6x6" Korona lens board as a pattern .. I use my buddies table saw to make all the cuts a dattos. I use the proper size mortise bit to drill the hole w board "clamped" down to a drill press.
I'll use multi layers of Minwax red mohogany stain till color matches original board then use a couple coats of polyurethane from spray can. Minwax doesn't require a sealer as it has it built in but I use the polyurethane just to match original bd.
The back gets flat black spray paint