Is there someone in the Toronto area that can machine flanges?
Is it possible to make brass ones or only aluminum?
(no, I'm not returning to that OTHER discussion!)
Is there someone in the Toronto area that can machine flanges?
Is it possible to make brass ones or only aluminum?
(no, I'm not returning to that OTHER discussion!)
When I was 16 I thought my father the stupidest man in the world; when I reached 21, I was astounded by how much he had learned in just 5 years!
-appropriated from Mark Twain
Flange making is a fairly easy machine shop job. The hard part is finding someone who is willing to be bothered by such a small job and won't charge a big job price. With patience and a phone book you should find someone. There is nothing that requires special photographic knowledge, just a lathe that cuts inch or metric threads as the case may be.
Brass is a lovely flange material, but it's not easy to find it in the size and shape to cut a flange out of. Aluminum is much cheaper and many shops would have an appropriate piece at hand.
What Ernest said.
I had some flanges and mounting done at a local machine shop. I called first, visited around lunch hour, making sure to bring the lenses and boards with me.
(To that end, make sure you put everything inside plastic bags, because the environment can be dusty or gritty).
We arranged to have the work done after hours, by one of the staff, who was more than capable. This fellow made precision parts for motorcycles in his spare time, so making a flange was trivial. They use programmable machines. They set things up, turn it on, and... have a smoke.
Dunno about Canada, but in the states, they referred to this kind of work as a "One-Off", meaning a simple job done only once. When I returned 6 months later to mount another lens, I asked them if they could do another one-off for me. They said sure, and quoted me the same rate as before.
As Ernest mentioned, they had lots of aluminum sitting around, of exactly the right thickness. Didn't see any brass though.
Thanks guys!
When I was 16 I thought my father the stupidest man in the world; when I reached 21, I was astounded by how much he had learned in just 5 years!
-appropriated from Mark Twain
Forgot to ask, how much did they charge you?
When I was 16 I thought my father the stupidest man in the world; when I reached 21, I was astounded by how much he had learned in just 5 years!
-appropriated from Mark Twain
Richard,
for you only the best... Aluminum ring on a brass thread can seize and is not recommended also from the corrosion point of view (dissimilar metals). I think your Rapid Symmetrical is calling for an honest brass flange...;-)
I tried a local CNC shop that makes a special kind of M-16 receiver. They could certainly do it, but quoted $75/hr and said it would be 2-3 hours work to set up. I told them I would not pay more than about 100 bucks. Better I should return and ask for an "evening" job.
The cost of a chunk of brass was ungodly. They use alum, but showed me their price book for materials. A square of brass was several hundred dollars....
Keep looking, competition is good.
Perhaps you could buy a brass flange that was slightly too small, and have a machinist open it up to the size you need. Like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Brass-Lens-Flang...item335ac30296
Keith Pitman
HEY! I'm bidding on that one!! Now EVERYONE will try to buy it!Originally Posted by Keith Pitman
Great idea Keith, I have one at home that is about the right diameter but a finer pitch count...I'll try to find a local machinist...
Hey GPS let's not get started again eh!
When I was 16 I thought my father the stupidest man in the world; when I reached 21, I was astounded by how much he had learned in just 5 years!
-appropriated from Mark Twain
Richard
On Carlaw just up from Queen, Precision Camera I believe can do this work , they have made flanges for my enlarger lenses in the past
Bob
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