Cheap, easy GG protector

**David R Munson** · 30-Nov-2003, 09:16

I don't think I've posted this here before, but if I have please forgive me. A while ago I made a ground glass protector for my 'Dorff in about 10 minutes using materials I had lying around the shop and it's proven to be effective, durable, easy to make, and absurdly inexpensive. I cut two pieces of masonite to the width of a film holder that were about a half-inch longer than the ground glass frame. I then took a scrap of hardwood, planed it to about 1/2" square and cut it to the same length as the width of the masonite pieces. Finally, I glued everything together - putting the strip of hardwood between the two pieces of masonite at the very end. I used some Gorilla glue, I think, and left the thing clamped together for a few hours. After that I trimmed off the excess glue, and voila, I had myself a ground glass protector. The little diagram below shows the basic idea of this thing in cross section.

Please note that this is not to scale. I've been using it for about two years now and really don't have any complaints. Just thought I'd share this, as it seems a reasonable solution that I haven't really seen anywhere else.

**Hans Berkhout** · 30-Nov-2003, 10:00

Your ground glass should be safe now! In theory your device could give dust access to the inside of your Dd, that's my only comment, something to be aware of. I cover the entire Gg with a piece of closed cell foam, it jams in place, I have glued an oversized piece of Lexan on top of it, facing outward, it rests on the frame around the Gg.

**Michael A.Smith** · 1-Dec-2003, 03:18

Easiest GG protector: Four dots of velcro glued on the camera just beyond the corners of the ground glass. Four dots of velcro on a piece of plexiglas in position to match those on the camera. Press together to put in place. Velcro dots each affixed with a spot of glue. Time to make: less than five minutes.

**Tim_3713** · 1-Dec-2003, 11:40

Calumet makes a hard plastic protector that slides behind the ground glass like a film holder, while protecting it from the front. It also has some nice cutouts so that it fits neatly around the various bits and pieces that stick out (at least for my cambo SC). At $15, it's a great deal.

--Tim

**jantman** · 2-Dec-2003, 18:05

I don't use anything other than...me. It's been banged around in the case, as well as fallen on while in a backpack, and a few hard landings in addition to that. I haven't broken it yet. Of course, mine is standard thickness window glass, not the 2mm stuff that's standard.

They sell somethign to protect one side of the GG. It's black plastic, about 1/2" thick, 8x10" on the inside, and costs about $120 for two.

**David R Munson** · 17-Feb-2005, 18:17

The illustration in the original post should be working now. It appears that it didn't make the trip when I migrated servers a while ago, but the file has been put back where it should be.