Can a Petzval barrel lens have a slot for Waterhouse apertures cut into it?

[ame01999]

Someone mentioned to me—I forgot if it was here or on another forum, or perhaps an eBay seller—that if I had a Dremel or something like it, I could cut my own slot in the middle of a barrel lens and make my own apertures for it. I was shocked--this sounds like brain surgery! Is this really possible? Could Grimes or another photographer's machinist do this?

Thanks!

 

[Two23]

Yes, but please don't do it. Lenses with out a slot are older than 1860. It would be a tragedy to deface something 160 years old. There is an exception and that's projection lenses. Those are common and typically have a very short lens hood and no engravings. Most are from the 1880s into 1910s. They have much less historical value.

 

[Ian C]

Thin slots are best cut on a milling machine with a thin cutter known as a slitting saw. The cutter is mounted onto the arbor of a milling machine. Cutting a slot with a Dremel is likely to ruin the barrel to no purpose.

For example:

https://www.google.com/search?q=pur...Yp6l2zcLa0pIHBjE0LjYuMaAHgrUB&sclient=gws-wiz

https://www.archcuttingtools.com/product/09374/

I too think that cutting the barrel of an original lens is not desirable. A better idea is to make a new barrel with the necessary slot and install the lenses into the new barrel.

 

[Arthurwg]

Why bother?

 

[c.d.ewen]

Ian's suggestion is the wisest. Perhaps the lens could be fitted to a shutter. Grimes could certainly so this.
If you cut a slot in the barrel, you run into the problems of spacing, centering and squaring.

Charley

 

[koraks]

if I had a Dremel or something like it, I could cut my own slot in the middle of a barrel lens

And the space between the lens groups would be one big mass of brass particles you're never going to get out.
Also, why destroy a perfectly fine example of mid-19th century optics that mostly show their character when used wide-open anyway? It'd be a shame.
If you want the 'vintage' look in a modern package: Lomography markets modern remakes of the Petzval formula that conveniently mount onto modern film and digital SLR's. Just grab one off the shelf and go make nice photos with it.