Lensboard needed

[ken s]

I am in need of a lensboard for a Burke & James 8x10. It is 6in. x 6in. Actually 5 7/8 x 5 7/8 inches. Any leeds would be helpful. Thanks, Ken

 

[bmac]

Ken, a friend of mine just built a few lensboards for my 8x10, it was pretty painless. He used a table saw and router. There are instructions on the large format photography page. I can get you in touch with him if you need someone to make you a few.

Brian

 

[juan]

I am planning to make a board for mine this weekend - it appears to be simple. I'm planning to go to the local hobby shop and buy a sheet of 1/8" model airplane plywood. It's 6"x12". Saw it in half so you have two pieces 6" on a side. Cut down one piece to 5.5" square and glue the two together centered. Then cut the hole for the lens. I've done it for other cameras with hand tools, so I don't see why the Burke and James will be any more difficult.
Good luck.
juan

 

[lee]

I made a few out of oak one time and glued them together and after they dried they warpped. Now I make them from thicker stock and use the router to make the edges. I guess that the edges are called rabbits. I am not sure that is the correct way to say that and I am sure someone will correct me on this. PLS, I want to know the right way.

lee\c

 

[bmac]

I looked into doing the glued together way. It will work, but you will need to make sure you have the grain going opposite ways in order to avoid warpage. I ended up having him use a single piece and run the router around the edge to make the edge. I figure a thicker piece of stock will be stronger and cleaner looking. I had to buy a 2 3/4" hole saw from home depot for the betax shutter. Ended up costing $20 just for the saw

 

[Donald Miller]

I made mine for the Korona out of 5/32 Baltic Birch plywood. Cut to 6 in square and then set the fence on the table saw to a 1/4 in relief. and the blade to the proper blade height. Total of six cuts with two fence adjustments and one blade adjustment does the trick.

 

[lee]

I looked into doing the glued together way. It will work, but you will need to make sure you have the grain going opposite ways in order to avoid warpage.

That is how I glued up the oak. It still warpped.


lee\c

 

[Robert]

I guess that the edges are called rabbits. I am not sure that is the correct way to say that and I am sure someone will correct me on this. PLS, I want to know the right way.

lee\c

Rebate in the UK. Rabbit in North America. you asked-))

 

[bmac]

I looked into doing the glued together way. It will work, but you will need to make sure you have the grain going opposite ways in order to avoid warpage.

That is how I glued up the oak. It still warpped.


lee\c

Yikes, glad I did mine in one piece then

 

[lee]

I suspect that if I had allowed the wood to "cure" for a year or two it would have done better. I am gonna make some real boards this winter. The 3 piece with the router joints. Will let all know how I do. One thing, paint the back side flat black after you drill the hole. Tape the front totally before spray painting. Let it sit over nite and then stain and clearcoat the front. They will look great if you do that.

lee\c

 

[Robert]

If the clearcoat is a varnish then I'm betting the warping is coming from finishing. If you seal one side and not the other you'll get different drying rates.

 

[lee]

Well, that may be true. I don't recall. I don't think it ever got to the finish stage thou. Seems like I remember that they warped right after the glue. Anyway I made some out of solid mahogany that were about the correct size and after routing and cutting the hole I stained and painted and clear coated. I am still using the boards.

lee\c

 

[Robert]

If it happened that quickly then I'm guessing the wood was bad and not much you could have done would have changed things. It was likely dried too fast.

My last board was made out of beech. A wood not known to be very stable. Nothing more then a flat board I used the bandsaw to cut the rabbets. It's flat.

Oak should be even better.

 

[juan]

I believe that my lack of warping comes from using the model airplane plywood - it's multiple layers glued together and designed for minimum warping. It's also designed to stand up to a good deal of stress.
juan