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[Larry H-L]

Hi.

My first post here. I'm a 4x5 and 5x7 B&W shooter, also into RFs.

To cut to the chase: I have a Hugo Meyer wide-angle Aristostigmat 7 inch f9 lens in a self-cocking Isbor shutter. Two of the aperture blades are missing, so I can't fix it.

I'm looking for a more commonly available shutter that might fit this lens.

Calipers read the outside threads at 35.5 mm. Any ideas?

Sending to SK Grimes is probably too expensive for this glass.

Thanks,
Larry

 

[Dan Fromm]

Hmm. Not a very standard size. And you're right, having bushings machined to hold the cells in a #1 or larger won't be cheap. If the Ibsor will open and its diaphragm leaves are ok, perhaps you could stuff the entire assembly in the front of a larger shutter, e.g., Ilex #3 or larger.

 

[Larry H-L]

Thanks for the reply Dan.

Could you explain a little more about your idea?

Yes, the shutter works, and its blades and speeds are good. It is the stopping down aperture blades that won't work. Are you suggesting using a 2nd shutter, on T, just to stop down?

I've considered just putting a fixed "waterhouse" type stop in next to the shutter, do you have any ideas about how I could do that? Best in front of, or behind the shutter?

Thanks again,

Larry

 

[Dan Fromm]

Oops! My suggestion assumed bad shutter blades, good diaphragm blades. Your situation is the opposite. You're cooked, sorry.

Have you asked Carol Miller of Flutot's Camera Repair if she can make new diaphragm blades for you?

Have you looked for another lens in Ibsor that would serve as a donor?

7" is narrow for 4x5, not that wide for 5x7. Are you dead set on using your Aristostigmat? I ask because if uncoated its likely to be somewhat flary.

Waterhouse stop? You might be able to lay a disc with the right-sized hole between a lens cell and the dead diaphragm. Cumbersome. What will drive where it goes is where the dead diaphragm is; can't have the disk in contact with the shutter blades.

Oh, yeah, is that 35.5 mm the od of the rear of the shutter or of one of the cells? Check the cell ods, compare with #0 and #1 as shown on the SKGrimes site. I ask because I have a 105/6.8 Leitmeyr in a knackered Prontor II; turns out the cells go right into a #0.

Good luck,

 

[Larry H-L]

Dan,

The outside threads of the cells are 35.5mm. I'll try a #0 and #1.
If that fails, I'll look for another Isbor. I'll give you an update if I get it working.

Many thanks!

 

[Dan Fromm]

Larry, with respect to #0 and #1, neither accepts 35.5 mm cells.

Sorry, good luck,

Dan

 

[tdeming]

Hi Larry,

I just made a whole new set of aperature blades (10 in all!) for a small old Ilex shutter (the originals were some sort of plastic that had become very brittle and shattered). Fortunately, I had a couple intact ones to use as a template. I used thin spring steel shim stock (available from a place like McMaster-Carr: www.mcmaster.com, part: 9503K18). It took some time and patience to cut these and then shape with a dremel tool, but the rebulit aperature works well. The blue-back tint of the shim stock also seems satisfactory for the aperature blades. A material like garolite (also available from Mcmaster) might be better since it can be obtained as a flat black, but is more difficult to get in thin films of different sizes, and may be more difficult to work. Anyway, this is a cheap solution if you have the inclination and the time

Tim