I don't know why the lip is there either but you are probably
right that its a light trap. You may be able to make one by
starting with a flat sheet the same thickness as the center part
and making the lip from small stock or cutting it out of a larger
piece, then holing it in place with screws. The original is
probably stamped.
On 4/16/2019 3:13 PM, mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Thanks. Its not the right camera. Mine is the III version 5 so it is really close in many ways. Mine was there though and it was some help. I think I finally found the last hurdle. The front standard has to come forward enough that the entire base will slide off the bed rail to by pass a screw stop. Then there is a hidden stop under the rails on the bed that is spring loaded and must be pushed over to get that stop out of the way. Then the front standard will slide on to the rails of the main body of the camera. Talk about an adventure. Anyone else think of anything I missed?Richard Knoppow
That's the good news. Now the bad.
The lens board I thought I found isn't the right one. It is slightly wider so it won't fit in the standard. More importantly instead of a recessed ring cut into the back, it has a protruding lip rising from the back. There are a couple other minor differences. It likely would take the copal 1 shutter, but does no good if it doesn't fit the camera. Oh wellBack to square one on this.
A flat lens board would be a piece of cake. The ring on the back that is only a couple of mm deep, not as easy. It also appears to be some form of light trap. Why is somewhat beyond me, but they probably had a reason.
Not many good options. A machine shop should have no trouble making one, but it probably won't be cheap. Some machinist though enjoy a project like this so it may not be that bad. Option two just get a lens and shutter that would work with the lens board I have that does work for now. Option three try to make one milled or flat backed if all the experts. I would assume parts for these are going to be either scare or non existent. Outside of a bellows, part are probably going to either have to be made or pulled off a parts camera. There does seem to be some sort of soft material that is around the lens hole in the front standard that seems to match the ring cut in the back of the lens board. Feels like a felt like material, and its not thick at all. I am sure a flat board would work, at least at first, but would it damage that material? Damaging that material, IF it can be replaced for a few dollars and a little glue would be no big deal. Damaging it when it would need to be replaced with unavailable parts would be a royal pain.
I'd like to get the right thing, or do it the right way if at all possible. Then again, when you use old cameras, one has to expect to improvise a bit to get things to work.
Thanks everyone for the help. Slowly figuring this out.
