Recent Forum Posts

If this starts up for a round two I want in - really sorry I missed the first pass. Great idea.You can join for March and we add you at the end as month guy

Statistics: Posted by alexvaras — Fri Feb 21, 2020 2:55 pm

If this starts up for a round two I want in - really sorry I missed the first pass. Great idea.

Statistics: Posted by scott — Fri Feb 21, 2020 11:28 am

hand scanner is a portable metal detector of superior quality and is an essential tool for security inspections to avoid human rights disputes caused by manual inspections. It has the function of switching audible alarm and concealed vibration alarm. It can also be used in processing enterprises such as food, chemical, clothing and toys as a simple metal impurity testing equipment and other special metal detection sites.

Statistics: Posted by edenmajamay — Fri Feb 21, 2020 5:03 am

And a very nice one!!
Congrats!

Statistics: Posted by alexvaras — Thu Feb 20, 2020 11:30 pm

Posted today to Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Julio1fer — Thu Feb 20, 2020 7:26 pm

Final result:
Back in Business by Scott, on Flickr

Back in Business by Scott, on Flickr

Too cold out to spray the board today, so that will wait for spring. My new roll of gaffer's tape arrived so I can retape the holders. Slides need some wax as well, but that will wait as I have no lines on any film yet. But I have a camera!

Statistics: Posted by scott — Thu Feb 20, 2020 10:38 am

No contest, indeed.

Statistics: Posted by Julio1fer — Wed Feb 19, 2020 8:06 pm

Ground glass is done. For comparison, the new glass is on the left, the commercial glass that came with the camera on the right:
Why I grind my own by Scott, on Flickr

I always make a new ground glass for large format acquisitions. Going to mount this puppy, lacquer the new lensboard black, then try to find some film.

Thanks for indulging me.
Scott

Statistics: Posted by scott — Wed Feb 19, 2020 4:32 pm

I don't know how many of you have been using B/RA mammography film as a low-cost alternative to traditional panchromatic LF film, but I just received word from Z&Z, whom I've bought from in the past, that they can no longer find a supplier for it. Quote: "Digital has pushed that film off the market."

Drat.

Statistics: Posted by scott — Wed Feb 19, 2020 9:56 am

Every time I buy something from abroad I ask them please to send it through the national post system with tracking number, for Russia UPS, FedEx, you name it private service is a pain.
For inside Russia, our post is incredibly efficient despite the poor conditions they work in.

Statistics: Posted by alexvaras — Wed Feb 19, 2020 6:31 am

Yes, a definite improvement. OTOH, we don't live THAT far apart. Oh well, it's a minor miracle we still have relatively inexpensive postal services in these times.

Robert

Statistics: Posted by Brazile — Wed Feb 19, 2020 6:10 am

Holy cow, that long! Postal services ain't what they used to be, for sure.

RobertWell... Phil's and Graham's didn't show up yet I got Phil's today!! Hurray!!
A very nice winter landscape with a lonely pine, indeed the material used to make the postcard is very pleasant but quite soft for a postcard, still it arrived!

Statistics: Posted by alexvaras — Wed Feb 19, 2020 1:23 am

Robert, that's pretty good -- just eight days to get from me to you.

Statistics: Posted by Philip — Tue Feb 18, 2020 8:22 pm

Okay, annoying: Arista has more than doubled since I last bought it. Like, prohibitively expensive. B/RA is still doable (per Z&Z) but is out of stock.

Grrr...

Statistics: Posted by scott — Tue Feb 18, 2020 7:30 pm

Now yer talking! I hate circle cutters, but (obviously) they can be made to work, and I have always been able to. But it's never any fun. Sometimes I just drill a hole somewhere inside the circle, go around with a coping saw, and half-round file it to where it works. It's not much more fun, though.

Statistics: Posted by Brazile — Tue Feb 18, 2020 6:56 pm

Okay, can't put things down apparently:

Wray Lustrar mounted! by Scott, on Flickr

I actually still had the drilling jig in the same place, but setting the circle cutter just right was a bear. The threads on the Wray Lustrar are fine and not very pitched. Not a lot of meat to cut with. Took about a dozen setups in plywood to get it right, but it's solid.

The Lustrar is a process lens, I think it's about 18" if I recall. Has a nice chunk out of the front element that seems to have no effect on images. It's a honkin' lens, that was gifted me years ago by a certain retired pirate. It will be the standard lens on this camera, as the only other lens I have that remotely covers is a 210 Sironar-N that's WAY wide on 8x10.

Ground glass tomorrow, need to wax the holders (I think I have 7 of them somehow), then decide on B/RA or Arista. Woot!

Statistics: Posted by scott — Tue Feb 18, 2020 3:31 pm

I used to be more demanding on these sorts of things. And had more time. I made a stack of three piece boards for my first Improved. Was fun, but not nearly worth the hassle now.

I only have a few dovetail saws. Looks like I need to start trolling eBay!

In the end, I decided against the stock fixed retainer arrangement on the Improved, opting for the much more forgiving (as far as making lensboards goes) strip and rotating tabs:

There. by Scott, on Flickr

I might file some curves on the brass at some point, but for now utilitarian works. All that's left is drill the board and grind the glass. I forgot how much fun this stuff is.

Think that's it for today - I've got stuff to do.

Statistics: Posted by scott — Tue Feb 18, 2020 1:27 pm

I received Philip's today, FYI. Also, I sent out all of mine this morning, so it will be interesting to see how it goes post-Xmas.

Robert

Statistics: Posted by Brazile — Tue Feb 18, 2020 11:52 am

Yeah, all mine are plywood; I haven't even bothered with the breadboard style. Figured I'd do so sometime, but when the plywood works perfectly adequately, well, I've just got on with it.

Hand sawing skills are not only useful, they're pretty easy to come by...just do it more! I don't own a tablesaw, and don't expect I ever will. In the interest of full disclosure, I do have a small circular saw that I use for breaking down large sheets of plywood, and not much else. But for something the size of a lens board, a hand saw is quicker, quieter, safer, and just as accurate with a bit of care. And marking the line first with a knife and following the cut with a couple swipes with a plane gets the edge as nice as I need. Highly recommended!

But I digress: that camera looks like it means business, is all. Looks a lot like the 5x7 version I picked up off of the LFPF a few years ago, which has probably been my most-used camera in the past couple years. The light is coming back, and you're an (almost, sorta) empty-nester. Do some shooting with it!

Robert

Statistics: Posted by Brazile — Tue Feb 18, 2020 7:28 am

Thanks guys! Glad some pictures turned out okay, but time with wife and inlaws with wine on the beach is the way to go...

Statistics: Posted by scott — Mon Feb 17, 2020 2:47 pm