Graflex.org

[Schmell]

All right. I just got an old Ilex-Calumet 215mm/4.8 mounted in the "traditional" Acme #3 shutter. Now I got this ideally for my Calumet monorail, but following some suggestions here, I may simply mount it on a Graphic Press board and use a Graphic View adapter on the monorail. This way ALL my lenses are on the press boards (which seem to be pretty universal in that everyone makes an adapter for that board).

In fact I was just about to buy the adapter and the board when....

I realized that I had NO idea which board to get to mount this lens into. The boards seem to be advertised (at least on Keh.com) as "35 hole" or something like that.

And I have no idea how to translate "35 hole" to "Will fit my Ilex Acme shutter".

So what is the best way to get a board for this beast?

[Les]

Well the best way to guarrantee a fit is to buy a blank board and drill your own hole with your Bridgeport mill, but I understand not everybody is allowed to have a Bridgeport.

following that, look at what holds the lens on the board. Really old lenses have a flange, one that has screw holes on the outside rim. If that's true then measure the outside diameter of the threads, add a couple of mm's and your done.

Newer shutters have a retaining ring that comes in from the back. This ring has a step in it and it's designed to fit the hole in the board. So measure the diameter of this add a couple of mm's and that's the whole you need. In playing with old lenses I've found it indespensible to have a dial caliper that measures in both mm and inches. Lee Valley (leevalley.com) sells one for under $25. The "35 hole" was probably a 35mm dia hole. Several places and people will drill a hole in the board for around $10.