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[Matt Thomas]

Hi All,

I'm looking for a lens board to fit my Kodak Ektar 203mm f7.7 in a #2 Supermatic shutter. My camera is an Anniversary model using wooden lens boards.
I figure I need to somehow drill out or recess the lens board backside in order to accomplish this feat since the lens itself is much less deep than the depth of the board.
Any suggestions?

Thank you,
Matt

[t.r.sanford]

The retaining nuts usually supplied with lenses of the "Anniversary's" vintage often were shaped like a shallow "T," with a flat flange drilled for three screws surounding a rather tall (or deep) protrusion with female threads for the lens. It was deep enough to extend far enough through the board to catch the threads on the lens.

If what you have is a more modern sort of jam nut, you might consider laminating a board out of thin pieces of wood. Hobby stores sell 1/16-in. basswood that is good for the purpose. You cut the top sheet to the size of the frontmost recess in the front standard, and drill it out to receive the lens snugly. You then laminate one or two smaller pieces, cut to the size of the inner recess in the standard and drilled out for the jam nut, to the back of the top piece.

If you alternate the direction of the grain, you get very durable construction, a sort of do-it-yourself plywood.