tool to tighten lens on board.

[herz1]

Hello

On the piece that you screw on to the rear of a lens to hld it to

the board...there are always three notches. I do not like to use a

screw driver to loosen and tighten.

Is there a tool that I can buy that is specific to this

purpose...and where will i find it?

please email me at herz1@optonline.net

thanks

eric

[mallen]

Yes. It's a spanner. You can order one from Badger, B&H, or other source that sells large format equipment. I bought the Rodenstock model for about $10-$15 or so. You can spend more but probably don't need to.

[michael_briggs2]

The retaining ring that clamps the shutter of a LF lens to the lensboard normally has two notches. The notches are located diametrically opposite each other. One tool to use is a spanner wrench, which has tips that fit into the notches and is adjustable for the diameter of the ring. Another style tool is made specifically for the common sizes of retaining rings, for #0 and #1 shutters. This tool is cut out from sheet metal so that it fits the notch spacing of the retaining rings of these shutters. This tool is cheaper and very easy to use, so I recommend this style if your shutters are all #0 or #1 sizes. Both Rodenstock and Toyo make this style of tool. They are stocked by large photo stores and by photo stores that specialize in LF items.

[michael_briggs2]

<p>Additional information -- the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=131992&is=USA">Rodenstock version</a> of the flat metal tool will do #0 and #1 shutters, and the Copal, Compur and Prontor #3 shutters. The <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=61131&is=REG">Toyo version</a> will do Copal/Compur/Seiko #0 and #1 shutters.</p>

[cxc]

Buy the tool made from a sheet of metal, like Toyo and Rodenstock make. Yes it is overpriced, what isn't. They appear regularly on ePay.

 

Do NOT buy the cool looking thing made up of two little screw drivers that slide along a little rail -- doesn't work at all well.

[norris_lam]

My personal experience is that if you don't need to remove lens from lensboard oftenly, you actually do not require such tool, use a dry towel to hold the piece you screw onto the rear of the lensboard, rotate the copal shutter at the front until it is tight. Of course, you need to try and rotate the front shutter so that the aperture rings, shutter crock, etc., are rested on the desire location on the lensboard. Once it is done, rarely you will need to remove the lens from its lensboard.

[tim_curry]

It is very easy to make a spanner wrench for these rings. Find a peice of sheet metal which is the correct thickness. Measure the depth to clear the threads etc. and the width for the notch. Scribe a line to this depth then mark the width of the opening. Use a vice and file to make the opening. Check frequently until a good fit is made. After a good fit is established, gently file a small amount of "draft" or taper along the bottom edges, so that only the bottom corner which fits the notch makes contact with the ring. Otherwise, a flat bottom can scratch the back of the lens board.

[s.k. grimes inc]

It sounds as though the piece with the three notches is actually flange. http://www.skgrimes.com/adapter/index.htm

 

These threaded rings are intended to be directly fastened to the lens board with screws. Often flanges are used as retaining rings, since drilling and tapping metal lens boards is not a common skill taught in photo 101.

 

When searching for a spanner wrench, also note theer are two type of wrenches, flat tipped and round tipped and it important to use the correct tip with the corresponding retaining ring to avoid damaging the ring and/or the lens.

 

http://www.skgrimes.com/span/index.htm

 

 

Also, some shutters utilize locating pins which are attached to the back of the shutter. A notch in the lens board is created to "locate" the pin. If you attempt to remove a shutter with a locating pin by turning/twisting the shutter, you may jar the pin, strip its threads, damage the shutter, and/or board.

[wyverndude]

The best tool I've ever found for doing this is called a watch crab. Per previous responses, the only lens retaining ring I'm used to seeing is the type with pairs of diametrically opposed notches.

 

A watch case crab won't work on a camera -where you have to reach into the camera body- but for shutters mounted on lensboards, it can't be beat.

 

See Micro Tools cat. no JT621

http://www.micro-tools.com/Merchant2/wch.htm

 

This is the one I have. (They call it a Watch Opener Spanner).

At $5.70, this pays for itself in saved aggravation alone the first time you use it.

 

 

The fingers can be snugged into the retaining ring to almost guarantee that it won't slip out, and the handle is a good size to get a really firm grip.

 

Mine adjusts from a minimum of 11.3mm to a maximum of 48.2mm

[leica ron]

I use the SKGrimes spanner wrench with the flat-tip ends. It works very well, I also own the Rodenstock sheet-metal wrench which won't fit into the space behind my Wisner boards, therefore it's useless.