Need help mounting a lens please

[Brad Bireley]

I just received a very nice Paragon Anastigmat f/4.5 7 1/2" lens in Ilex no.3 shutter. I want to use it on my B&J 4x5 press. There is no retainer ring(?) on the back of the shutter. Where can I find one & what size is it?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Brad

[Whiteymorange]

According to this chart, the Ilex #3 has a mounting thread of 1.913 inches (48.59mm) and is 40 tpi.

As to getting one... if no one here chimes in with an extra, I think Ebay is the best bet for an old shutter -if you don't want something custom made. I've had some luck with hot glue, since it's pretty easy to remove later from metal parts. If you can cut your own lens board, you might want to try just making the hole slightly smaller in a masonite board, waxing the threads and screwing the shutter right into the board. I've done this quite a lot with old brass lenses I want to use on my Speed Graphic. Best of luck!

[jimgalli]

I don't have any extras (could use a couple more). It is a flange with 4 mounting holes. So when you get it, it'll be self evident that you'll enlarge a hole in a lensboard to that size, then drill and tap 4 matching holes to hold the flange in. Any Ilex 3 shutter can then be used with that board. Try Jim at Midwest Photo Exchange.

[cdholden]

Brad,
Whitey is spot on with the making your own board suggestion. I've done a few for wood lensboards before I sold my Deardorff V8. Just make sure it's tight, but not enough to damage threads. Keeping the camera in shooting position, the lens isn't big enough to create the torque required for damaging threads. Running a marathon with it might not yield the same result.
By the way, would that camera look familiar to me? Your 5wt fly rod has helped me catch several lunches since we traded. The 3 and 8 have been out a few times, but the 5wt is a good "catch-all".
Chris

[Ian Grant]

In the UK there's a company SRB who for years have specialised in adapter rings etc. Just looking they are now called SRB-Griturn and look far more \professional. If they were lobbied by enough people I guess they might make a range of the more common retaining rings. They are more geared up for volumes than SK Grimes.

Ian

[Brad Bireley]

Brad,
Whitey is spot on with the making your own board suggestion. I've done a few for wood lensboards before I sold my Deardorff V8. Just make sure it's tight, but not enough to damage threads. Keeping the camera in shooting position, the lens isn't big enough to create the torque required for damaging threads. Running a marathon with it might not yield the same result.
By the way, would that camera look familiar to me? Your 5wt fly rod has helped me catch several lunches since we traded. The 3 and 8 have been out a few times, but the 5wt is a good "catch-all".
Chris

Yes, it would look familar to you. I have a few photos posted in my gallery taken with it. Glad the rods are working out for you.