RAF Camera customization

Jack Calypso wrote:

I have bought a number of adapter rings from him while putting together my bellows system. He recently added a tool for custom adapters, for the rare instances he doesn't already have one.

I'm suitably impressed.

I have a large collection of 3D-printable lens adapter designs that I've created, but this has considerably more. Pricing seems pretty reasonable for CNC-machined aluminum alloys. They seem to be a very competent metalworking outfit based in Belarus. Might even be a good option for getting machined metal versions of some of my 3D-printed adapters....

Rob de Loe wrote:

I've worked with Raf several times now. He's excellent. I send him a sketch of something, and he sends me the mechanical drawing so I can be confident in exactly what I'm getting.

As of Feb 24, 2022, he's =living in a country that has become a de facto province of Russia, and launchpad for the invasion of Ukraine. I wonder if he'll be able to keep operating.

Yes, Belarus clearly looks "on the menu" in Russia's expansionist feeding frenzy. That's really surprising in that Belarus had been pretty clearly in the part-of-Europe-not-part-of-Russia camp.

This really looks way too much like how Hitler manipulated annexation of Austria and then increasingly aggressively tried to annex more areas claiming they had a German heritage, especially part of Czechoslovakia. A policy of appeasement let the annexations of Germanic portions happen with the promise that no other areas would be invaded, but then Hitler took all of Czechoslovakia. Britain and France didn't declare war and take military action until Germany invaded Poland.

fferreres wrote:

Jack Calypso wrote:

I have bought a number of adapter rings from him while putting together my bellows system. He recently added a tool for custom adapters, for the rare instances he doesn't already have one.

What a great tool. I don’t understand how the bayonet is used as there are so many types, so what does it do? The threads are obvious. I will certainly use I have many dual rings for odd diameters.

When you choose "Male Bayonet" for the rear mount it defaults to Canon EF. This is shown on the preview, and if you click the label it present a drop-down list with lots of others.

fferreres wrote:

Heritage Cameras wrote:

fferreres wrote:

Jack Calypso wrote:

I have bought a number of adapter rings from him while putting together my bellows system. He recently added a tool for custom adapters, for the rare instances he doesn't already have one.

What a great tool. I don’t understand how the bayonet is used as there are so many types, so what does it do? The threads are obvious. I will certainly use I have many dual rings for odd diameters.

When you choose "Male Bayonet" for the rear mount it defaults to Canon EF. This is shown on the preview, and if you click the label it present a drop-down list with lots of others.

That's fantastic. Thanks for the explanation.

I have to admit, I'm now seriously thinking of organizing my 3D printable adapter pieces in a similar way; I've had each one as a separate file. I also remain very impressed by the sheer number of different mounts Raf supports....

ProfHankD wrote:

Jack Calypso wrote:

I have bought a number of adapter rings from him while putting together my bellows system. He recently added a tool for custom adapters, for the rare instances he doesn't already have one.

I'm suitably impressed.

I have a large collection of 3D-printable lens adapter designs that I've created, but this has considerably more. Pricing seems pretty reasonable for CNC-machined aluminum alloys. They seem to be a very competent metalworking outfit based in Belarus. Might even be a good option for getting machined metal versions of some of my 3D-printed adapters....

How were you able to 3d print the thread ?

MacM545 wrote:

ProfHankD wrote:

Jack Calypso wrote:

I have bought a number of adapter rings from him while putting together my bellows system. He recently added a tool for custom adapters, for the rare instances he doesn't already have one.

I'm suitably impressed.

I have a large collection of 3D-printable lens adapter designs that I've created, but this has considerably more. Pricing seems pretty reasonable for CNC-machined aluminum alloys. They seem to be a very competent metalworking outfit based in Belarus. Might even be a good option for getting machined metal versions of some of my 3D-printed adapters....

How were you able to 3d print the thread ?

Well, there are three answers:

1. Some threads, you can just print as specified. However, the standard metric 30-degree angle tends to cause sagging under most conditions (it only tends to work with very thin layer heights), so...
2. You can print a compatible thread by using a 45-degree (for the underside) angle fitting within the envelop of the ideal thread. This is easy and highly practical, yielding usable prints nearly 100% of the time.
3. You can modify the thread angle so that it precisely compensates for sag during printing. This is feasible, and I have done it, but #2 is a lot easier.

In other words, the key is DFM: design for manufacturability. I've developed quite a few printable work-equivalent designs for mechanisms like hinges and springs.

I should add that I keep threads no finer than 1/4-20 on screws (yes, I 3D-print screws). Fortunately, adapter threads are rarely finer than 0.75mm pitch, which is still printable even with 0.25mm layer height.

jogar wrote:

I have a different technique. I mostly use metric threads (I live in a civilized place ), and I have a box with taps and dies, and for standard threads, I just print them as is, and I use the corresponding tap or die to "correct" it. I do have a tap for 1"x32tpi (c-mount) that I also use.

For difficult to get taps, for example M12x0.5 (small lenses for embedded applications), I grab the m3 tap (that has 0.5mm pitch) and I use it to remove the imperfections in the thread. and when I need a difficult die, I just print the diameter of the part about 0.2mm smaller. It is not perfect, but works good enough.

I'm sure you can get a much more precise thread with a tap and die set, although I haven't. PLA and most other 3D-printed plastics don't really machine that cleanly, and a tap is subtractive machining, however simple. For example, I also don't usually see big improvements using my little CNC mill (a 3040T) to "clean up" dimensions of 3D-printed parts. Thus, I consider taps a generally unnecessary pain for camera parts. After all, these need to behave consistently, but they don't need to be water-tight, etc. BTW, I also haven't had much luck using my laser cutter to refine 3D-printed parts; local heating tends to result in somewhat sloppy cuts due to melting of the plastic.

For example, here's a couple of 1/4-20 screws I printed in PLA on an AnyCubic Linear Plus ($180 printer with 0.4mm nozzle) with 0.25mm layers, 25% fill, and something like 2 minutes print time:

They're not the prettiest, but they are fully functional. Yes, that's a US quarter one is sitting on -- these are quite little things. Also keep in mind that the roughness doesn't really hurt, as the plastic is flexible enough to partially conform to the mating screw thread -- be it in metal or 3D-printed plastic.

Incidentally, I've successfully printed 0.5mm pitch filter threads. The problem with small screws, like M3, is not really the pitch, but the small diameter: very small diameters tend to make the extruded filament slosh around. This high-curvature-extrusion issue is compounded by the fact that the extruded material doesn't cool enough when you're depositing new filament so close to that just extruded. The 1/4-20 threads (which happen to be the standard for tripods and other photographic mounts) are just large enough to print reliably with a standard nozzle of 0.35mm-0.4mm. In fact, I often 3D-print 1/4-20 set screws. In metric terms, I could probably 3D-print M6 screws (and threaded holes) with a good success rate, but anything smaller diameter is unlikely. For that matter, I have a hard time believing you can even print a blank for an M3 screw to be cut with a die....

ProfHankD wrote:

MacM545 wrote:

ProfHankD wrote:

Jack Calypso wrote:

I have bought a number of adapter rings from him while putting together my bellows system. He recently added a tool for custom adapters, for the rare instances he doesn't already have one.

I'm suitably impressed.

I have a large collection of 3D-printable lens adapter designs that I've created, but this has considerably more. Pricing seems pretty reasonable for CNC-machined aluminum alloys. They seem to be a very competent metalworking outfit based in Belarus. Might even be a good option for getting machined metal versions of some of my 3D-printed adapters....

How were you able to 3d print the thread ?

Well, there are three answers:

1. Some threads, you can just print as specified. However, the standard metric 30-degree angle tends to cause sagging under most conditions (it only tends to work with very thin layer heights), so...
2. You can print a compatible thread by using a 45-degree (for the underside) angle fitting within the envelop of the ideal thread. This is easy and highly practical, yielding usable prints nearly 100% of the time.
3. You can modify the thread angle so that it precisely compensates for sag during printing. This is feasible, and I have done it, but #2 is a lot easier.

In other words, the key is DFM: design for manufacturability. I've developed quite a few printable work-equivalent designs for mechanisms like hinges and springs.

I should add that I keep threads no finer than 1/4-20 on screws (yes, I 3D-print screws). Fortunately, adapter threads are rarely finer than 0.75mm pitch, which is still printable even with 0.25mm layer height.

Are you able to print in metal? I was looking for someone who might be able to make me a M39 to M52 macro coupler. I'm not entirely sure about plastic being strong enough. The weight of the lens going onto the end of the main lens is 260 grams. Thank you for any information!