CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

justin_f · Joined: 27 Nov 2010 Posts: 52 Location: Australia

hello,

i was wondering if i could ask for a favour? i was hoping to start a database of lenses and their end diameters? i dont know of one that exists... could you please post know lens end diamaters and the lens name?

the reason being is i am having a lens cap mould cnc machined for my hqf900hm's and was wondering if i could make some lens caps for others Cool

i'll post pictures of my cine 9's lens caps in a week when theyre vacuum formed; for now i just hope to collect some data to arrange with the machinest for other orders...

if you are interested please reply and leave your thoughts... i know the market for such things has died but i want to help those interested?

Decibel · Joined: 31 May 2007 Posts: 904 Location: Roma - Italia

Cool

I have four types of lenses in my home

HD8
HD8 RevB
HD18
HD117-24 (with covers)

I will post end diameters of these tomorrow.

gjaky · Joined: 05 Jun 2010 Posts: 2802 Location: Budapest, Hungary

I think this databese will be smaller than you think, because all 7" lenses share almost the same outer dimensions, and this also implies for the 9" lenses.
The HD-6 lenses has 137mm outer diameter (so therefore same as HD-144/145, TAC-x)
HD10 (plain): 157mm (I think yours the same)
Sony PT-65: 160mm
Thats what I have

justin_f · Joined: 27 Nov 2010 Posts: 52 Location: Australia

here are the measurements i got...

hfq900hm @ 156mm
hd8 (non colour filtered) @ 158mm
hd145 (colour filtered) @ 139mm

the hd8 is for an 8" machine and it's bigger than the hfq900hm's!!

i got different readings to you gjaky... i hope my measuring stick isnt out. i put a hard flat surface flush with one side of the lens and pressed a metal ruler against it. i then rotated the ruler up and down to find the largest reading.

a 1mm difference could render a cap useless. this could be a real trial and error. i'll get my lens caps fitted and post results.

i find the lens caps for the hd145's a tight fit. almost feels like the plastic flexes. the plastic is less than 1mm thick, which is why i think it feels like it's flexing. i am concidering making the moulds 1mm smaller to get this result.

thanks for the measurements.

Decibel · Joined: 31 May 2007 Posts: 904 Location: Roma - Italia

HD144 Color filtered (white ring) = 139,5mm

Decibel · Joined: 31 May 2007 Posts: 904 Location: Roma - Italia

gjaky · Joined: 05 Jun 2010 Posts: 2802 Location: Budapest, Hungary

I think this is the vernier caliper Smile

Decibel · Joined: 31 May 2007 Posts: 904 Location: Roma - Italia

HD18= 151,60mm
HD117-24= 124,70mm
HD8 (metal)= 159,00mm (measured with ruler).

Tom.W · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 6635

If the caps are a little too large you can add a little glued in felt or velvet to make up for that...

justin_f · Joined: 27 Nov 2010 Posts: 52 Location: Australia

the results are in; it's a perfect fit!

i've spent alot of time discussing with my machinest how to go about getting a good fit with these lens moulds and we nailed it first try. it's such a nice fit.

the shots you see are with trial materials and not quite what the final product will resemble. i am simply posting these pictures to create some interest with aftermarket lens moulds. after doing the first material trial today, i have a few new ideas that i will use in my next trial. rigging machinery and cutting moulds is ongoing at this stage to create the best possible finished product.

all my spare time is going into this. my machinest has alot of time for this project, so there will be no delays at either end. Thumbs Up

please leave your thoughs... i need the encouragement! Wink

thanks for reading. Mr. Green

Axatax · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 10:33 am Post subject:

I don't know if this still applies -- but I acquired a set (3) HD-18 lens covers from 3M optics maybe 2 or 3 years ago -- free for the price of a phone call (the woman who answered the call was very concerned I might "scratch" a lens. Shocked

)

I think they absorbed USPL or whoever the main manufacturer of CRT lenses was. They still had a web site at that time with contact info.

Worth a shot.

justin_f · Joined: 27 Nov 2010 Posts: 52 Location: Australia

damn. i was not aware of this. i went the custom route instead, not even thinking stock still existed.

well, in that case it may all just be a waste... Embarassed

stefuel · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 11:49 am Post subject:

It's not rocket science. You didn't need to go the expense of CNCing a form. All you need is one original cap. Wash it, spray it with Pam and fill it with 30 minute epoxy. After it cures, remove the epoxy plug from the original. Use that to vac form over. Wink

justin_f · Joined: 27 Nov 2010 Posts: 52 Location: Australia

yea, youre right. it's not rocket science. and i dont think i made out like it was. theres alot of ways to go about this, but the cnc machinest is a hobbyist and a friend of mine. i thought i could do something to help him and others on the forum...

would you lend me your original hfq900hm cap to dip in some epoxy and rip it back out? i personally would have a hard time handing it over for such a thing... not to mention the thought of it not being returned!

thanks for the advice

Tom.W · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 6635

justin_f · Joined: 27 Nov 2010 Posts: 52 Location: Australia

hi tom thanks for the kind words.

you mentioned rear lens covers in another topic. what exactly do they look like? i've never heard of this before. is it for a spare set of lenses?

Tom.W · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 6635

The rear element of an HD-10 lens is convex

http://www.odec.ca/projects/2005/dong5a0/public_html/lenses.html

Yes for spare lenses...

mc86 · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 9:52 pm Post subject:

Don't give this up - if the CNC time is available and you are willing to make the molds, sweet! There certainly need to be more caps out there, from my limited experience. My PJ didn't come with covers and the tinted lenses I ordered didn't come with caps. As a result, one of the lenses got ruined in shipping. For something so inexpensive, jeez, that is a shame. I'd like to seem them be a little thicker and/or more robust...and the plastic is getting brittle with age now.

In looking at the All About Lenses thread, I didn't see a single other manufacturer than USPL...was there another mfg? I realize the market was never huge, that the knowledge required is both extensive and often tacit, and that tooling must be extensive, but wow. I am from Cincinnati and will see if I can find and take an old HD6/8/10 design engineer out to lunch next time I am back - that'd be fun. He/she'd likely have some good lessons for me as an engineering instructor on how to better prepare my students, too.

Cheers,
Matt

stefuel · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 9:57 pm Post subject:

"would you lend me your original hfq900hm cap to dip in some epoxy and rip it back out? i personally would have a hard time handing it over for such a thing... not to mention the thought of it not being returned!"

Most here can have anything from me they wish. All they have to do is ask. The other reason I stuck with AmPro. Nobody wants them so I never have to say no Laughing

When you've been around here as long as some of us, you'll know who the trustworthy ones are............and are not Rolling Eyes

Tom.W · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 6635

The problem with the HD 10 family of lenses is the rear element never fully retracts into the housing so it requires a dome shaped rear lens cap for proper storage and or shipping.

I sent a complete set of HD 10, HD 144 and HD 8 front and rear caps to someone for measurement and he SAYS the GF sent them back but I never got them... Rolling Eyes

Since the projectors came with lenses mounted they rarely came with the factory rear caps.

If you go to the trouble to make these use a thicker and more pliable plastic then the originals !