HAL 9000 from 2001: a space odyssey
- Thread starter simon_lewis
- Start date
Ooooo. Point me to some off the shelf aspherical glass lenses with flat bottom, at about 70mm in diameter. 
I think we just have to trial and error it a little, to see what works. Nobody will want to pay hundreds just to get glass lenses ground "exactly like" a real Nikkor (or at least I won't)... all we really have to nail is the "HAL look" which to me is
- deep, solid crystal clear lens
- rich black appearance from the side
- hot red light in the center that lights up some internal lens structure
My naive assumption is that a glass lens with the correct outer profile would be the most satisfying. Plastic may or may not ever work. I know for a fact that thin vacformed plastic shells won't cut it. And cast resin with even the silghtest defect would suck.
- k
I think we just have to trial and error it a little, to see what works. Nobody will want to pay hundreds just to get glass lenses ground "exactly like" a real Nikkor (or at least I won't)... all we really have to nail is the "HAL look" which to me is
- deep, solid crystal clear lens
- rich black appearance from the side
- hot red light in the center that lights up some internal lens structure
My naive assumption is that a glass lens with the correct outer profile would be the most satisfying. Plastic may or may not ever work. I know for a fact that thin vacformed plastic shells won't cut it. And cast resin with even the silghtest defect would suck.
- k
tgreco
Sr Member
Originally posted by phase pistol@Apr 14 2006, 11:08 AM
Ooooo. Point me to some off the shelf aspherical glass lenses with flat bottom, at about 70mm in diameter.
hows $10 strike you
http://www.alltronics.biz/cgi-bin/category...L015&type=store
Interesting, but at 3" wide, it's about a quarter of an inch TOO big. :unsure
Unless my more precise Nikkor measurements come in and indicate that my estimated size was too small. :sleep
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Unless my more precise Nikkor measurements come in and indicate that my estimated size was too small. :sleep
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OK got some of the measurements... working on getting the rest.
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Beagle Bill
Sr Member
Any progress on this project in the last couple of weeks?
Bill
Bill
Shadowy progress behind the scenes.
Will post when ready. B)
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Will post when ready. B)
- k
Might be a little while longer yet... :unsure
Ball in my court... must make time... :angel
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Ball in my court... must make time... :angel
- k
Sorry for the lengthy delay guys... I have been busy with some personal stuff, but I hope to get back on it and finish up the blueprint soon.. I have a couple of threads hanging, but once I finalize the blueprint we can start to see some progress I think.
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Well it's not much of a life... but it's all I got... :rolleyes
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OK update.
"Preliminary" final blueprint. Some things remain to be worked out, such as the exact details of the interior of the lens rear cap. I'd like to have glass or plastic lens elements in-hand before specifying the metal parts (it's a horse-and-cart problem, and I think it'd be easier to modify the metal parts if we have clear elements that are "close".)
Tgreco was going to get an estimate for me with a machinist, and also had some ideas as to where to get wide-angle lens elements that would be "close." Anybody who wants to jump in with suggestions for metal or glass or plastic is welcome.
- k
"Preliminary" final blueprint. Some things remain to be worked out, such as the exact details of the interior of the lens rear cap. I'd like to have glass or plastic lens elements in-hand before specifying the metal parts (it's a horse-and-cart problem, and I think it'd be easier to modify the metal parts if we have clear elements that are "close".)
Tgreco was going to get an estimate for me with a machinist, and also had some ideas as to where to get wide-angle lens elements that would be "close." Anybody who wants to jump in with suggestions for metal or glass or plastic is welcome.
- k
Bump so people can see the blueprint.
Please examine the blueprint and ask questions if you got 'em. I see for instance that I forgot to indicate screws to go in the sides of the entire panel, to hold it together.
Also it's not clear from the drawing but there should be a "trench" around the rim of the front lens piece; you might be able to make it out in the assembled side view cross section. I'll need to specify the lens front piece a little more thoroughly I guess. There are also a couple little fiddly steps which I think I can leave out if need be, they're only a millimeter or so. I don't know at what point this thing becomes too complicated to actually make. :$
The next step I think is to line up a source for lens elements. The exact tolerances on the metal parts will depend on what we use for lenses. It may be necessary to machine acrylic and make our own lenses, if similar glass parts cannot be found.
- K
Please examine the blueprint and ask questions if you got 'em. I see for instance that I forgot to indicate screws to go in the sides of the entire panel, to hold it together.
Also it's not clear from the drawing but there should be a "trench" around the rim of the front lens piece; you might be able to make it out in the assembled side view cross section. I'll need to specify the lens front piece a little more thoroughly I guess. There are also a couple little fiddly steps which I think I can leave out if need be, they're only a millimeter or so. I don't know at what point this thing becomes too complicated to actually make. :$
The next step I think is to line up a source for lens elements. The exact tolerances on the metal parts will depend on what we use for lenses. It may be necessary to machine acrylic and make our own lenses, if similar glass parts cannot be found.
- K
