Nikon Extension Tube with Full AFS Contacts

[Erik Lund]

Completely disassemble the TC to avoid chips inside.
Drill to cut away the optics, like a Swiss cheese, first with drill of 2mm close to each other, then remove the in-between part drilling with a 3mm.
Watch out for the CPU print board while working on it.
Remove all the rough edges with a half round Needle file.
Apply matt black paint.
Reassemble.

[Frank Fremerey]

Ouch. Tougher than I thought.

[PedroS]

Mine is totally disassembled.
Almost all lens taken out but still the front element resist normal unlock.
I know that I can use brute force (may the force be with me), but I'll try to do it by the book.
All process is photo documented, and it has more parts than expected...

[Danulon]

  Me too

...and me, too.


Apparently Erik would need an assembly line to meet the demand... ;-)

[Frank Fremerey]

...and me, too.
Apparently Erik would need an assembly line to meet the demand... ;-)

I just sent him two TCs...

[PedroS]

Here's mine... 

[Erik Lund]

Very nicely done Pedro! Looks good

Looking forward to how you like it,,,

[PedroS]

Used it for testing and a couple of photos.
Works great and the link is a "nikon" fit, not the floppy one that kenko provides.
Really happy, next will be a 20E
 

[Erik Lund]

Completely disassemble the TC to avoid chips inside.
Drill to cut away the optics, like a Swiss cheese, first with drill of 2mm close to each other, then remove the in-between part drilling with a 3mm.
Watch out for the CPU print board while working on it.
Remove all the rough edges with a half round Needle file.
Apply matt black paint.
Reassemble.

Just finished the two very nice extension tubes for Frank; TC-14E AF-I version and TC-E20E II

Internal flocking is best applied during assembly for the 20, the 14 just get a bit after assembly.

Also remove the rightmost contact on the 'female' contact block to keep focus speed fast for the 20

Warning:

When removing the 'female' contact block take extreme care!

Especially the 14 is not advisable to remove, better to leave it on and shield it from metal parts while drilling.

The 20 slides out with great care,,,

Reason: The flexible print board are soldered onto the block in situ... 

Don't ask,,,

[PedroS]

Yesterday I did the same to the TC20.
On this one the entire glass block came out nicely, so no more drilling needed. It has on the rear side two notches that with the right spanner and luck (because the block has glued threads) can be unscrewed.

Erik the print board is not soldered to the block. I know because I've removed it (look at the TC14 photos). But, and it's a big BUT is glued, so great, great care to unglue the thing. I use a special surgical thin blade to work through the glue.
On the TC20 didn't have to, because the glass block came out.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Pedro, your TC14 was the 14E.mk1, Erik's description was for 14E.mk2.

[PedroS]

Pedro, your TC14 was the 14E.mk1, Erik's description was for 14E.mk2.

uppps... sorry

[Erik Lund]

The strains from the soldering is very visible inside the cast housing,,, the design of the flexible print board is changed in the later versions I believe.


Anyway, it takes 4 hours to repair it if you break it,,,

[Erik Lund]

Yesterday I did the same to the TC20.
On this one the entire glass block came out nicely, so no more drilling needed. ,,,,

Then you only get 33.5mm of through hole, If you drill it it's larger

[PedroS]

Then you only get 33.5mm of through hole, If you drill it it's larger

Indeed. Do you think we'll need it larger? I have tried with some lenses and didn't realize any vigneting.