I need some info from the veteran globe collectors ...

I just purchased and received a 15" metal globe body to put my 15" Conoco Ethyl lenses that I won at the June 2012 CTO auction held by Matthews Auction Company. When received, the lenses were in great condition as graded in the auction catalog. Problem I'm having is the lenses don't fit the 15" metal frame. I carefully measured the lenses and they are about 15.25" in diameter. Question for the veteran collectors out there ... should 15" lenses be exactly 15" in diameter? (The auction listing listed the lenses as 15" lenses.) Do I need a 16" globe to mount these in? Am I dealing with repro lenses? From reading posts on this site, Matthews Auction Company seems to be highly regarded and trust worthy. I hope I didn't get dupped into buying junk! Greg

I bought one of those once, Dont fit anything, I'm not sure why they were made, Definatly original though. The person I bought mine from took it back, never did find out what the purpose was...Frank

I have one also, and okoil,from this site, had one at Iowa. I siliconed mine into a 15" body. Jim, okoil knew what body went with these lens, but I don't remember what he said. Too busy buying a sign from him.
Ric

Hey Frank do you think those Bodies I have will work for those Lenses?

No Dick they are 16 1/2 and one side is bigger than the other

Guys, thanks for all the feedback thus far on this. At least I'm getting a better feeling that the lenses are real and not reproductions. I'm still not happy these lenses were advertised as 15" lenses in the auction catalog, but they won't fit a regular 15" frame. Would have been nice knowing that before bidding on-line for the item. My own fault for not calling and asking questions about the lenses. I guess I won't forget this valuable lesson. Call and ask every imaginable question about an item being sold at auction if you can't be there in person. Going to be a while, if ever, before I let loose of any more money on lenses not already in a frame.

Ric, when you siliconed yours to a 15" body, how did you do it? Did you just lay the lense on the frame's edge and apply the silicone?

Do you think a glass shop could cut the lenses down to fit a 15" frame or would it be too big a risk of getting them broken?

I'll have to send a PM to OKOil and see if he can tell me what type of frame these would fit. Greg

...why would you want to cut the lenses down???? I'm astounded anyone serious enough to spend $800 - plus buyer's premium sales tax and shipping - on some lenses would even consider that a viable option...

...please, contact Dan Matthews - mattgas on Oldgas - and talk to him...better to try and get some satisfaction that way, than to ruin a 70+ year-old set of lenses...

Hi Greg;

I can understand your dis-appointment with your lenses not fitting in a standard 15" metal body. Reality is that 15" lenses vary between 14 7/8" and 15 1/4" as well as the bodies they fit on. In the hobby these early larger lenses are refered to as "overshot" lenses and need a slightly larger metal body. Your lenses are definately original, no fears there. I may have a overshot body, what is the exact measurement of your lenses to the 1/16" across the back?

A few years back I had an early Texaco globe on metal with 15" lenses at the CTO! Show. They were a little loose and rattled on the body. A friend was helping me pack up at the end of the day and one of the lenses was so loose on the body that it slipped out of the inside of the snap ring and broke into sevral hundred pieces, not a good day! As you can tell from that experience lenses and body size do vary a little.

Good luck, Dan and the Matthews Auction team are a class act and woud never knowingly mis-represent anything.

Lonnie Hop

I also have one and it is siliconed onto a class piece that is in turn on a 16" globe body. Looks great to me.

I didn't know about the size variations in lenses but I do know that the metal bodies varied some as I have run into oversized bodies. I may even still have one if Lonnie doesn't. Just keep looking and you'll find a body that will fit OK!

Try one of the 'spun' 15" aluminum bodies.

The opening in these bodies is usually a bit oversized anyway. Worst case scenerio - you will have the room to sit the lens down to the mating surface, but not enough room for the supplied snap rings.

In that case, have smaller diameter snap rings rolled at your local sheet metal fabricators. Or go the silicon route.

Feel free to drop me an e-mail with the EXACT diameter of each lens (give me two measurments of each lens 90-degrees apart) and I'll measure up my aluminum bodies and see if I have anything in stock that will work for you.

Later . . .

Jim
T-ways@email.com

As Lonnie said they are for early 15" bodies. The Conoco Ethyl's are really concave. For years I couldn't find a body and had a cabinet shop build a lighted shadow box. I since have found the correct body.

Thanks for all the responses!

I measured both of the Conoco lenses across the back - tip to tip using the notch in the bottom of the glass on the back side and the small marker line on the top of the lense to ensure I was measuring straight. They are measuring out at 15 7/16". Both lenses measure this same amount. I also measured side to side as well - same measurement. My metal globe body measures 15 1/8" from top edge to top edge where the lenses would drop down onto the lip that they would rest on.

Let me know if anyone has a body that would fit these lenses. Thx! Greg

I was curious, so I went out and measured the only empty 15 incher that I have and its right at 15 1/8 inches. I do remember having one that the lenses were fairly sloppy in, but it must be gone?
Keep looking--don't give up!

I never found a body that was even close to fitting those lenses, I really liked the lenses but have enough lenses under the bed, good luck, I'm sure Dan didnt intentionally miss lead...Frank