8x10 Elwood Enlarger help?

mattk · Apr 7, 2009

I just picked up an all metal (C2?) Elwood enlarger. If I never plan to project on the wall and only plan on a max 20x24 or 16x20 print size, how high from the table will the top of the lamp house be. It came with a table I could dissect an elephant on and I would like to downsize (there is an oxymoron) the over all size this beast will take up. How do you have yours mounted. I don't have ceiling issues (9'). Any chance a 30 x 20 table would work. I will be using a 10" ekatanon for 8x10 negs. Thanks.

If I could give you a call to chat could you PM your phone 3?

Thanks all.

ic-racer · Apr 7, 2009

I can't help with the actual height, but I do have these measurements:

With a 300mm lens on my 8x10 enlarger, making a 16x20 enlargement requires roughly 17" of bellows extension and I measured 50" from the negative plane to the paper plane. So, if you can measure the distance on your Elwood head from the negative plane to the top of the head, you should be able to get an approximation to answer the question.

With these 'free standing' enlargers, you may find the extra baseboard space around the easel useful. Otherwise you may need a table or counter near by on which to set odds and ends.

Good luck with that enlarger, post pictures if you can!

Phil · Apr 7, 2009

mattk,

I'm getting an 8x10 Elwood C2 set up in the darkroom over the next week or so. One of the other guys who uses the darkroom built a table for it that's about 48"x60" and about 18" high. We have a 10' ceiling in the darkroom. The guy I bought the enlarger from had a 36"x60" table that he had it mounted on - ours is 48" because that's what we had for space. I'm not sure I'd want to make the table as small as you are thinking. If you do go that small, you will need to attach the legs to the floor with some strong anchors.

I also have a 10" Enlarging Ektanon that I'll be using. So, if you are not in a rush, I can get some measurements to you once we get it set up.

Jeff Bannow · Apr 9, 2009

Funny problem - I'm going to be getting an Elwood 8x10 with no table! Guess I'll be making one as well.

ic-racer · Apr 9, 2009

jbannow said:
I'm going to be getting an Elwood 8x10 ...

So, have you been keeping this a secret?

Jeff Bannow · Apr 9, 2009

ic-racer said:
So, have you been keeping this a secret?

Not exactly as such ... I suppose I just found out myself!

There is a gentleman in Chicago that is selling one intact, but it needs a new baseboard. Opal glass should be intact as well as the rest of it - he was actually printing with it himself.

Should be nice for enlarged contact sheets if nothing else.

ic-racer · Apr 9, 2009

jbannow said:
but it needs a new baseboard.

This is 3/4" dense particle board with white Melamine (like Formica) on both sides. I had to buy a 8 foot by 4 foot piece for an elephant dissecting table I was making . This is the 'scrap.' Its 4 foot by 4 foot. You can get it at Home Depot, but this one is free if you want it next time you are in the area.

ChuckP · Apr 9, 2009

I have a C2 parts list in jpeg files. If anyone wants a copy PM me your email address. I have mine mounted on a low stand so that the column just fits under an 8ft ceiling. I work while sitting on a normal height chair. Making an 11x14 from an 8x10 negative I'm about 40in from carrier to stand top. Using a 240 lens.

mattk · Apr 10, 2009

Thanks everybody! I got it all set up--you should have see my wife's face when the garage door went up and this thing was lying there. All she said was "Seriously?" What a sight to behold. I knew holding on to that 10" Ektanon was a good idea. Now the challenge is focusing on the non-existent grain. What are you guys using for bulbs when mine goes out?

MAtt

Murray@uptowngallery · Nov 29, 2015

Old thread...

Can anyone tell me more about the multiple sheets of glass missing from an Elwood 8x10 enlarger?

I figured out from previous posts that the top piece is sand-blasted and I guess the rest are not. Someone told me there were 12 (!) sheets of glass total.

I suppose there is little possibility of describing the sandblasting.

I figured I'd make a sheet, measure the light uniformity with no negative and make adjustments until I was happy with results, or sick of trying.

Or maybe someone converted to cold light and is willing to sell the diffusion sheet.

Apparently Elwood had patents for various lamp head reflectors...parabolic, hyperbolic and I don't know what the other was.

I've only seen parabolic looking lamp heads, but the curvature could be anything they wanted to make it...and the glass from a different version might not match...

Fun, huh?

Thanks

Murray

markbarendt · Nov 30, 2015

Grinding compound not sand blasting.

Get several pieces of glass cut the right size, allow some room to expand with heat, put the compound between the sheets and rub them together.

I have 4 sheets in my 5x7 all done with the grinding compound.

Adjust the light bulb depth in the reflector to focus/adjust the spread of the light on the light table.

I use a 150 watt incandescent not 300 because the 300 was just too hot and kept breaking the top sheet.

ChuckP · Nov 30, 2015

My information for the metal 8x10 C-2 model shows 3 pieces of heat absorbing glass and one piece of sandblasted glass. They say lightly sandblasted in the center and graduated to clear glass in the corners. I've never seen the glass as mine came without it and I went direct to a cold light.

Jim Jones · Nov 30, 2015

ChuckP said:
My information for the metal 8x10 C-2 model shows 3 pieces of heat absorbing glass and one piece of sandblasted glass. They say lightly sandblasted in the center and graduated to clear glass in the corners. I've never seen the glass as mine came without it and I went direct to a cold light.

For a 5x7 Elwood I ground with valve grinding compound and a smaller piece of glass as a tool until the light was evenly distribution over the baseboard. The edges were clear and the center ground more as Chuck indicated. The lack of heat absorbing glass was no problem with smaller than original lamps.

8x10 Elwood Enlarger help?

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