Adapting a Beseler 8x10 head to a Saunders 4550 xlg. Can You?

[bobbysandstrom]

Does anyone know if it's possible without going through too much trouble to retrofit a beseler 8x10 head to a Saunders 4550 xlg?


Thanks

 

[Donald Miller]

Does anyone know if it's possible without going through too much trouble to retrofit a beseler 8x10 head to a Saunders 4550 xlg?


Thanks

The head of the 4550 XLG comes off fairly easily. As I recall, there are four main bolts...it's been awhile and don't hold me to that.

Once that is off, the Bessler head will need to have new anchor points fabricated...I would want them to allow provisions for alignment, if it were me. I am wondering how top heavy this would make it.

Howard Bond had a Bessler 8X10 conversion the last time that I was in his darkroom. His enlarger was beefier then the Saunders.

If it were me, I think that I would keep my eye out for a vertical 8X10 enlarger because the design work has already been done.