Aligning Beseler 23CII Lens Stage

[logan2z]

I'm trying to get my Beseler 23CII aligned just right as I've noticed I'm not getting perfect corner to corner grain sharpness (I am using a glass negative carrier so I don't think that negative flatness/popping is an issue for me). I have the negative stage and the baseboard/easel well aligned but I'm not getting perfect back/front alignment of the lens. I've read that some people shim the lens stage since the enlarger doesn't offer any other way to align along that axis, but I'm not exactly sure of the best way to go about doing that. Could someone whose done this please enlighten me?

 

[fiddle]

I got lucky and my enlarger came with lens boards that have to screws. on on each end on the lens. I use these to tweak the alignment. Only on one axis though. Not sure if this was what they were meant for, but works for me.

 

[logan2z]

I got lucky and my enlarger came with lens boards that have to screws. on on each end on the lens. I use these to tweak the alignment. Only on one axis though. Not sure if this was what they were meant for, but works for me.

My lens boards don't have such adjustments. I believe that Delta 1 used to make a lens board called the Besalign that allowed for full adjustment but it's been discontinued.

 

[ic-racer]

As you have discovered the lens to negative alignment is much more critical than the alignment to the baseboard. You might need to improvise and put tape on the lensboard or negative stage to get it correct. If you can see the soft corner in your prints now, then you will be delighted by the results when you get it perfectly aligned.

 

[logan2z]

You might need to improvise and put tape on the lensboard or negative stage to get it correct.

Funny you should mention that, I just tried roughly shimming the negative carrier using some gaffer's tape on the bottom and it's already looking much better. That seems to be a simpler solution with the 23C than somehow trying to shim the lens stage. I used the two axis adjustments to level the lens stage to the baseboard and the tape to level the negative stage. Another high tech darkroom solution I'm going to carefully shim my glass carriers and see if I can get this dialed in perfectly.

 

[samcomet]

I'll second what fiddle wrote ........ there are most always the screw adjuster lens boards on that well know auction site (it's where I got mine). I also agree that the screws are not really there to do that job but they work well for me too. Best of luck with lo-fi or hi-fi solutions.
cheers,
Sam