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Anyone else fascinated with enlargers?

Vaughn

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I packed mules for ten seasons (all of the 1980s, May - Oct) and have not done so since but once when someone else did all the work.
After that, I took care of 20 enlargers in the teaching darkroom of a university that serviced 100 to 125 students per quarter, three quarters a year, for 20+ years. I haven't used an enlarger since (almost true...I snuck into a darkroom and used one a few years ago).

So no...mules, enlargers...no longer fascinated by 'em.

Edit to add: This doesn't mean I wouldn't run the lamphousing up and down the column a few times...or not scratch deep inside their ears until their lips droop and eye lashes quiver a little.

Or was it until their lower lip quivers and eyelashes droop...been too long...
 
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Sirius Glass

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Mules tend to be a bit messier than enlargers in general although there must be some exceptions somewhere.
 

Vaughn

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Both can get unbalanced, and both can get a bit ornery if mis-treated...

...have you every cleaned a darkroom after 20 enlargers were in constant use (by mostly beginners) for 16 hours?

-- thankfully me neither -- usually there were empty enlarger stations during day.
 

faberryman

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I am not really fascinated by enlargers. I mean I like my enlarger and everything, but It is basically a light bulb. It has a motor to make it go up and down, so it is like a motorized light bulb. Maybe if the motor had a remote control I would be fascinated.
 

Sirius Glass

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Yours has a motor! Mine does not! Now I have GAS and enlarger envy!
 

VinceInMT

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While I one have one enlarger and that’s enough for me, I am extremely curious what is is in the psyche of some that attracts them to this type of fascination/passion. I suppose I could use myself as a subject since, last count, I am up to 49 machines that do magnetic recording of one type of another and it’s is extremely hard to resist another batch of 8-track tapes, even if I don’t really care what music is on them.
 

GKC

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I use an ancient Meopta 4x4 as a light source for contact printing 8x10 and 5x7 negs.
 

Sirius Glass

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I can generally fall asleep at night without thinking about enlargers.
 

AgX

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as you are busy with your cameras...
 

AgX

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Back to enlargers.
What I find interesting is that there were only 2 manufacturers (I know of) who made enlargers in a suitcase. Be it the case serving also as baseboard or just as storing case.
 

GKC

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Old enlargers can be rabbit holes if they don't come with all the goodies.
I found it's often cheaper to buy another than to find andbuy all the parts needed to add another format to an existing enlarger that didn't come with them.
That's how I ended up with all of mine.
It's an illness, I tell you
 
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