Back to the Enlarger once more

My old Epson flat bed scanner finally died after years of abuse so it is back to the enlarger for me. I am not really all that upset; I did enjoy printing in the darkroom. But the scanner can become somewhat addicting so it was easy to ignore my poor, old enlarger. I did buy a kit that is similar to the old Graflarger for my Intrepid 4x5 camera that I have only tried a couple of times to see it if worked. I guess it is time to pull it out again and see if I can make it work the way I want.

I guess if I have to I can pull the old Beseler 4x5 out of the garage and see if I can remember how to put it all back together again. I hope I don't have to though because it is a bulky old bastard. Besides I don't even have a proper darkroom anymore.

At least it is not as much of a pain as the old Elwood but I would still rather the Intrepid works out even though it has its stability problems.

If you guys feel this post has too much reference to hybrid content the moderators can certainly move it somewhere else.

Pioneer said:

If you guys feel this post has too much reference to hybrid content the moderators can certainly move it somewhere else.

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Nope!
Welcome back to the dark side, hehe!

Pioneer said:

the old Elwood

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But that's such a fun machine. It's like operating the boiler room in the Titanic.

Don_ih said:

But that's such a fun machine. It's like operating the boiler room in the Titanic.

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......lots of knobs t*ts and dials then

Don_ih said:

But that's such a fun machine. It's like operating the boiler room in the Titanic.

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Yeah right! You must have used a different Elwood than the one I have. It is simple though, I'll give it that much. Not much in the way of electronics. A cord, a switch, and a bulb. Lots of cast iron and well seasoned wood in that thing. No dials anywhere on it, just big metal wheels, gears and lever locks. But once you get it set up and locked down it don't move a whole lot, even if you want it to. Believe me, that is the enlarger you want if you need to print big negatives really, really, really big, and don't want any motion blur anywhere! Or want to sink something really fast like the Titanic.

The Beseler is an entirely different animal. That's the one with the knobs, switches, dials and t*ts, and lots of them. If you aren't careful you can spend all day playing with those knobs and switches and what not, and never make a single print. I bought it new several years or two ago. It is a really good enlarger and if I do end up building another darkroom that's the one that will go in it.

It is heavy too, but not HEAVY like that Elwood. Just moving the base of that monster will give two people a hernia. I may be exaggerating a little bit but not much. I had two strapping big grandsons help me with that when I finally took it down and moved it out to the garage. As for age I am not sure my Grandpa was old enough to have bought that Elwood when it was new!

koraks said:

Nope!
Welcome back to the dark side, hehe!

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Thanks, I think. If time permits I'll get that little Intrepid and copy stand set up in the 2nd bathroom and seem if I any of that paper I stored away is still any good.

Now...what did I do with that package of Dektol I was saving? Of course I guess I can use caffenol to develop paper as well as film.

Goodness, I am getting old! I am not even sure I still remember how to do this anymore!

I guess I can pull out the old Weston light bulb if I can't get anything else to work.

I was really only referring to the massive metal wheels and the extra-solid construction - and how it'll shoot up like a rocket if you unlock it and accidentally let go. That spring has power... It is a very straightforward enlarger. Mine is 5x7. It's a bit hot in the centre which may have something to do with the stack of glass in the head (the hair-salon hair-dryer). I need to investigate it since I recently made new bellows for a 5x7 Premo and will want to use it. It's also the only enlarger I have that can handle negatives from my postcard camera.

Welcome back from the Dark Side.

Yeah. My son still tells stories about hanging on while it picked him up off the floor when he was younger.

Don't get me wrong, I still love mine, and it is truly an awesome machine when you are working with the big negatives and even bigger paper. That is the entire reason I still own it. There really is nothing that can substitute for it when that is what you need. But using it does require a different mindset when you fire it up. And to be honest I am not sure I have what it takes to get it set up again. I will have to call my son over from Reno if I do it and that will also require that I build a darkroom again. Even the Beseler is not something you roll in and out of a bathroom when you need to use it.

Fortunately I have no immediate plans to enlarge any 5x7 or 8x10 negatives so I won't be trying to get too far ahead of myself. I am just excited about enlarging my medium format and 4x5 negatives again and that little Intrepid enlarger can do that if I'm careful.

Good luck with your Premo. Let us know how it works out.

Pioneer said:

Good luck with your Premo.

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So far so good. It was my first time making bellows and it was a success. The camera was cheap because it was in pieces - but all the pieces were there. If I manage to take a decent photo with it, I'll add it to the gallery.
In the meantime, I got another Premo - postcard size - that I need to replace the bellows. In for a penny, in for a pound.