Considering designing and making a specialty easel...interested?

[Mark Fisher]

I'm trying to gauge interest in a product I am considering designing and building a run of. If no one is interested, I'll make one for myself. If people are interested, I'll put together a kickstarter project and get it done. I've designed products for over 30 years (including 15 years at the product development firm, IDEO) so I'll make sure that whatever I design will be good. I've made a prototype that I've used for a year or so and it works great, but I have some improvements I'll put into the final version. The easel will have a baseboard and a number of masks that would magnetically attach to the base. The advantages over a 4 blade easel is that the paper is very easy to place repeatably, the image size is always the same, the edges are perfectly square (unlike a 4 blade easel), it takes up less baseboard room and it handles curled paper easily. The downside compared to a 4 blade is that the size is fixed. The material for all the parts would be laser cut 1/4" black acrylic. The basic easel would handle 8x10 and 11x14 paper and three aspect ratios (1x1, 4x5 and 6x9) in both sizes so 6 masks (7x7, 7x9 and 6x9 on 8x10 paper and 10x10, 10x13 and 8.67x13 on 11x14 paper). I could do a 5x7 size on this easel if there was interest. I could also do a 16x20 version if there is interest. Based on material costs and laser cutting services, I'm guessing that the cost for a set will be $100-125, but I'll need to get hard quotes before moving too far. I could also just offer the plans and DXF files for people to cut their own for $20 or so. My goal isn't to get rich, but to provide new products where there is a need.
So, would anyone out there be interested if I did such a thing? Do these sizes make sense? Would there be any value in some panoramic masks?

 

[Dr Croubie]

a) yes, I'd be interested in a magnetic easel, anything that's better than blades that constantly flap about.
b) yes, I'd want all manner of sizes, including 6x17, 4x5, 9x12, 4x10, 8x10 contact prints.
c) I know the point is to have completely repeatable masks, which is definitely a good idea. But how about also including either 4 single straight blades, or two L-shaped blades, so that we can create our own custom-shapes (eg 6x17)?

 

[BobMarvin]

I think I'd be interested in a 16 X 20 size; my Beseler 16 X 20 three blade easel is so bulky. However I'm not too fond of a black base and would prefer a color I can focus and compose on. I put pale yellow "contact" plastic on my Beseler's black base. My four blade 11 X 14 easel came in a similar color.

 

[winger]

My 16x20 easel is a magnetic one, but it just has separate strips to hold the paper and it's tough to get them all exactly where I want them. Would you be making just masks of different sizes that could be used with other easels?

I think I have this one - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/70879-REG/Delta_13820_16x20_Magnetic_Enlarging_Easel.html (it's at the PA house, not out here in IA)

 

[Sirius Glass]

I like what winger is talking about. I have 11"x14" and 16"x20" Saunders Boardless easels and a four bladed 20"x24" Saunders easel, therefore I would be interested in a 20"x24" magnetic easel with an assortment of magnetic strips as well as a selection of sets made up of 4"x5", 4"x6", 5"x7", 8"x8", 8"x10" 10"x10", 11x11", 11"x14" and 12"x12" frames.

 

[David Brown]

Mark:

How about some photos of the prototype, either here or on your blog?

In any event, good luck with the project!

DB

 

[Vaughn]

To throw in another option: glassless vacuum frame for contact printing sheet film or inkjet negatives (for silver gelatin or alt processes). It would only add several orders of complexity to the original idea...

A few holes in the metal base, air channels in the wood base, and the magnatized sheet just over the edge of the neg to create a seal.

One could use it for both the contact prints and to hold down flat larger sheets of photo paper when enlarging.

But after all that noise, no, I am not be interested in buying a new printing frame. I have two NuArc UV light sources with vacuum frames, and I might adapt one of those vacuum frames for platinum printing under BL tubes, and for carbon prints under a merc vapor lamp. I am slowly getting a dark(dim)room built and I am still working out the workflow for both processes in the new space.

 

[Mark Fisher]

Thanks for the input so far. Keep it coming. I'll be posting a version of it in a few weeks. The one I currently use is not really representative....it looks pretty rough. The beauty of this approach is that I use two magnets rather than a metal plate and magnet. The magnets attract each other and force them into the right position every time. Works well. The things I want to get fleshed out is the need for 16x20 and other ratios. I stuck to square, 35mm and maximum for paper size, but custom sizes wouldn't be terrible to produce since I am laser cutting the parts.
The masks could be used on a metal plate, but it negates a lot of the advantages I am going after.

Mark

 

[MattKing]

There aren't many elegant options for 12x16 paper - a size I really like.

If you just made a 12x16 mask that would fit in the 14x17 exterior frame of the Saunder 11x14 four blade easel, I would be very happy.

 

[Mark Fisher]

Matt - 12x16 is definitely possible. I'd more likely bundle it into a 16x20 easel much like the 8x10 is bundled into the 11x14.

 

[Mick Fagan]

(Matt - 12x16 is definitely possible. I'd more likely bundle it into a 16x20 easel much like the 8x10 is bundled into the 11x14)

Mark, while I can see where you are coming from, there are many places in the world that do not have 11x14" they instead have 12x16" or 30x40cm (approximate metric size) paper. In this country there is a dearth of 11x14" easels as we never really had this sized paper, except from Kodak until they went metric in this country when they then produced 30x40cm paper in both colour and B&W from their Melbourne production facilities. As a result we have 12x16" easels, to be honest, a 16x20" easel is a big beast compared to a 12x16" in a home darkroom in a cramped environment.

The most popular easels, ones that are plentiful these days around here, are almost all 2 or 4 bladed 12x16" with 11x14" insert lines as well as 10x8" insert lines.

The easel many people aspired to in this country was the four bladed Durst 12x16/11x14" combination easel, I have one

Another popular size is A4 which is 297x210mm and will give you a full frame 8 by enlargement of 135 film. With a bit more enlargement you will have a very good full bleed enlargement from a 135 negative with an absolute minimum of cropping on this size paper; Ilford make this size, I've been using it for many years. It was/is so popular, it is one of the few Ilford cut sheet paper sizes available in 250 box sheet sizes.

Just some food for thought.

Mick.

 

[rmann]

Yes, that would be something I would purchase.

 

[NedL]

I too would consider purchasing one... there are details I'd worry about though. If the magnet is too strong, it might be difficult to remove paper without moving the easel. A friend loaned me a 2 blade easel and I find it almost useless: can't get even borders and it is very difficult to make the "window" edges perpendicular. Also light bleeds under where the blades overlap and make one blade not sit on the paper. I most often use homemade easels which are made of hinged mat board, but they are fussy and I'd love something as easy as a speed ez-el for various aspect ratios.

 

[ic-racer]

The edges are perfectly square on all my 4-blade easels. They all hold curved paper flat, also. They are big, however. Something like a high-quality SpeedEasel with interchangeable masks does sound like a good idea.

 

[smiling gecko]

i am very interested!!!

like a few other folks here, i cobbled together a masonite base and cut over lay mat boards with my favorite size openings...a system that works pretty well.

your project sounds like quite an enhancement and refining of that set up.

i would be interested in a 16x20 and 20x24 base...with masks in 14x14, and 18 x18 to start with.

sooooo, looking forward to the end product!

kenneth david
the photographer by the sea

 

[Christopher Walrath]

I will be keeping an eye out for this. Very interesting. Eager to see more when more becomes available.

 

[Mark Fisher]

Sounds like enough interest. I'll make another round of prototypes. The most interesting comment is the 12x16 paper.....I had absolutely no idea that 12x16 was that common elsewhere. I'll have to think about the best way to deal with this.....maybe the base easel is big enough for the 12x16 and people can order the sets of masks they need. The trick to all of this is that I'll want to do a one-time offer and get them made so I want to make sure I offer what people want. I'll make the prototype and put together a video on how it would work. Give me a few months.....too many projects and a day job.....