D2 lens board alignment

[Bruce Appel]

I finally got around to getting a mirror, and oidnt the hole in the mirror trick, align my d2. I had used a level in the past, but with the mirror it was still out quite a bit. The negative stage was easy.
The problem, and my question, is how on earth do you adjust the lens boards? My 4X5 lens, on a long cone is out a little, but my shorter cone and 80mm lens are out a lot, in different directions. If they had just made the cones mount with three threaded screws instead of just two, it would make it easy.
So what do you all do? I did a search, and couldn't find anyhting addressing the lens board, except in general terms.

 

[GregT.]

I've got a pdf copy of the Omega Technical Services Manual that I once downloaded from somewhere online; it has complete alignment, maintainence, lubrication and adjustment instructions as well as a troubleshooting chart. If you want, send me your email address in a private message and I'll forward it to you. Its 1.7mb.

 

[photobum]

Greg, I had to go public. Thank you very much for your assistance. You and this forum are the BEST.
Jim Rhoades

 

[Ronald Moravec]

The manual you get will show how to get it level front to back by rotating the carriage axle.

Left to right is easily done with a shim under the lens plate screw. Set the most used lens this way.

Others will need shims front or rear in addition. I use tape in layers.

 

[mmcclellan]

Bruce,

I picked up a gorgeous D2 off of eBay a few months ago and had to align it. The easiest thing I found I could do is to buy a Beseler "lens align" kit from Calumet or any other Beseler dealer and then mount that on the bottom of the cone. A trip to the hardware store, some super glue, a couple of screws, and it was mounted tight and for life.

With the lens then mounted on to that Beseler board, you can easily check and adjust your alignment at any time and fit it fast by adjusting the three allen-wrench screws. Now, whenever I need to print, first thing I do is check the alignment with a grain magnifier on the first neg and after about 30 seconds of checking and making a tiny adjustment here and there, I'm good to go!

 

[Bruce Appel]

The beselar kit looks like the way to go. The way the enalarger is designed you can get everything aligned except that last part where the lens mounts to the board.
Thank you all for your help.