Dunco 4 blade easel, instruction manual

Hello, I have bought an used Dunco 4 blade easel but I have no idea how to use it. It has a lot of pins that goes out, it’s quite different from Saunders. Anyone has a manual, video or could explain me how to get work this ease. I have been working with a 2 blade but this 4blade it’s not easy.

I think that one is metric. Are you using metric sized paper?

I’m using the normal sizes From ilford and foma, 18x24, 20x25, 24x30, 30x40…. But how can I use, is there any manual available ?
thank you

do you need I put measures or anything?

That looks conceptually similar to the Ahel Marge board I use, although that's only 3-bladed instead of 4. I never bothered looking for a manual and just figured it out using a blank sheet of copier paper and a pencil.

The sunken pins are there as stops to slide the paper against; the idea is that you use the pins appropriate for the size of paper you use. You'll find that there's a pair for each of the standard sizes 12.7x17.8cm, 17.8x24.0cm etc. You then set the margins by shifting the four blades. Your easel is actually nice in that the rulers count from the midpoint of the paper. The main limitation this brings is that it's a little involved if you want to use non-standard sizes (e.g. a 24.0x30.5cm sheet cut in half to make 24.0x15.75cm), but you could make some markings on the rulers yourself if you use such non-standard sizes a lot.

jejes said:

I’m using the normal sizes From ilford and foma, 18x24, 20x25, 24x30, 30x40…. But how can I use, is there any manual available ?
thank you

do you need I put measures or anything?

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Ok, good, you have the correct easel for your metric paper.

You can use the scales, times 2, to find the correct pins to hold the paper. For example 18x24cm paper should align at 9x12cm on the rulers.

Actually the older Saunders "inch" easels were the same as this, that is the scales were not compressed by 2. The newer ones, have the inch scales printed at 1/2 actual distance.

But once the pins are out; how do I get, for example, 1cm border in all the paper if down the pins the paper moves freely, if not I have to press the pins, with the easel blades.

could you make a short video? Or post some photos with all the steps? My main goal is having a nice border and similar.

thank you

Why don't you just try it out with a sheet of paper? Cut a sheet to 17.8x24.0cm. Mark a 10mm border all around. Put the sheet on the easel and shift the blades so theyline up with the border you've drawn. Now observe how the blades relate to the rulers drawn into them. It'll all start to make sense at this point.

I think the OP’s issue is if the border is less than the width of the blade, the pins hold the blade up, off the surface.

I don’t know the answer, maybe someone that has used one will see the thread and chime in.

ic-racer said:

I think the OP’s issue is if the border is less than the width of the blade, the pins hold the blade up, off the surface.

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That's why I said right away that I think this board works similarly to the Ahel I use, which seems to use a similar arrangement. The pins are spring-loaded; you twist them so they pop free, which allows you to select the pins for the paper format you're printing on, and when the blades come down, they get pressed down into the board by the blades.

koraks said:

That's why I said right away that I think this board works similarly to the Ahel I use, which seems to use a similar arrangement. The pins are spring-loaded; you twist them so they pop free, which allows you to select the pins for the paper format you're printing on, and when the blades come down, they get pressed down into the board by the blades.

Click to expand...

That's actually quite a interesting idea. All I've used are Saunders, which work quite well but require a bit of fiddling to insert the paper in the slot. I have an ancient Eastman 16x20 easel that is magnificent, it allows for wide borders, probably from the 1930's. It was very well preserved due to what had to be 60 years of filth. Cleaned up lovely

Spring loaded pins; clever design.

It pins looks similar to the ones used on the Kaiser Promask. It’s still available and there is a manual on the Kaiser website.

I have the same easel. The first guide for positioning paper of different sizes is circled in orange below. Next, twist the spring-loaded stoppers to release them. They will pop out - two at the top and one on the left side. Finally, adjust the blades to set the borders as desired

ic-racer said:

Spring loaded pins; clever design.

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Yes, but it's not well executed. Sometimes the pins won’t stay in, and it gets worse with use.