Easel Recommendations Needed

[3 Olives]

My son has been using glass for a year and t's amazing how much dust is attracted to glass regardless of what he does. I need to find a good easel. I expect I'll probably be buying used if that makes a difference.
Thanks!

 

[Tim Gray]

I've been very happy with my Saunders V-track. Except for the fact that it's huge and it can be hard to center the smaller sizes. They had a slim line V-track which is probably more useful for everyday smaller prints.

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

Agreed. Saunders V-track would probably be one near the top of the evolutionary chain for easels. The market will never again be big enough to justify such quality darkroom equipment.

I have a 16x20 V-track, and it's *big* and *heavy*. But it's easily the best and most precise easel I've ever used. And it *never* gets moved from its location under the wall-mounted enlarger.

Ken

 

[jeroldharter]

Saunders is excellent. Either the V-Track or the regular 4-bladed easels are hard to beat. Speaking of beating though, some of the used ones are beat to hell. I don't know how someone can damage an easel, but look very carefully at photos of used ones. I tried Kostiner and found it flimsy. For a cheaper alternative, you could buy Saunders fixed size easels which are readily available and inexpensive used. They work better with paper without much curl (i.e. RC paper).

 

[Rick A]

Get him a cheap 4-in-1 for up to 8x10's and also an adjustable for sizes up to 16x20 or 11x14 (or whatever the largest size he prints) . The fixed sizes are handy, while the adjustable will allow for some odd sizes as well as the larger standard sizes. I use both 2 and 4 blade adjustables, the 2 blade is easier to set up and use, but is off-set under the head, while the 4 blade centers under the head, but is harder to set up and load.

 

[Rick A]

the way my logic goes is basically the opposite! get a smaller 11x14 adjustable easel to accommodate various aspect ratios (35mm, 6x4.5, 6x6, and 6x7), and one or two larger single size easels (16x20, 20x24) if you need them for 6x7 and 4x5.

I was considering the standard 5x7 and 8x10 prints. With a preset size easel he can just pop the size of choice under the head and slip in a shoot of paper and get to business with less time than it takes to write this response. Having to reset sizes with an adjustable easel can get frustrating trying to get the margins perfect every time its changed. I print ull frame so my 11x14 easel is set to 8x8 dimensions but when I print 4x5 its easy to slip an 8x10 sheet into a preset. I have another adjustable set for 6"x9" for printing 35mm negs. The OP may not be printing full frame and find it more convenient to use a preset size.

 

[Tim Gray]

Ganz speed Ez-el's can be had for cheap on ebay. They are useful for standard sizes. Also check craigslist. Search for 'darkroom'.

 

[Ronald Moravec]

V Track 11x14 or 14x17. Previous used the 14x17 universal that was a Christmas present in 1966, but the pad under it went bad which Tiffin replaced and it is now as good as new. Getting the remnants of the old pad off was a bear.

My V track is is still nicer. B&H had the best prive by far.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Another vote for Ganz Speed-Ez-els for standard size prints. An adjustable easel is nice for wide borders or if you are using a lot of cut-down paper. I have a lot of nice 4-bladers, but I find I use the Ganz easels for most work.

 

[Andrew K]

I'll add my vote for speed ezels....love the full frame 35mm one...

I also had a RBT 2 blade easel (and a Leitz 2 blade easel - I'm not sure who copied who??) but you could adjust the borders on the 2 fixed sides to over 1 1/4inches wide, so you could produce some thick borders if you wanted them....with the cost of paper now days I prefer a 1/2 inch border at most - that way you can use as much of the paper area as you can.....

 

[2F/2F]

I'd say get a few Speed Ezels for now (8x10, 11x14, or whatever sizes he likes to print most), and keep your eyes peeled for a Craigslist deal on a bladed easel in the future. I agree with others that the Speed Ezels work just fine, as long as they have been taken care of. They come in many sizes. I have even seen really cute 2x3 ones.

 

[ozphoto]

I too would recommend a Saunders 4-Blade easel. I love my 11x14 and it reduces to 8x10 really well too.
I guess it depends on the sizes he prints and the $$$ you want to spend. I picked mine up off E*** at the time a "cheap" $165.00 (incl. postage to AUS), but have recently seen them much, much cheaper.

I chose the 11x14 as it fits the biggest size I am happy to print to and also allows for 8x10 as well. Anything smaller, I use a small 8x10 easel that I picked up for $5.00; don't often go smaller except for postcard exchange, so this one rarely gets a work out.

 

[Tim Gray]

I'd like to get a 16x20 V-Track. Must be enormous. There's one on ebay I was keeping my eye on (first one I've seen for sale). It was $100 the whole week, but now with just a couple hours to go, its up over $350. Not for me.

V-tracks have gotten expensive. I got mine for $75 I think, about a year ago. Maybe $100. The last couple 11x14 ones I've seen on ebay have been going for over $200. Dang yo.

 

[jeroldharter]

Fixed size easels

I have not tried the Ganz easels, but I have the Saunders fixed size easels in 8x10, 11x14, and 16x20. I don't like them for fiber based paper. The borders are too narrow, they don't handle paper curl very well, and they are not heavy enough to stay put solidly so that they are easily nudged between prints. How do the Ganz easels compare on those point?

 

[Tim Gray]

The Ganz definitely move if you bump them. I tape them down sometimes. The boarders are narrow. Not sure how they handle paper curl. I mostly use mine for printing postcards for which it is perfect.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

The Ganz are much less likely to slip when you put paper in them - but I have strips of soft rubber glued to the bottom of the flanges. As Tim mentioned, the Ganz flanges allow taping the easel in place. I often use the 4-blade easel to hold the Ganz in place - the flanges on the Ganz slip under the blades in the 4-blade.

With the Saunders half the weight of the easel is in the frame - so when you lift the frame there isn't much weight left to keep the easel in place. If you bought a large sheet of foam for replacing light seals then try four 1x1" pads under the corners of the easel to reduce slipping.

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

I like and use speed ez-l's too but they are made of a soft metal that bends easily if you aren't careful. Easy to get it out of whack. The Saunders fixed ones are much, much stiffer (and more expensive).

I've moved several times and with each move the easel gets more and more 'out of whack'. Leaning on it, etc..
Just something to consider. Otherwise, I have an 8x10 one that is 12? years old at least, if not older. Works fine.

I put stickytac or that poster putty hanging stuff, a little ball, underneath each corner and align the enlarger to the easel.

 

[ozphoto]

There's an 11x14 Saunders 4 blade for sale $125 in the Classifieds right now.