Enlarger alignment

[tkamiya]

I need to align my newly refurbished (by me) Omega D-2 (not D-II). Since I had to take it apart quite far, everything is needing attention.

I'd like to purchase something like "Parallel" laser device but the cost is prohibitive. I don't have machinist's level either. I found out the hard way, carpenter's level is awfully inadequate for the task.

Based on web research here and else where, I found what seem to be a promising option of using two mirrors, one with a hole to align the 3 surfaces, baseboard, lens stage, and the film stage.

The instruction goes...

remove the lamp head and place a mirror with a hole in the middle (or scrape the mirror backing). It helps if I draw a circle around this hole.

Place a mirror on base board.

Now, align until I can see my own eyes through this hole, or circles are concentric.

Repeat this process between 2 of 3 surfaces.

Few concerns about this process....

1) is this an accurate process? Everything is "by eye" only...
2) how big should the hole be?
3) if I remove condenser so that I can see through the hole, I am removing some weight that would otherwise be pressing against the film stage. I'd think, this would cause less warping of the sage. Also, significant weight would be off, so that column may flex less. In other words, alignment wouldn't be reflective of actual usage.

Does anyone have experience of this process?

 

[tim k]

If you want to use mirrors, just go get some 12" square mirror tiles. Do the hole thing, a couple of inches in from the corner. Then you can set the lamphouse down on the mirror, and just peek down the hole beside the enlarger, not down the center.

 

[tkamiya]

I tried doing some more checking using T square and a caliper. Apparently, my current setup has too much flexing of the baseboard that with carriage in mid post position, the flexing and resulting tilting forward completely overwhelms available adjustment range. I guess 3/4" plywood with 6 feet isn't enough....

My project continues....

 

[MattKing]

I tried doing some more checking using T square and a caliper. Apparently, my current setup has too much flexing of the baseboard that with carriage in mid post position, the flexing and resulting tilting forward completely overwhelms available adjustment range. I guess 3/4" plywood with 6 feet isn't enough....

My project continues....

A single piece of 3/4" plywood would definitely not be rigid enough. I'd suggest laminating at least 3 pieces of plywood together (with different orientation) or including something more rigid, like MDF.

Alternatively, can you install a brace for the top of the column?

 

[BetterSense]

Everything is "by eye" only...

Lots of things in photography are "by eye only".

Truth be told I have never aligned an enlarger. As long as the images are rectangular and the grain is sharp all over that's good enough, and it has never been hard for me to do this on smallish prints (<16x20).

 

[tlitody]

wall mounting is the best option if your walls can take the weight otherwise as has been suggested, add a brace fron top of enlarger to wall with a means of adjustment so you can set column correctly. That is the place to start. Then when colunmn is vertical you can work on the head and baseboard. Helps if your work surface is absolutely level too before working on easel and head.

 

[tkamiya]

I've just glued and screwed together a sheet of another plywood to my existing board. Now I have two layers of 3/4" ply. Let's see if THIS would be sufficient. I thought about wall mounting, but right now, my setup is temporary. So, it will have to remain "portable."

I have another enlarger (D-II) that I've never aligned. I'm not having any obvious problem with this one. This new (to me) D-2 has been taken apart, so I KNOW everything is way off. I can even see corners are out of focus.

Fun, fun, fun.... Photography, not just pressing shutter buttons anymore!

 

[fotch]

If most photos have the subject in the middle of the print, like a portrait, this would probaly be a non-issue. If landscape or an aerial image, edge to edge sharpness is more important. PITA

 

[tkamiya]

Yes, fotch.... but if it's off as much as mine is off, you'd think there is a problem, too...

I found out, I can borrow a proper alignment tool from a photo instructor of mine. I'm going to try that sometime next week. Thank you everybody for giving me ideas.

 

[fotch]

Your right, without having the problem and not working with your set up, it’s hard to determine what the cause is.

Hopefully the alignment tools that you will use will help you resolve the issue.

Good Luck to you.

 

[Jim Jones]

The primary purpose of enlarger alignment is to get all four corners of the image sharp on the easel. Also, there should be no Scheimpflug distortion. To align the corners of the image, use fine sandpaper to make a random pattern a clear sheet of film. A few strokes of coarser sandpaper will aid in initial focusing. When the enlarger is properly aligned, the fine lines in the film will be sharp in all corners of the easel. If the negative carrier film gate is perfectly rectangluar, so the image on the easel should be also. If all corners of the image are sharp, but the center isn't perfectly in focus, the problem is in the flatness of the film or the lens, not misalignment. A properly aligned enlarger should have the lens mount, negative, and easel parallel. They don't have to be level.