Enlarger stand for floor projecting?

Carriage · Apr 6, 2016

I'm thinking about giving enlargments larger than 10x8 a go and will need to project to the floor but am having difficulty working out how I'm going to set up my enlarger. My one is similar to this one

so I can turn it backwards, however it appears I'd need a bench with nothing under it, unlike the one in my bathroom I use, as I cant go much larger than 10x8 without the light hitting the cupboard underneath. Also, regular bench height would be too high for the enlargements I want. Something like this could work
http://www.fantasticfurniture.com.a...mp-Tables/Geo-Lamp-Table/p/GEOLTBOOOOOOMELBBR
but given that my darkroom is temporary I'd need somewhere to keep it so it's not ideal. It would probably be more stable than a folding option though. Anyone with a better idea? Perhaps I should build something that can be taken apart?

MattKing · Apr 6, 2016

A folding table with the baseboard clamped to it, and weight added should work fine.

You can always put your easel on something to raise it off the floor.

tedr1 · Apr 6, 2016

Does the enlarger have the option to turn 90 degrees for wall projection?

Carriage · Apr 6, 2016

Doesn't appear to.

bence8810 · Apr 6, 2016

I had the exact enlarger you are showing above and it was rather flimsy which was fine for the 8x10 and below but for large enlargements I wouldn't trust it. The build was just not sturdy and heavy enough to resist vibration etc.

If I were you and this was my only option I'd turn the head to the back like you did and lower it all the way to the baseboard - where it'll have the best stability and then move it high up on a workbench etc to give you the desired enlargement.

Good luck!
Ben

Ian Grant · Apr 7, 2016

For over 20 years I had two enlargers bolted at the rear of a bench frame with a removable part to the top that could be slotted in at different levels. It can be done with any make enlarger.

I have a steel plate I had made for wall mounting a Durst M601 which I later used with am M605, quite simple to have made. I'm going to be selling it soon.

Ian

mnemosyne · Apr 7, 2016

You don't say how big you want to enlarge. If your enlarger is equipped with a diffuse light source (NOT condensor), there are wide angle enlarging lenses (Componon WA 4.0/40mm or a Nikkor EL 4.0/40mm etc) that will allow you to make somewhat bigger enlargements (30% linear increase) without having to change the distance between the film and the baseboard. You would not have to change anything with your darkroom setup, just make sure the enlarger can focus a WA lens.

BobMarvin11225 · Apr 7, 2016

"If your enlarger is equipped with a diffuse light source (NOT condensor), there are wide angle enlarging lenses…."

I've often read that wide angle enlarging lenses can only be used with diffusion enlargers, BUT that may be a myth. My 60mm WA Companon (for medium format) works just fine with my condenser Omega B-8, using the auxiliary condenser intended for a 75 mm lens.

Ian Grant · Apr 7, 2016

BobMarvin11225 said:
"If your enlarger is equipped with a diffuse light source (NOT condensor), there are wide angle enlarging lenses…."

I've often read that wide angle enlarging lenses can only be used with diffusion enlargers, BUT that may be a myth. My 60mm WA Companon (for medium format) works just fine with my condenser Omega B-8, using the auxiliary condenser intended for a 75 mm lens.

It is a myth as long as you can adjust the position of the light source with some older condenser enlargers. Others like Durts with a condensers are fairly diffuse anyway.

Ian

DREW WILEY · Apr 7, 2016

Two hypothetical problems with a small enlarger like this: 1) Is the light source powerful enough for big prints; 2) if horizontal usage is anticipated,
is the bulb itself compatible with a horizontal burn position (not all are) ?

Carriage · Apr 7, 2016

Ian Grant said:
For over 20 years I had two enlargers bolted at the rear of a bench frame with a removable part to the top that could be slotted in at different levels. It can be done with any make enlarger.

I have a steel plate I had made for wall mounting a Durst M601 which I later used with am M605, quite simple to have made. I'm going to be selling it soon.

Ian

I had a look at that link you sent me. A nice idea but I wouldn't really have anywhere to store it. Thanks though, perhaps something for the future.

mnemosyne said:
You don't say how big you want to enlarge. If your enlarger is equipped with a diffuse light source (NOT condensor), there are wide angle enlarging lenses (Componon WA 4.0/40mm or a Nikkor EL 4.0/40mm etc) that will allow you to make somewhat bigger enlargements (30% linear increase) without having to change the distance between the film and the baseboard. You would not have to change anything with your darkroom setup, just make sure the enlarger can focus a WA lens.

At most 16x20 but more likely 12x16. I thought about a wide angle lens but it won't help with the issue of the light hitting the enlarger column. At most I could maybe do 11 inches in the short dimension.

DREW WILEY said:
Two hypothetical problems with a small enlarger like this: 1) Is the light source powerful enough for big prints; 2) if horizontal usage is anticipated,
is the bulb itself compatible with a horizontal burn position (not all are) ?

Is the light source strength that much of an issue? Wouldn't I just expose for longer and open the aperture a bit?

MartinP · Apr 8, 2016

Carriage said:
Is the light source strength that much of an issue? Wouldn't I just expose for longer and open the aperture a bit?

Basically this is indeed possible when you double the print size. It becomes a problem if you turn it to project on to the wall and have a huge roll of paper taped up!

For off-the-side-of-the-table use, I found that some blacking out of surfaces that would usually not see any light was needed - the underneath of my table was shiny white formica which put a bit of grey bleurgh where it was not wanted. Some black paper and sticky-tape solved the table and shiny table-leg problems. Alignment was also tricky but a piece of board, as a temporary baseboard on the floor, and three wedges to line it up solved that problem.

DREW WILEY · Apr 8, 2016

Wide angle lenses have more center to edge illumination falloff than normal or longish lenses for a given format; so you might need to burn in the
corners of the print longer. I avoid them whenever possible. Otherwise, I am not familiar with your particular enlarger so just made a generic
comment. You'd have to test to see if the papers you use will print efficiently at long exposures. They can develop reciprocity failure issues just
like film. An easy way to simulate bigger enlargements is just to stop the lens down further using the lens as is, to require longer time. But in normal
circumstances it is best to use an enlarging lenses close to its optimum aperture, which is typically a couple stops down from the biggest aperture.

fotch · Apr 8, 2016

Take a look at the Beseler enlarger table and make a copy of it for your enlarger. You could do this with just about any enlarger.

johnielvis · Apr 8, 2016

for wall projection, maybe buy one of the "spy camera" attachments that let you take pictures at 90 degrees to where the lens is pointed. it's a simple lens add-on. Beseler had a 45 degree mirror attachment for wall projection too, as I recall.

DREW WILEY · Apr 8, 2016

That wouldn't fly well unless the device has a precisely aligned front surface mirror, which might end up costing more the enlarger itself, unless you
just end up lucky finding something like that military or industrial surplus.

JW PHOTO · Apr 9, 2016

Some smaller enlarger (35mm - 6x6) allow you to take the column off the board and reverse it with the head. But you must put a weight on the base-board to counteract the overhanging enlarger head weight. When you have it balanced out you turn it so that the head hangs over your enlarging table and the image is projected onto the floor.

Ian Grant · Apr 9, 2016

JW PHOTO said:
Some smaller enlarger (35mm - 6x6) allow you to take the column off the board and reverse it with the head. But you must put a weight on the base-board to counteract the overhanging enlarger head weight. When you have it balanced out you turn it so that the head hangs over your enlarging table and the image is projected onto the floor.

You can probably do that with that LPL. You can with smaller Durst enlargers, but many enlargers allow the head to be turned to allow horizontal projection as well, Dursts for instance.

Ian

JW PHOTO · Apr 9, 2016

Ian,
I have a Saunders LPL D6700, which is a pretty good step-up from the OP's LPL and I don't believe there is any real good way to do a wall projection. I'm pretty sure his doesn't have this feature, but I have been wrong before. Just ask my wife she'll tell you. JohnW

Enlarger stand for floor projecting?

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