• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

Finally found an enlarger, but it came with a box of random 'stuff'

jeffreythree

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Jul 6, 2015
Messages
309
Location
DFW, Texas
Format
Multi Format
Today I picked up my first enlarger, a Kodak Precision Enlarger w/ the condenser head A and a box full of stuff for $50 locally. Figured there was no risk at that price since it worked and had the negative carriers I need, but I have questions on whether some of this box of stuff is still usable. The items in question, all from the '60s or older I think:

1. Defender card mounted gelatin filters for complete contrast control with Varigam paper. One is trashed, others look good.
2. Ganz Speed-Ez-El's in a variety of sizes, but old(pat. pending) and some not very straight, especially the 8x10.
3. Kodak Dry Mounting tissue, 5x7 and 8x10.
4. Half a dozen darkroom bulbs and a housing with red lens. One bulb marked Burk and James Amberlite, others look darker but unmarked and one is blue?
5. Old wooden Kodak Auto Mask Printing Frame that would need repair(glass chipped and a bracket missing). Worth fixing?

Thanks for any help on whether these are usable or not.
 

wiltw

Subscriber
Allowing Ads
Joined
Oct 4, 2008
Messages
6,701
Location
SF Bay area
Format
Multi Format
Varigam filters are variable contrast filters similar to Polycontrast, but their Magenta or Yellow strengths are different from Polycontrast.
 

Sirius Glass

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 18, 2007
Messages
50,814
Location
Southern California
Format
Multi Format
All of it is useful: the easel, the filters, the darkroom bulbs, the dry mounts. "5. Old wooden Kodak Auto Mask Printing Frame that would need repair(glass chipped and a bracket missing). Worth fixing?" is a contact print frame.
 

ic-racer

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Messages
16,728
Location
USA
Format
Multi Format
Welcome to projection printing! Not much useful the box. Did you get a decent lens, correct enlarger bulb, timer and clean/clear condensers?
 
OP
OP

jeffreythree

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Jul 6, 2015
Messages
309
Location
DFW, Texas
Format
Multi Format
Welcome to projection printing! Not much useful the box. Did you get a decent lens, correct enlarger bulb, timer and clean/clear condensers?

The items above were not all the items in the box, just the questionable items. It also came with a Wollensak 90mm lens, clean #4 condenser,glassless negative holders, like new GraLab timer, Airequipt 4 way easel, 5 proper NOS GE Mazda PH212 enlarger bulbs, 4 roll film developing tanks, a Graflex Photorecord lens and shutter he thought was another enlarger lens, and various tongs, thermometers, and measuring items. I need to replace 2 missing screws that hold the bulb socket in place and replace the dry rotted electric cord.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

M Carter

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Jan 23, 2013
Messages
2,149
Location
Dallas, TX
Format
Medium Format
I think one of the best and cheapest upgrades when you start out is an electronic repeating timer that beeps (if your timer is the dial-style). They're cheap on eBay, and if you don't have the proprietary foot switch it's very easy to adapt them to use a cheap musician's foot switch.
 

Jim Jones

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Jan 16, 2006
Messages
3,740
Location
Chillicothe MO
Format
Multi Format
Speed-EZ-ELs are my favorite easels. They can be straightened if bent. If the paint in the picture area is in poor condition, spray paint them yellow. This makes them easy to see, and the yellow reflects little light back through the paper.