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

[jeffreythree]

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]

Varigam filters are variable contrast filters similar to Polycontrast, but their Magenta or Yellow strengths are different from Polycontrast.

 

[Sirius Glass]

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]

Welcome to projection printing! Not much useful the box. Did you get a decent lens, correct enlarger bulb, timer and clean/clear condensers?

 

[jeffreythree]

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.

 

[M Carter]

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]

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.