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Hints to clean old easel blades....

hoganlia

Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2023
Messages
150
Location
Spain
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Medium Format
Hi folks... super hot here in my part of the world (38ºC in the shade this afternoon)... not darkroom-friendly at all, so I am developing and working my way through the "I must get around to..." list.

I was given an elderly 40x50cm Meopta easel a while back. A very solid and tempting option which in general is in good shape. The blades however are rather stiff and difficult to adjust. (So far I have been tapping gently with a wooden kitchen tenderizer) I don't think they are rusty but I would like to ease them up if I can without damaging them or using cleaning products which I am later going to regret. They don't have clamps or springs to ease their purchase.... just nice, solid mid-european People's Republic of It's This and Nothing More Are You Complaining? technology.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance as always.

Joe
 
Clean it with an oily rag to lubricate it slightly? Hard to offer a suggestion without knowing what it looks like.
 
hoganlia said:
how do I upload a photo here?
Click to expand...
click on the little picture icon at top of the reply block, it will let you drag and drop a picture from your computer, or you can copy and paste into the reply.

As for cleaning, for things like easels, that need just slight lubrication, I like paste wax, it has some solvents, so it can loosen old grime, then it leaves a smooth slick surface.
 
bdial said:
click on the little picture icon at top of the reply block, it will let you drag and drop a picture from your computer, or you can copy and paste into the reply.
Click to expand...

The uploader is a bit finicky. If the file is big, re-size it down to a jpeg with 1000 pixels on the long dimension first.
 

MattKing said:
The uploader is a bit finicky. If the file is big, re-size it down to a jpeg with 1000 pixels on the long dimension first.
Click to expand...

Thanks to both of you.... the uploader is a lot easier than some of the forums I have been in... Spain's Canonistas is a disaster.

OK... there is cosmetic rust which I would like to clean off if I can but no evident rtust that is causing the bloackage... probably most "dust and grit". The slider in the second photo I think is supposed to elevate a little with upward pressue, not squeezing like many. I presume I will need some sort of oil or lubricant as Don.ih mentioned in his reply but I am not sure which sort... I don't want minimal residues causing problems with paper or anythng

Anyway, the easel itself is extremely solid and the blades sit completely flat (better than the LPL that I am currently using..). I also much prefer the border adjustment mechanism whic is so basic nut effective that I have no isdea why all easels are built this way. The other reason I want to use this is that I would love to try some larger paper... I have a Meopta Opemus 6 enlarger and so far I have used only 5x7 and 8x10 papers....

once again, thanks to all

Joe
 
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You don't want to coat it in oil or anything. Using a furniture polish after a good cleaning would work - like the paste wax mentioned by @bdial . I've used spray furniture polish on dark slides in film holders - the spray leaves a coating that's quite slippery. You spray it on and wipe it off. I first heard of using that as advice for making the shutter blades in a Packard shutter more frictionless.
 
One potential issue with something made like that is the metal can corrode somewhat under the paint, which can make it swell. Pieces that fit nicely when originally painted can end up too tight and no amount of lubrication will fix the situation. In that instance, it might be necessary to take it apart and sand all the surfaces until the pieces fit nicely, then coat in something like furniture polish (helps prevent further corrosion).
 
After taking it apart and cleaning it and putting it back together (there goes the day…), lubricate with silicone spray (not too much); it has worked well on my paper cutter.
 

Renato Tonelli said:
After taking it apart and cleaning it and putting it back together (there goes the day…), lubricate with silicone spray (not too much); it has worked well on my paper cutter.
Click to expand...

I had started to think that taking it apart may be the best option.... thanks for the silicon spray tip as well.

Much obliged!
 

I don't know what "paste wax" is..... hahaha.... I haven't lived in an English speaking country (or environment) for 43 years.... English is now my second language... or maybe even third. I'll see what I can find.

Aha, just checked amazon... furniture wax Thanks
 
Spray furniture polish also counts as a silicone spray, by the way. But lemon-scented
 
The blades obviously need friction to stay in place. Figure out what is causing too much friction and ameliorate it. You might be able to slide the blades off the end and clean them completely. The Leitz easel is similar to what you have, though the Leitz easel has locks.

I'd rather have too much friction than not enough though so be careful what you lubricate it with.
 
Don_ih said:
Clean it with an oily rag to lubricate it slightly? Hard to offer a suggestion without knowing what it looks like.
Click to expand...

Oh dear! Don't ever allow oil of any description or quantity get anywhere near photographic darkroom equipment. Obviously you will be working in the dark and oil has a habit of spreading - even a smear will spread! I would suggest checking the blades to see iuf there are rough spots which may be corrosion and lightly dressing this down with a 1000 grit production paper. (Used in car body repair shops) Then when it is smooth with no rough areas cover the blades all over with a good Bees-wax polish and buff the aread and you will find that it makes a world of change to the movement.

I make no apology for repeating what I said at the start DO NOT USE OIL!
 
  • Don_ih
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I(nteresting idea re the grit paper... I was in an iron.mongers the other day and on the way home I thought about asking their advice on just that.
 
  • BMbikerider
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  • Don_ih
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  • BMbikerider
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  • Don_ih
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  • Reason: bickering to almost no useful effect
  • BMbikerider
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Gentlemen.
We already have your advice - care with any type of oil is necessary, and some things may surprise you with their oil content.
If you intend to continue your argument, please don't use the public forums.
 
Thanks everyone for your support and advice. I've decided to take the easel to a metal shop to get expert advice before I sally ahead on my own and possible destroy things. A number of things people mentioned here rerally were food for thought. What a great forum this is.

Thanks to all

Muchísimas de las gracias
 
One thing I have used on sticky sliding machine parts is to dab a scotchbrite pad with carnauba floor wax and buff the metal with it. Results are a nicely sliding part with a fine coat of wax to lubricate it.
 

Hi @hoganlia - Did the metal shop give any good guidance? coming across the same issue as your post here. thanks!
 
natec300 said:
Hi @hoganlia - Did the metal shop give any good guidance? coming across the same issue as your post here. thanks!
Click to expand...

Please excuse my lack of reply... both my wife and I have been down with a really bad case of flu since Christmas, better now but still not 100% and I have been lax getting back to things. Yes, in my case the advice helped a lot. Firstly was to brush minimum quantity of graphite on the outer end of the blades and gently move/force them towards the point when you can remove them from the frame. Once separated you can lightly brush the other parts of the blades. With graphite and a soft rag "polish" the blades and check for any rust on the clamps. Polish that with graphite as well but do not use any rust remover... very important!
Keep polishing the parts until there is no sign of graphite on a cloth or kitchen paper. Remount the blades and patiently (over days if needs be) ease the blades along the frame continuously but never forcing if you feel resistance.

This work perfectly for me.
 
I bought a used Leitz easel in 30 x 40 cm last year with a similar problem for a low price. I disassembled the mechanism locking the blades, cleaned the painted blades and parts with WD40 (its main purpose in my book), rubbing them dry with clean cotton afterwards.

Most small parts have been dirty and rusty. I put them in a warm solution of 60 g citric acid, 40 g washing soda dissolved in 1l of water. This cleans away the rust and after a bit of rubbing with a soft toothbrush most parts looked like new. Flush with clean water, dry and apply a thin layer of oil, remove any excess as above.

Now it looks and works like new!
 

Thank you!!
 
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