Home made enlarger

Chris Johnson said:

Impractical? Perhaps, but in the process he'll be making stuff and learning. Some view obstacles as roadblocks, others see oportunities.

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the only good reason to go DIY is when something custom needs to be made;saving money with DIY rarely works. there are a ton of used enlargers around for a song

from the dawn of photography onwards, hundreds if not thousands of bookshave been published about how to make, develop and print photographs ... many of them do a perfectly good job and can be purchased extremely cheaply second hand.

why did you bother to write another, Ralph?

TeachMe said:

This is honestly more than anything a learning experience for me until I can get a better option, I have lots of scrap wood and wood working tools, so I think I might be able to pull something off that relatively works until I can get something better.

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Many years ago, I wanted to fit a Weber DCOE twin sidedraught carburetor to a Honda 750 SOHC bike. When I asked the local Weber agent (and alleged "expert") for some guidance on jetting, his response was "You can't fit that carb on a bike". On asking why, he just said "'cos you can't". After messing around in the garage for a couple of days, I cobbled something together, wasn't pretty, but it worked. Rode the bike round to this so-called "expert", and despite it all sitting in front of him, he still maintained you couldn't fit that carburetor on a bike.

Since then, when ever someone has said "you can't do that" without giving a sound reason, I've gone away and tried. If you have the tools and materials to make an enlarger, give it a go. It doesn't have to be pretty, nor does it require high precision. You will learn from the experience and pick up skills that will serve you well in later life.

TeachMe said:

This is honestly more than anything a learning experience for me until I can get a better option, I have lots of scrap wood and wood working tools, so I think I might be able to pull something off that relatively works until I can get something better. This is going to be far from perfect but for me the fun is not only building but understanding the principles of photography and facing the problem solving challenges photographers faced in the early days

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Welcome to the forum and don't stop experimenting. Don't let the duffers dissuade you.

Here's that young man making a camera... this was back in 2001.



Sometimes you have to make something just to prove you can.

I learned a bit from my attempt to build an enlarger a few years ago. I'd encourage you to try making one, if for no other reason than to demystify that part of the photographic process. In principle there's not much to making one, you need a light source, a way to spread the light so that it illuminates the film evenly, a way to hold the film and a lens (and even then a pinhole version is possible).

A couple of things to consider: If you're enlarging 35mm, eBay has dozens of cheap enlarging 50mm enlarging lenses like the 50mm Omegar. Cheap, common, and even in perfect condition not worth more than $15. Of course if you have another lens around, or a magnifying glass, you can use it as a ready substitute, just make sure you restrict the aperture to a small circle in the middle of the glass so that the best part of the lens is used, the part with the least aberrations. A narrow aperture will also be more forgiving of alignment issues; you won't have to worry about only part of the film being in focus.

Creating an even light source is more difficult. Basically you want an even spread with no textures. I bought a flat sheet of milk-glass like material from a craft store and probably spent more that I should have. I'd start with a sheet of printer/copier paper, you might be able to fold it and get a more even spread, frosted glass might work. You'll have to experiment with the distance to the film and the aperture of the lens to not get the paper texture in your prints.

As for light sources, I would suggest anything cold, like fluorescent or led, but never tungsten. There are too many flammable materials you'll be working with, and you'll need to worry about venting the heat, etc. If you've successfully diffused the light in the last step, then it's just a matter of getting enough light through the lens so that you can expose the paper in a reasonable amount of time. Edit: I'll also add that your light source needs to be in a box so that it is only illuminating the film, not the rest of the room.

A horizontal enlarger is the way to go. A lot of the complexity of manufactured enlargers comes from being able to adjust them vertically, when you could just be moving things back and forth on a table and projecting on a wall.

Finally, and this is true for cameras as well as enlargers, the expense and value of manufactured devices is that they are accurate, expandable, modular, and versatile. You need none of these things. It's not too different in principle to a box camera. If you know how to use them, and in what circumstances they work best, then you can get great results out of them.

Since you're just getting started, just have fun. Too many people worry about all of the little details instead of just creating. I swear there's a contingent that wants there to be a high-priced buy-in to this hobby. The fact is, you can produce great work with the minimum of equipment. Photography is about ideas first. Even Miroslav Tichy is esteemed by many, and I can guarantee that you'll have to try very hard to make enlargements as poorly made as his, even with the worst equipment.

TeachMe said:

I've been looking like crazy, I found an omega chromega b for 100, but my car won't survive the drive down to get it

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sounds like you have bigger problems the\an needing an enlarger

Problem:
"being a broke as hell college student who also loves building things,being a broke as hell college student who also loves building things,"
Solution? Build it!

Kin ya dig it?

I kinda have the same attitude. If you say no, I'll fiddle around & do it, not to save money but.....you get the idea.

Wright brothers, Ford, DeWitt Clinton etc.

pdeeh said:

from the dawn of photography onwards, hundreds if not thousands of bookshave been published about how to make, develop and print photographs ... many of them do a perfectly good job and can be purchased extremely cheaply second hand.

why did you bother to write another, Ralph?

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Because it may well be the most inspiring and informative book on B&W photography ever published. Good enough reason?

And the OP may find building his own enlarger one of the most engaging and inspiring things he embarks upon.
Good enough reason?

Remember, once upon a time before gross industrialization, items used to be built with style. Even the minimalist Bauhaus aesthetic had a functional beauty underlying the stark utilitarian forms.

It won't be jaded consumers urging you to buy everything off the shelf who advance the field, it will be the kids and dreamers who piss on that world view and build their own. Just because they can.

Just wait until someone with good aesthetics and access to a 3D printing setup designs a mechanical piece of art. Just that one instance of design excellence will do more to advance the cause and presence of film and darkroom arts than a million machine stamped struts off the shelf.

OP - damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead

I guess my thoughts are that if you have fun doing this; go for it. If you are trying to make anything that will satisfy because you don't have any extra cash, then scour craigslist, flea-bay and any other place for enlargers. I've seen them recently on the bay for practically nothing if you pick them up.

Other than being slightly interesting, making something like this isn't worth the time/effort expenditure. (if your aim is to have a satisfying enlarger that's functional and practical)

Ebay:
$69.00
PHILIPS 35MM/2 1/4 CONDENSER ENLARGER

$71.00
DURST F60 35MM Enlarger and color Filter Set with 2 lens Great Condition

$86.00 or best offer with free shipping
Vintage Durst M300 Photography Enlarger Made in Italy for Enlarging 35mm Negativ

Or this:
A really really really cheap Durst L1840 8x10 enlarger package
...which is why I'm currently waiting for 60 Luxeon LEDs to attach to a 12x15" anodized heat-sink.

You're at the age when most people have more time than money. Most of us hit a point where the tables are turned. If I could buy anything I wanted, it would be time. Have fun.

By all means build your enlarger. I did exactly that in 1939. I di have the advantage of following some simple plans in a magazine. Save your money and spend it on n enlarging lens. Make your own ground glass for diffusion by placing a small amount of 600 grit with a few drops of water between two pieces of glass the appropriate size. move the top piece in a random pattern for a few minutes and you will end up with 2 pieces of ground glass. using both will give you very good diffusion.
Good luck

I have folks GIVE me enlargers so don't see the point unless making a machine for a very large film format.

Is this for 35mm? Then how about a fixed magnification enlarger? I would go for 6X or a print size of 6X9 inches on 8X10 paper. Use a 50mm camera taking lens at about it's mount distance from film plus 8.2mm, i.e. my OM mount distance is 46mm then I would add 8.2 mm for a total distance from neg of 54.2mm. The distance from the easel to the center of the lens would be about 325mm or 13 inches. For illumination try a LED flood light. They run cool and can be placed to cover the entire 43.25mm diagonal of a 35mm negative. Just make the thing a box, with the negative positioned on the top, then the home made lamp housing positioned on that. The 8x10 paper can be on the bottom of the box slotted into 1/4 inch slots on the long sides. You could build it out of 1/4 inch hobby plywood. T.o mount the lens us a rear lens cap with a hole cut in it big enough to not obstruct the light path. You might have to find a way to stop down the lens if, it is the type that are normally open until a lever go pressed it open.

OP, I see you are in California. I am in LA, I have a small color omega enlarger (Chromega B w/ power supply for 35mm, maybe 6x6) I need to get rid of. It works, comes with a carrier and a lens. If you want it you can have it.

I get it that the OP wants an enlarger, has limited funds and a vehicle that can't go far afield. I imagine we'll get him hooked up.

I also get it that he's the sort that gets an idea in his head and has to see it through. Everything photographically I'm really proud of and that I feel makes my portfolio "unique" came from this curse.

I once took some 35mm E6 shots to out big pro lab, to the counter I stood at 3 or 5 times a week, and asked if they'd dupe the chromes on Velvia. "You can't dupe on Velvia!" "It won't work!" "They'll look fine with duping film".

So, after modding a 45 polaroid holder (for proofing), taping an old vivitar flash into my enlarger, cutting all sorts of lighting gels (like 1/8 CTB and CTO, ND, subtle stuff), and testing all sorts of push.pull processing, I eventually ended up with some really blow-your-head-off 4x5's and 8x10's (back when you showed clients your work on a light box).

And of course, that same lab ran those sheets, and when I picked up the film, they were like "How the HELL did you get these shots!??!?! That COLOR?!?!?"

If I'd have listened to those guys...