How to stick FB paper to the wall for enlarging ?

Rom · Oct 7, 2011

Dear all,

Do you have any advices on how to hold my FB paper on my wall during my enlarging process ?

The column of my enlarger is too small and i want to try to make a big enlargement. I have seen a video on somebody who project the light directly on the wall and use the wall as a table for the paper.

I was wondering how to do that ?

Thanks in advance for your help.

All the best

Rom

Peter de Groot · Oct 7, 2011

How about some tape to stick it to the wall? I have never done it before so I am throwing some ideas. I have seen one guy who build a vacuemboard with old vacuumcleaners. Other ideas I have seen is using magnets on a iron wall.

Peter

Trask · Oct 7, 2011

You could try a tape like this:

http://www.officedepot.com/a/produc...ssionid=00006wp8iN9NQpctCO0YkT1difl:13ddq0ud1

depending on the thickness of the tape and the stiffness of the FB paper, you may want to put a sheet of paper the same thickness of the tape behind the center of the print.

2F/2F · Oct 7, 2011

A metal plate on the wall, and long magnets to hold the paper.

Building a drop-baseboard enlarging shelf is an easier way to do it, IMO. Alignment is easier and your enlarger doesn't need to be moved.

jeffreyg · Oct 7, 2011

Does your enlarger head rotate? There is double-sided masking tape but test it to see if it damages the paper when removing it. If a border is okay drafting tape which is similar to masking tape but not as sticky might work. Having the paper flat against the wall is critical. You will also need to know exactly where to place it and to first have apiece on the wall to compose and focus. 2F/2F has a much better way.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

ooze · Oct 7, 2011

I would be more concerned with the proper alignment of negative-lens-paper planes; a task which I find non-trivial even on the baseboard.

As for the paper, I would just use good ol' tape.

Bob Carnie · Oct 7, 2011

Magnets on a metal wall to create tension is the way to go.

Alignment and other issues are difficult but not impossible.

hadeer · Oct 7, 2011

I used to do big prints positioning the paper on the floor, having put a heavy weight on the ground board of the enlarger and turning the colum 180 degrees. Much easier to keep the paper flat that way.

Rom · Oct 8, 2011

Hi all,

Thanks for your tips. I will see how i can do it. Unfortunately, i don't have a metal wall.

Hadeer, i didn't think to put it on the ground ! Thanks for the idea. I need to see if i can make it like this.

Thanks all

All the best

2F/2F · Oct 8, 2011

You don't need a metal wall. You just need metal on the wall.

Rom · Oct 8, 2011

2F/2F, yes i know, i was meaning that i have to fix it. The fact is i rent my flat, so i try to modify it at minimum.

Thanks

Newt_on_Swings · Oct 8, 2011

I was thinking about this myself recently. I have not done it yet but I think a good way is to purchase a roll of adheasive magnetic tape. You can stick that to the wall, then put on paper, then put other long strips of the magnetic tape or small neodymium magnets over it to hold it up.

easier, faster, and less messy than plain masking tape, and no need to nail long metal strips onto the wall. various vendors sell this tape, and its pretty cheap with various lengths available.

TimmyMac · Oct 8, 2011

blu-tack.

Martin Aislabie · Oct 9, 2011

I use Masking Tape - and make it into H shapes

The Vertical strips of the H attach the tape (and Paper) to the wall in the normal manner

The Horizontal bar of the H has the tape reversed - sticky side out - to attach it to the back of the paper.

6 or 8 H shapes will stick a 20x16 piece of paper to the wall - and the you can get 5+ pieces of paper hung before the tape starts to loose its edge.

I wouldn't want to print professionally like this - but for the odd print - its easy, cheap and makes no mess.

Martin

David A. Goldfarb · Oct 9, 2011

When I did this many years ago, I used masking tape. Blu-tac sounds like a good option, if you don't have a big vacuum board or magnet strip setup.

If you've got room for floor projection, the basic technique is to reverse the enlarger column and turn the enlarger around, weighting the baseboard, so the enlarger doesn't topple over. Some enlargers like Omega D's can do this easily. Some require unscrewing the column mount from the base and putting it back with the head facing the other way, and I suppose that for some enlargers, there may be no easy way of doing it.

Mark Fisher · Oct 10, 2011

Drafting tape. Looks like masking but with easy release. Use it all the time.

darkroom_rookie · Oct 10, 2011

Martin Aislabie said:
I use Masking Tape - and make it into H shapes

The Vertical strips of the H attach the tape (and Paper) to the wall in the normal manner

The Horizontal bar of the H has the tape reversed - sticky side out - to attach it to the back of the paper.

Or just use low-tack two-sided tape. Martin, could you please check PM?

RobertP · Nov 3, 2011

I would think one of those cheap metal easels from Delta would be a good way to wall mount, They come with the magnetic strips to hold the paper. Since the easel is thin metal it shouldn't be to hard to mount to the wall. Robert

bill@lapetelabs.com · Nov 21, 2011

The side of a file cabinet (Black metal) and a few magnets would work! True up the file to match the enlarger and choose a suitable enlargement size it should weigh enough to keep it from moving accidentally. I've also found magnets that are the size of business cards (at Staples) that are covered on one side with an adhesive. Leave the protective cover on or stick some black paper on it. They are strong enough to hold down most papers, or cut them into strips to get more coverage! I also use them to hold down test strips when making prints on a regular metal easel. I get an unexposed paper white at the same time.

orlovphoto · Dec 5, 2011

Large fiber paper will still curl on the floor so you might want to put heavy rulers along the edges to hold it down. When I printed 30x40 I used gaffers tape on the floor and walls (wall piece was actually about 3x7ft)

Molli · Dec 6, 2011

Hi Rom,
I'm renting as well so I know the limits involved when it comes to making modifications. Swivelling the enlarger head around to project onto the floor really does seem like the best plan - with weighted edges to keep the paper curling as orlovphoto suggested. A couple of bricks on the baseboard ought to balance it nicely

How to stick FB paper to the wall for enlarging ?

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