Jobo Varioformat easel question

Hello friends,

I've got this easel together with the enlarger from evilbay. But! There were no any insructions how to use it and even after googling the Inet I found nothing :confused:
I didn't see something similar before and don't know how it works. Especially I confuse about this black stick which crosses the easel in the center and doesn't let the paper to lay flat.
I'll be very glad if someone here will help me and describe how to work with this easel

I have a varioformat, had it for about 20 years or so.

1st you put a sheet of paper, usually 8x10" in the easel. Then you place the two covers marked, 1 & 4 on the left side, then the cover marked 2 & 3 on the right side.

The next thing, is to put the round black plastic stick in the centre of these two left and right covers. You will find that there is a black groove which runs top to bottom in the very centre, that is where it goes.

The purpose of the black stick is to stop light getting to the paper when you have white light on, otherwise you will end up with a thin black line in the very centre of your sheet of paper.

On one side you will find a red rectangle and a white rectangle.

The red rectangle is obvious when you push it. It pushes up the paper enabling you to easily scoop it out of the easel. This is needed more with colour paper, when you are working in total darkness.

The white rectangle is at the same level as the paper and you can place your grain focus unit on this to focus accurately a new negative.

Remember you can make 4 different pictures from 4 different negatives easily with this easel.

I myself find it is best to cover the easel with an old processed piece of paper when I'm working for a while inserting and cleaning a new negative, otherwise I find there is small light leaks that get on the paper in the centre, where the black stick is.

I'll try and find the instructions. I will be away until next Tuesday so it may be a while before I'm back on line.

Mick.

Mick, thank you very much for the description of this easel! I understood how to work with it