Light Seals for Color Enlarger

[Howl23]

Hello All,

I recently got an Omega Chromega Dichroic B color enlarger kit for a very nice price. However, the light seals on the color head have long since degraded. Does any one know where I can buy replacements for it, or if there's an alternative DIY method I can do instead?

Best,
Howl

 

[peoplemerge]

I’d like to know the same thing.

 

[Kino]

Maybe go to Ebay and order a sheet of silicone sheet rubber and cut your own? There are various types on the site, but I would explore black silicone.

Haven't had a Omega Chromega Dichroic B in my hands for a while, but I would think that would work.

 

[ic-racer]

You can get adhesive-backed strips of foam rubber from McMaster Carr in various sizes and thicknesses.

 

[Xylo]

And for small gaps, I've always been a big fan of adhesive black felt from the craft store.

 

[Howl23]

I’d like to know the same thing.

Lots of people mentioned good options, I also saw on other forums that some had used neoprene foam for this purpose as well. Another user here also mentioned to me that a mouse pad would also work. I also heard back from KHB in Canada today and they have in stock the light seals for my specific color head already cut to shape with adhesive

Light Seal for Omega Chromega B Dichroic Lamphouse

The price isn't bad but the shipping is where it gets expensive. I may personally go with the mousepad option, as that seems the cheapest and the material is fairly similar.

 

[xkaes]

The seals on my enlargers are in great shape, but some light always escapes -- and that varieties with which head I'm using. I have a couple of small flaps taped to cover up some leaks behind the negative carriers, but I've also painted all the walls and ceiling close to the enlargers matte black. After running some tests, I've only had problems with long exposures, but these were simply solved.

 

[L Gebhardt]

Weather stripping from the hardware store is cheap and has worked well for me. Gaffers tape is very useful for blocking light from small gaps and it cleanly removes.