Magnetic Easel

StigHagen · May 22, 2011

Im looking for an easel for 20x24 enlargements and found this on bhphotovideo
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/70880-REG/Delta_13830_20x24_Magnetic_Enlarging_Easel.html

Are they any good?

Luseboy · May 22, 2011

You can make your own for like 10$, just get a piece of sheet metal and some magnets

StigHagen · May 23, 2011

But how are they to work with?

Luseboy · May 23, 2011

I've never used one, but i hear good things. Its the best way to make a cheap easel.

herb · May 23, 2011

seems like paper that large would need two sets of magnets to hold it flat. I have a big easel and need all four edges to be held down to get flat exposures

olleorama · May 23, 2011

You can get magnetic material in strips.

erikg · May 23, 2011

Def. make your own. How well it works does depend a bunch on the paper you use, but generally they work great. To get the paper truly flat a vacuum easel is really the thing, and that is another good DIY project, but probably not really necessary.

chimneyfinder · May 23, 2011

An A2 magnetic notice board, usually cork backed, is very good with a supportive spacer in the middle to prevent it curving downwards. They sometimes have the 6", or so, straight magnetic strips included (Rexel do them), which makes paper alignment simple as they have a slight 'T' cross section, with the heavier round magnets for the corners, if required.
Regards, Mark Walker

Bob Darby · May 23, 2011

Having used the 20 x 24 magnetic easel, a couple of pointers. The turned up edges do not hold the paper well if there is any curl in the paper. I have got some super magnets from Lee Valley to use on the corners to help hold them down. Get some of the magnetic strips & use them on the turned up metal edges to help hold the paper flat. I think that the paper type may have a lot to do with the curl & ability of the easel to hold the paper flat. I am using Kodak Polymax Fine Art & it is hard to get flat. I am thinking of making a plenum under the easel, drilling a few holes & using a vacuum assist. Might work, probably won't hurt. I tried a straight vacuum easel before & did not have a great success with it. I think maybe a combination might work. I am starting a new portfolio & was thinking about this problem so I will try this out & let you know how it works.

StigHagen · May 24, 2011

Bob Darby said:
I tried a straight vacuum easel before & did not have a great success with it. I think maybe a combination might work. I am starting a new portfolio & was thinking about this problem so I will try this out & let you know how it works.

Please do, thanks

Vlad Soare · May 25, 2011

I have one of those, just smaller - 11x14".
The magnets are very strong; they're more than strong enough to hold FB paper flat. They're also angled, so that they can hold the paper while also allowing light to reach it. This way you get almost borderless prints.
Unlike the magnets, the edges of the frame don't hold the paper really flat. However, the curvature, though worrying at first sight, seems to be well within the depth of focus. I've never noticed any lack of sharpness at the edges.
My only problem was that it came without the advertised non-skid base. I had to glue a sheet of foam on its back.
Overall, I'm very pleased with it.

Magnetic Easel

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