monster enlarger saga part2

[bmac]

WOW!

 

[chrisl]

Sean, you're the man! that's huge! have fun!

 

[Joe Lipka]

Unbe!@#$%^&*^%$lieveable.

If that's a pulsed Xenon bulb, you might be able to make 4x5 contact prints on AZO.

 

[dr bob]

When I brought up your image of that enlarger on my computer screen this A. M., I heard a loud sound of scrapping and banging in my darkroom/laundry room. When I looked, all my equipment was cringing in one corner! It will take me the rest of the morning to convince them that I won't be bringing in something like your equipment, and to return to their proper places! :

Good luck. I'll stay tuned, dr bob.

 

[Sean]

Hi Joe, after what Michael Smith says I might try 8x10negs enlarged on 20x24azo, could be a while before I get to that stage though..

Unbe!@#$%^&*^%$lieveable.

If that's a pulsed Xenon bulb, you might be able to make 4x5 contact prints on AZO.

 

[L Gebhardt]

Holy $%#$ that tink is big. I guess you aren't planning on moving any time soon. How bright is the bulb if you think you can enlarge to AZO?

 

[FrankB]

Oh, so that's what a "behemoth" is! I always wondered...

 

[Ed Sukach]

Oh, so that's what a "behemoth" is! I always wondered...

I have a sugestion for its name: "Hagrid". ops:

 

[Sean]

Holy $%#$ that tink is big. I guess you aren't planning on moving any time soon. How bright is the bulb if you think you can enlarge to AZO?

I think I will need to expose the negative differently to enlarge azo. I'm not sure what I'll need to do yet. It must be pretty bright because it's basically a massive camera flash bulb. It must get very hot because there is like a 12inch cooling port on the side that hooks to a big extractor fan.

 

[glbeas]

I've read that there are certain enlarger lenses that pass UV very well which may facilitate Azo enlargements. See this article:
http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/uv-lens.htm

 

[L Gebhardt]

OK, if it is a flash type bulb, how does exposure work - multiple flashes or just change the power? How do you focus?

 

[DrPhil]

Here's to wonderful spouses who let us have our toys. I thought that I had a big new toy. I just moved a durst 10x10 into my living room.

Dead Link Removed

 

[Ole]

My Durst 138 is shrinking with shame

 

[Sean]

OK, if it is a flash type bulb, how does exposure work - multiple flashes or just change the power? How do you focus?

I had the same question and the owner says it pulses so fast you can't really even tell it's pulsing, so it's not a problem focusing. One might think it would take a hell of a lot of power to pull something like that off considering the size of the tube. The cabinet which controls the power source resembles a small power station and also weighs a lot. I hope the neighborhood doesn't mind their lights going dim while I print

 

[Sean]

DrPhil that's a beauty!

 

[glbeas]

OK, if it is a flash type bulb, how does exposure work - multiple flashes or just change the power? How do you focus?

I had the same question and the owner says it pulses so fast you can't really even tell it's pulsing, so it's not a problem focusing. One might think it would take a hell of a lot of power to pull something like that off considering the size of the tube. The cabinet which controls the power source resembles a small power station and also weighs a lot. I hope the neighborhood doesn't mind their lights going dim while I print

It probably won't draw more than a space heater, I've used pulsed xenon plateburners before and they are much more efficient than the old carbon arc types. The power box most likely has an isolation transformer to limit the current to the required levels. If you were to fire up a xenon tube directly from a 220 line you would probably melt your wires and explode the tube. After a tube gets ionised good at startup it's pretty much a dead short on the line.
What are the specs on the rating plate that should be mounted on the power box?

 

[Aurore]

"I have attached a photo of her next to my lpl medium format color enlarger for scale."

Awwww, how cute!! Your enlarger had a baby...

I've been following the thread and am looking forward to the next installment in your adventure. Good luck!

 

[livemoa]

Sean, next time I come to Auckland I will bring some Azo and we can play

 

[Eric Rose]

You watch the cops will be on your door thinking you are running a grow operation with all the elecitricity you will be sucking down!! LOL.

 

[Sean]

Sean, next time I come to Auckland I will bring some Azo and we can play

David, that would be awesome! It may be a while before everything is up and running, but I'll drop you a line when it's ready.

 

[Sean]

update:

The darkroom (the physical room itself) is finished! Next step is making it 100% light tight and clean (since it used to be a garage there is dirt and dust on everything), then start in with some plumbing and ventilation. Not sure what to do with venting, I want to make 100% sure I'm not getting exposed to anything. I'm thinking a few good extractor units near the sink with a light proof vent on the opposite wall? I'm also trying to get my remaining accessories together. I probably will not be enlarging anytime soon due to cost constraints, so plan to get stuck into 8x10 contact prints for a while.

 

[glbeas]

Is the floor still concrete? If it's not sealed or painted that will be a source of dust for a very long time. I've also found the bathroom vent fans with the aluminum expandible tubing does great for the darkroom, just paint the inside of the tube flat black and arrange a few kinks or a loop to block the lights path.

 

[Sean]

I'm thinking of putting down a little carpet in the non-darkroom part of the area, and paining the floor in the darkroom area or getting some rubber mats. Would the rubber mats help with static electricity? Thanks for the vent info, sounds good.

 

[lee]

I would not worry about the clean part of the darkroom yet. Get all the construction done first. That is plumbing and making it light tight. Is it painted or due to be painted? If so, finish that first. Is the electrical in yet? Do that then worry about the floor. I would tile the floor and then use the rubber mats. Yes, the static electricity will be reduced with the rubber matts.

lee\c

 

[nolindan]

In graphic arts pulsed xenon systems range from 1000 to 6000 watts.

The light is very close to daylight, and it is not heavy in the UV. Metal halide lamps are used for burning plates - well used to be used, now they are burned right on the printing press by a laser. Metal halide graphic arts lamps are doped with various heavy metals so the output spectrum of the lamp falls within the sensitivity spectrum of the material.

The nameplate on the back of the power supply should say what input power it needs. Some require 3-phase, which in the US, is hard to come by domestically.