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Omega E3 baseboard dimensions

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therbert

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I picked up the majority of an Omega E3 enlarger from an estate sale a couple of weeks ago. It came with a pile of carriers (along with some that will fit my 45MX), etc., but no light source and no baseboard.

I know that here are at least a couple of folks on here that own them, could someone please tell me what the dimensions of the OEM baseboard are?

Thanks,
Tom
 
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MattKing

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darkroommike

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You "should" be able to estimate the dimensions. First create a temp baseboard, bolt your enlarge to it, and measure from the baseboard to the middle of the lens. Double that distance add 10-20% so that you can move the easel around and you have the depth of your baseboard. And if you don't mind a square baseboard use that same dimension less the column base for your side-to-side width. I had access to a military surplus Omega enlarger that had a single column complete sans baseboard and a carrier for my 3x4 Graphic negatives. I just bolted it to the counter in the darkroom and made a carrier of matt board.
 
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Unless you're trying to restore the enlarger to its OEM state, just make a baseboard that is a convenient size for you to work with.

FWIW, Omega enlargers that I have worked with in the past all seem to have baseboards that are way too small. Give yourself room to move your easel around for framing, especially if you are using a two-bladed easel that necessitates moving the whole easel for precise positioning of the top-left-hand corner.

The best Omega set-ups I worked with were with the enlarger mounted on the wall or on a block over a bare countertop. This provided lots of room for working with larger prints.

Best,

Doremus
 

ic-racer

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Yes, Omega made the baseboards too small on many enlargers. My Omega D5500 will easily make a 20x24 print, but look how the 20x24 easel overlaps the baseboard.

Durst enlargers size the baseboard for the largest 'nominal' print. For example a 5x7 negative in your "E" with a 210mm lens, and the head raised as high as it will go. Size the baseboard so the image fits on the entire baseboard.
20x24 easel d5500 darkroom.JPG
 
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therbert

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Thanks for all the information everyone. I was already considering just bolting the enlarger to the back edge of my workbench. I currently have it bolted to the front edge of one of my workbenches, for cleaning and painting some of the parts. I have a 30x72" maple-topped industrial workbench in the darkroom that it will sit on, so if I bolt it even with the back edge, that will give a clear space underneath it of 24x72" for printing. The original 5x7 lens on these was a 190mm, so I picked up a 190mm f4.5 Wollensak in good condition that fits into the threads of the enlarger cone for $32, I think. if it shows flaws, I can always pick up a 210mm Schneider at a later time.
 

eli griggs

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I've written about the two granite baseboards I have on a Leitz Valloy II and an Omega Pro Lab 4"x5" and I suggest you look into trying one for your own baseboard.

Mine are made from a natural stone, three centimeters thick and both were tapped with through holes matching the single column designs of both.

I simply chose the surface size by casual observation of the baseboards that came with several Omega D's 4"x5" and a 5"x7" E-5, and stay on top of the 24" deep bench top to my self-made eight foot long.

These were made of cut-offs of larger sheets of rock, already paid for and left at the granite counter top shops by the buyer who does not have a want or need for a large piece of refuse, so you should be able to find your own at a reasonable price, just have several very fit young men to handle it into place, no kidding here.

The edges of these baseboards have rounded top edges and corners, and usually a rough flat bottom and there are care products that will seal and protect their surfaces from most activities that'll be undertaken in the darkroom and they are easy to keep clean.

I use self adhesive cork spacer feet in the mounting of the board to the bench, easily lifted to a hight that will allow a pen or pencil to roll underneath easily.

Just be sure to place more than four feet under the board and make sure the bottom center area is well supported too.

I suppose the easiest way to guess at a baseboard size is to take the film carrier in the size you're wanting to print at its largest and with the enlarger temporarily mounted to its table top or bench, and the carrier mounted in the lamp head, turn on the enlarger's white light, from the tallest position, plus some additional hight for luck, and measure the possible areas for baseboard size in both vertical and landscape positions, reducing the head hight as needed, to stay on the bench.

Heavy granite baseboards are easy to make, for single column enlargers, and give great stability to the enlarger and easel on a strong enough bench or table.

Cheers
 

MattKing

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My D6 - first version - came with a massive, nicely large baseboard, which I believe to have been standard from the factory.
Based on memory, the baseboard was about 18" wide by 30" long.
Personally, I would choose a wall mount, if the option was available.
 

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I have an E5 and its baseboard is 18x34. I modified the lamp source to take a Nikor 6x7 color head. Somehow I managed to end up with another 5x7 E lamphouse that is sitting on a 4x5 condenser can. Maybe I can attach a pic. There is a government tag on the condenser can and only the government would turn an E into a 4x5.
 

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therbert

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I've written about the two granite baseboards I have on a Leitz Valloy II and an Omega Pro Lab 4"x5" and I suggest you look into trying one for your own baseboard.

Mine are made from a natural stone, three centimeters thick and both were tapped with through holes matching the single column designs of both.

I simply chose the surface size by casual observation of the baseboards that came with several Omega D's 4"x5" and a 5"x7" E-5, and stay on top of the 24" deep bench top to my self-made eight foot long.

These were made of cut-offs of larger sheets of rock, already paid for and left at the granite counter top shops by the buyer who does not have a want or need for a large piece of refuse, so you should be able to find your own at a reasonable price, just have several very fit young men to handle it into place, no kidding here.

The edges of these baseboards have rounded top edges and corners, and usually a rough flat bottom and there are care products that will seal and protect their surfaces from most activities that'll be undertaken in the darkroom and they are easy to keep clean.

I use self adhesive cork spacer feet in the mounting of the board to the bench, easily lifted to a hight that will allow a pen or pencil to roll underneath easily.

Just be sure to place more than four feet under the board and make sure the bottom center area is well supported too.

I suppose the easiest way to guess at a baseboard size is to take the film carrier in the size you're wanting to print at its largest and with the enlarger temporarily mounted to its table top or bench, and the carrier mounted in the lamp head, turn on the enlarger's white light, from the tallest position, plus some additional hight for luck, and measure the possible areas for baseboard size in both vertical and landscape positions, reducing the head hight as needed, to stay on the bench.

Heavy granite baseboards are easy to make, for single column enlargers, and give great stability to the enlarger and easel on a strong enough bench or table.

Cheers

Thanks, that's a great idea!
 

Lachlan Young

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MPP Micromatic (an Omega E4 copy/ made under license): 2" thick baseboard, approx 18x33" at bottom, tapering to about just over 17x32" at top surface. The oddly elongated Omega baseboard makes much more sense when you realise that the older E-series enlargers are effectively 7x7" with a rotatable neg stage/ lamphouse, clearly intended for use with the column to the user's right or left, rather than with the narrow side of the baseboard facing the operator.
 

ic-racer

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I've written about the two granite baseboards I have on a Leitz Valloy II and an Omega Pro Lab 4"x5" and I suggest you look into trying one for your own baseboard.

Mine are made from a natural stone, three centimeters thick and both were tapped with through holes matching the single column designs of both.

I simply chose the surface size by casual observation of the baseboards that came with several Omega D's 4"x5" and a 5"x7" E-5, and stay on top of the 24" deep bench top to my self-made eight foot long.

These were made of cut-offs of larger sheets of rock, already paid for and left at the granite counter top shops by the buyer who does not have a want or need for a large piece of refuse, so you should be able to find your own at a reasonable price, just have several very fit young men to handle it into place, no kidding here.

The edges of these baseboards have rounded top edges and corners, and usually a rough flat bottom and there are care products that will seal and protect their surfaces from most activities that'll be undertaken in the darkroom and they are easy to keep clean.

I use self adhesive cork spacer feet in the mounting of the board to the bench, easily lifted to a hight that will allow a pen or pencil to roll underneath easily.

Just be sure to place more than four feet under the board and make sure the bottom center area is well supported too.

I suppose the easiest way to guess at a baseboard size is to take the film carrier in the size you're wanting to print at its largest and with the enlarger temporarily mounted to its table top or bench, and the carrier mounted in the lamp head, turn on the enlarger's white light, from the tallest position, plus some additional hight for luck, and measure the possible areas for baseboard size in both vertical and landscape positions, reducing the head hight as needed, to stay on the bench.

Heavy granite baseboards are easy to make, for single column enlargers, and give great stability to the enlarger and easel on a strong enough bench or table.

Cheers

Wow, granite baseboard! Can you post a picture. Not only super functional, but fashionable too!
 
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I have an E5 and its baseboard is 18x34. I modified the lamp source to take a Nikor 6x7 color head. Somehow I managed to end up with another 5x7 E lamphouse that is sitting on a 4x5 condenser can. Maybe I can attach a pic. There is a government tag on the condenser can and only the government would turn an E into a 4x5.
FWIW, I've adapted a Chromega E dichroic head to my Beseler 45MXL enlarger. When working with Omega D (4x5) enlargers, I found that the coverage of the Chromega D heads was minimal, lots of falloff, even clipping the corners on full-frame prints. Having a 5x7 diffusing panel right on top of my 4x5 negatives ensures nice even coverage and minimal falloff.

Best,

Doremus
 

darkroommike

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Thanks for all the information everyone. I was already considering just bolting the enlarger to the back edge of my workbench. I currently have it bolted to the front edge of one of my workbenches, for cleaning and painting some of the parts. I have a 30x72" maple-topped industrial workbench in the darkroom that it will sit on, so if I bolt it even with the back edge, that will give a clear space underneath it of 24x72" for printing. The original 5x7 lens on these was a 190mm, so I picked up a 190mm f4.5 Wollensak in good condition that fits into the threads of the enlarger cone for $32, I think. if it shows flaws, I can always pick up a 210mm Schneider at a later time.
You may want to bolt the workbench to the wall and install a "wall brace" at the top of the column, that should help with any vibration issues.
 

outwest

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Doremus, I can see why the old Chromega heads might prove a problem which is why I replaced just the tungsten light source on my 5x7 condenser head with the small Nikor/Rollei 6x7 dichroic head. Its diffusion plate is larger in surface area than the old tungsten bulb and works like a champ.
 

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Nokton48

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E3 was only sold to the Military under contract.

Darkroom Renovation Phase 2 No 6 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I found an olde photo, BTW designed to be approached from the right side. A Contractor built this wooden replica, the original was welded out of heavy steel metal. This works as it was originally intended. The 5x7 Omegalite is from an E4.
 

eli griggs

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Wow, granite baseboard! Can you post a picture. Not only super functional, but fashionable too!

I'm on a small road trip this weekend but I'll try to send some pics next week, I'm shifting some things around at the house.

The only thing that someone might object to using granite is the polished stone can reflect light, but that same polish gives a nice feel and easy slide, but even matt stone might have some of its crystals reflecting light too.
Wow, granite baseboard! Can you post a picture. Not only super functional, but fashionable too!
 

ic-racer

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Doremus, I can see why the old Chromega heads might prove a problem which is why I replaced just the tungsten light source on my 5x7 condenser head with the small Nikor/Rollei 6x7 dichroic head. Its diffusion plate is larger in surface area than the old tungsten bulb and works like a champ.

Nice!
 
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